TWISTER (1996) - Movie Review

Director: Jan de Bont
Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Lois Smith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Davies
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Writer: Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin
Runtime: 113 min
Rated: PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), 4K Ultra HD (Amazon),Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

During the approach of the most powerful storm in decades, university professor Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and an underfunded team of students prepare the prototype for Dorothy, a ground-breaking tornado data-gathering device conceived by her estranged husband, Bill (Bill Paxton). When Harding tells Bill that Dorothy is ready for testing -- and that their privately funded rival Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has stolen the idea and built his own -- Bill rejoins the team for one last mission.

Review:

Following the success of "Jurassic Park", Steven Spielberg and author Michael Crichton joined forces for a new visual effects extravaganza that focused on one of the world's most unpredictable and destructive natural phenomenons: the tornado. "Twister" was supposed to be directed by Spielberg, but Jan De Bont, who was fresh off the box-office success of "Speed", ended up taking the reins on the project. The movie was a huge hit, grossing $494 million worldwide.

While Crichton's high-concept script throws in a decent amount of technobabble, this movie has little to do with real science. It's no more or less than a rollercoaster ride, a thrilling experience filled with all sorts of exciting set pieces, but with very little in the way of actual story. Crichton's two main inspirations were a PBS documentary about storm chasers and the plot of the romantic comedy "His Girl Friday".

Yes, there's a romantic subplot squeezed in between scenes of Mother Nature's temper tantrums, and while it's the kind of thing you find in every average potboiler, it's weirdly effective thanks to Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt's natural chemistry. Jami Gertz delivers the movie's second-best performance as the high-strung fiancee that comes between the two protagonists, completing the rom-com ménage à trois, while also acting as a surrogate for the audience and an exposition-delivery device.

Thankfully, whatever shortcomings the story may have, the punchy, witty dialogue more than makes up for it. Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Firefly"), Steven Zaillian ("Schindler's List", "American Gangster") and Jeff Nathanson ("Catch Me If You Can", "The Terminal") contributed rewrites to the script. De Bont energizes the interactions between the film's ensemble of storm chasers, which helps sell the excitement and adrenaline rush of running towards danger while everyone else runs from it. And you can't go wrong with a supporting cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Todd Field (director of "Tar" and "Little Children"), and Jeremy Davies.

De Bont is an excellent action director, and the twister scenes are nothing short of breathtaking, reminding us how devastating nature can be with groundbreaking visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic (slightly dated now but still spectacular), high-octane cinematography, a propulsive score by Mark Mancina, and explosively terrifying sound design (the VFX and sound received Oscar nominations). There are also a great deal of practical effects and real stunts that enhance the sense of imminent danger. The movie became notorious for the MPAA rating it PG-13 for "intense depiction of very bad weather", which has never stopped being hilarious.

A masterclass in blockbuster filmmaking, "Twister" is a terrific and wildly entertaining disaster thriller that still holds up even after almost 30 years. It's still beloved by storm chasers, so much so that when Bill Paxton died in 2017, 200 crews teamed up with Spotter Network to spell out "BP" on radar with their GPS tracker blips, a tribute usually reserved only for storm chasers. If you like your movies big and loud, this is definitely one thrill ride you need to experience.

SCORE: 8/10