User reviews

Twister, in my opinion, is a really good action thriller. Personally, I don't know how people can bash this movie. I thought it was an amazing film!! The acting is great, the special effects are excellent, the action is intense, and this film actually has a great storyline to it. To me, a 5.9/10 rating for this film is atrocious. I think this film deserves so much better!! I was thinking of somewhere in between a 7 and an 8/10. But I have my opinion and other people have their own right?? I just find it hard to believe that people don't like this movie.

Twister has everything I like in an action movie. It has amazing special effects, heart-stopping action, and a reasonably well written storyline. It even has some heartbreaking parts which almost brought tears to my eyes and I don't usually cry during movies. However I almost cried during Twister. Jan De Bont has created a very enjoyable that maybe doesn't come up to masterpiece material, but still is a memorable action movie that won't be forgotten for a long long time.

I like disaster movies when they are done right, and while Twister is no masterpiece it is a sort of guilty pleasure for me. I agree the script has its weak spots, the pace is rather pedestrian and the plot on the clichéd and unrealistic side of things. But Twister is nostalgic fun, with some decent direction and acting, complete with some pretty incredible special effects. The cinematography and scenery are also pretty good, and the score is effective.

Overall, Twister is no masterpiece in any shape or form, but to me it was fun and a guilty pleasure in some ways. While it could have been better it could have been much worse as well. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This film is not high cinematic art. It was intended to be a summer blockbuster "put your brain on hold" action film when it was released in 1996, and that is what it was and still is. Its competition at the time was "Independence Day", which is an unwatchable hokey movie, and this movie is better than that film in that it is a watchable hokey movie. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play recently divorced storm chasers Jo and Bill Harding whose relationship was pulled apart by Jo's obsession with chasing tornadoes to the exclusion of wanting any kind of "normal family life" by Bill's definition. Bill has moved on and found a more conventional girl that he plans to marry (Jami Gertz). However, before he can move on, Bill needs Jo to sign some papers. He meets her "in the field" as she and her team from the university plan a day of chasing tornadoes through Oklahoma. Before they can conclude their business a storm calls the team to the chase, and Bill is drawn into the chase by necessity but kept there by his latent passion - for storm-chasing and maybe even for the marriage he left behind. The film features some great special effects, fast-paced action, and cringingly obvious dialog with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. However if you're just in the mood for an action-packed film with a feel-good after effect, this movie fits the bill.

The current rating of 6/10 is probably correct if you are comparing Twister with Casablanca. If you judge it as an action film against other action films, I'd say it's probably more of a 7 out of 10.

Twister, one of the most successful movies of the 90's, mainly due to it's special effects and a lot of people's want for a natural disaster movie that is fun to watch, this was an extremely popular movie. I was only 11 when the movie was released and I was absolutely in love with it, in fact right after the movie was done, I wanted to become a storm chaser. That's how much I loved this movie; I grew up and forgot about the movie and decided on a new career. But I saw the DVD on sale and thought about how much I enjoyed the movie when I was younger, I'm sure it would be just as much fun to see it again. I have to say this wasn't as awesome as I remembered, in the theater it was like "Oh, my God! Look at that flying cow! A house just flew across the road! That is so cool!", now on my TV screen I was like "Oh, wow, look at that cow. How the heck does a house fly across the road? Why isn't this as cool as I remembered it?" Not to mention that the story wasn't as good as I remembered, granted I know that they had to fit in some kind of story with the whole plot of the twisters, but a lot of this movie is just plain unrealistic.

In June 1969 on an Oklahoma farm a tornado warning is issued, the family seeks shelter in a storm cellar as an F5 tornado strikes. However, the storm is so strong that the locks on the cellar door fail and the father is caught up in the storm and killed as his daughter struggles to catch a glimpse of the powerful storm. Years later, Dr. Jo Harding, the father's daughter, is reunited with her estranged husband; Bill Harding. Bill is a former weather researcher and storm chaser who has taken a job as a weather reporter. He is planning to marry his new girlfriend, Dr. Melissa Reeves, and arrives at Jo's research lab seeking Jo's signature for the final divorce papers. Bill discovers that Jo has built a tornado research device called DOROTHY based upon his own design; the device is designed to release hundreds of sensors into the center of a tornado to study its structure. The team later meets up with Dr. Jonas Miller, a smug and unscrupulous fellow meteorologist and storm chaser. When Bill discovers that Jonas has "invented" a device almost identical to DOROTHY; he vows to help Jo deploy DOROTHY before Miller can claim credit for the idea. Bill and Melissa join Jo and her eccentric team of storm chasers. Tensions rise between Jo and Bill when they have several close calls with dangerous tornadoes as they try unsuccessfully to deploy the new device.

So how does Twister hold up over these years? Not so well, the effects are still amazing, but that's about it. I do have to admit, even though it's a bad movie, I still enjoy it like crazy. I think because if you let go of how unrealistic it is, you can just have fun with that want of destruction and chaos. Granted I know this movie is a bit stupid: our two leads, Bill and Jo, survive the impossible facing an F5 twister, the twisters always disappear as our "hero's" are in danger, Bill's fiancé puts up with quit a bit before realizing that he is a jerk for putting her through all the danger with him, Jo, a scientist, thinks that tornado's are serial killers, and not to mention that this was a record breaking day with numerous twisters. But still as bad as the acting, as bad as the story, as stupid as some of these situations may be, it's still a fun movie to watch and I think I wanna be fair with the rating just because it is mindless entertainment. It's a classic 90's disaster movie and besides, it has flying cows, what other film will give you that kind of situation? But it's all good I think they were taking the cows to McDonald's anyways.

7/10

A lot of critics have bashed this movie for its simple plot, only-decent script, and reliance on special effects to sell. However, that's what it's SUPPOSED to be! If you go to see this movie, don't expect an Oscar-winning film. It's a very simple plot (No spoilers): A group of storm chasers are tracking a huge front spawning multiple tornadoes throughout Oklahoma, hoping to test a new weather sensory device that could possibly help with tornado warning systems. To complicate things, the former leader of the group (Bill Paxton) has come back to have his ex-wife and current supervisor of the team (Helen Hunt) sign the final divorce papers. However, he finds himself swept up (no pun intended) in joining the chase again. That's pretty much it; not outrageous nor all that thought provoking.

The actors are all reputable (Paxton, Hunt, Elwes, Hoffman, Ruck, etc) and very good in their roles and they work well with the somewhat weak dialog, and the special effects are very good. Also, the physics are relatively accurate; I can't really think of any groan-inducing actions scenes. All in all, a great movie for parties, especially if you have a big screen and a good sound system.

After reading all the reviews on here I was skeptical to watch this. But honestly I don't get the hate? It's good acting, good simple plot, good watch all around. Loved the one scene at the drive-in especially. Don't listen to these 4 star reviews !

'Twister' did for weather-related disaster movies what 'Dante's Peak' did for Volcano-related disaster movies. All movies on the genre to follow would be compared to these.

'Twister' is one of the best disaster movies. The destruction and action sequences are very well done, accompanied by incredibly realistic visuals. The film gives a nice insight into the lives of storm chasers. In 'Twister', separated husband and wife team designed a system that would allow them to predict severe weather patterns. The only problem is that they need to get close enough to a twister in order to allow hundreds of sensors to be sucked up into the funnel. Thus, they chase one storm after the other hoping to succeed.

Add a nice dose of humor, some drama elements, and total mayhem and destruction and you have a hell of an entertaining action adventure drama, with a bit of suspense in the mix as well.

My only criticism would be that the actors' reactions didn't always look realistic considering the situations they found themselves in, and massive destruction all around them. Even though the characters are professional storm chasers, they must surely still believe things could go terribly wrong when confronted by nature. Instead, they sometimes make fun of a situation, even when life-threatening. The expression on their faces also didn't always convince me they were in fact faced with danger - maybe this was because the actors didn't have anything to work with, since all the visuals were added during post-production. The sad fact of CGI and actors having to work on instinct...

Ah, well, that aside, 'Twister' is an amazing movie and one of my favorite disaster movies.

Who said the weather is boring? This is a good movie, it's entertaining with good effects. Easy watch.

In 1968, in Oklahoma, the girl Jo loses her father in a twister. In the present days, the weather man Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) and his girlfriend Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz) meet the storm chaser, Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt), to sign the divorce papers. Bill and Jo were storm chasers and her team salutes him. Jo has developed the "Dorothy" project idealized by Bill, with a tank with several small sensors to provide information about the twisters. Her rival Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has stolen the idea and developed a similar project. However, both systems need to be close to the tornado to work. Bill decides to go with Jo and her team to launch Dorothy and face dangerous situations, while Melissa is scared with the adventure.

After watching the remake "Twisters" (2024), it was important to revisit the original "Twister" (1996) to realize that it is still a great adventure after twenty-eight years. The storyline is very simple and practically does not exist. But the effects are amazing, the DTS system on the DVD is fantastic and make the film worthwhile watching. The cast is also excellent and, in the end, both movies are good. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil: "Twister"

Despite some bad CG throughout, Twister still manages to be a really good disaster movie that's tense and thrilling. Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt and Jami Gertz are all great. Cary Elwes is really good. It's well paced and well filmed with really good direction from Jan De Bont. The music by Mark Mancina is great.

You don't play with Mother Nature. That's common sense; anyone who does, well, I feel sorry for them. In "Twister," Nature is given a frightening new dimension courtesy of breathtaking Hollywood CGI effects but it's dumbed down by a questionable script and dialogue (thanks to none other than novelist Michael Crichton himself as a co-author, along with wife Anne-Marie Martin) and sub-par acting. Sure, a number of liberties are also taken with tornadoes ("fingers of God" - one character calls them), but what do you expect from a film directed by "Speed" Jan de Bont?

And lastly, who goes to see movies like this for scientific accuracy? I remember watching it with a friend and giving him a nasty tongue-lashing afterwards for his redundant pointing out of the various scientific and factual inaccuracies that abound in it (which he told me had each been identified by his science teacher - go figure). I snapped back, "Dude, chill out. It's just a movie. Who cares if this does or doesn't happen, or tornadoes don't suck like that." I basically told him to get a grip.

Nature is unrepentant in its desire to test human will to withstand her destructive forces. I showered praise on "Twister" for capturing that and making sure its human characters realize it. I make these statements because "Twister" is quite terrifying in its scenes of tornadoes blazing paths of destruction, and this is what people tend to miss when watching it. I know I'm sure to run into flak because of it but, what am I going to do {*shrugs shoulders*}?

As the film opens on the plains of Oklahoma's Tornado Alley, the National Weather Service is tracking several storm systems that if they were to merge any time soon, they could see a record outbreak of violent, tornado-producing severe weather. Next, we're introduced to meteorologist and recent divorcée Bill (Bill Paxton) and fiancée Melissa (Jami Gertz) - "She's a reproductive therapist," he reassures us, after Bill is asked if she is HIS therapist. Melissa isn't too keen on the idea of storm chasing, which poses a problem for them both, but for Bill it was always the thrill of the hunt, and we know he's not going to pass the opportunity to get back in the mode of things.

We then arrive at a field where we meet the storm chasers, led by Bill's tough ex and fellow meteorologist Jo (Helen Hunt), who has somehow mysteriously forgotten to sign her name to the last page of the divorce papers (she still loves him). When asked if he's back by the various supporting players, he emphatically denies he has returned to his field of expertise. But it turns out, however, that before their marriage went to hell, they had been busy developing a revolutionary storm system-tracking device that could give them the inside knowledge of how tornadoes work.

"DOROTHY" (real original), the miracle device, a package that contains hundreds of little sensors, could be placed in the damage path and each sensor could provide a detailed map of a tornado's inner-workings and with such knowledge now available, they could design an advanced warning system. The trick is, however, they have to wait until a twister spawns, place Dorothy in its damage path (or "Suck Zone"), and then run like hell. The action begins when they're forced to take off to chase after the storm, and it's about here the film abandons logic and plot for nonstop special effects, peril, and destruction.

Saying the acting here sucks and is uninspired is like saying we went to see "Jurassic Park" (1993) for the performances - understatement - get real. It's easy for any casual movie-goer to pick apart bad acting and lousy story, but come on, it's a roller coaster film. I'm not sure I could put it in clearer writing for you about how we don't go to see movies like this for Oscar-winning actors or plot. I've always liked Bill Paxton (who I personally see as probably being the next Clint Eastwood), and I find it difficult about how he has somehow managed to avoid stardom. Here, his character seems to know how the storm functions and what it "thinks," and in essence he's a human barometer (even his wild days as a radical storm chaser do deserve some laughs).

The writing is substandard, including Jo's barely-hinted upon obsession with chasing the storm (as a child, she saw her dad killed by a monster F5), Lois Smith as Jo's Aunt Meg (who supplies our famished heroes with platters of beef and eggs between effects scenes), the underdeveloped storm chasing team (some of whom are more colorful than others, including Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty), and the unnecessary subplot involving stiff competition from Cary Elwes as a corporate-sponsored rival who stole Bill's invention. But this isn't too glaring a problem, if you're a hard-a** for art in cinema and came to "Twister" expecting it. You'll see plenty scenes of destruction (just wait for the drive-in showing "The Shining"), and the music that swells up when tornadoes appear.

Lastly, I can see how anyone who has experienced a twister in their lives could probably want to possibly stay from "Twister." I've never seen one and I don't want to. I do know people who have experienced tornadoes; in northern Virginia, where I live, we rarely see the kind of severe weather that produces twisters, but my grandparents, who live close to me, were once in an F1 and thankfully it caused minimal damage to their property and neighbors.

"Twister" isn't a failure; it's a simple realization of the popcorn blockbuster. Put aside the hard-pressing of art, turn off your brain, and enjoy (but you should still watch out for those flying cows, tanker trucks, and other debris that can become a hostile projectile if picked up by a tornado's winds); it's that simple.

7/10

I was going into this movie with expectations that it would at least have fun with it, and I did! To be honest the movie itself isn't great, but it's also not bad. We don't get a lot of Disaster Action films, and I thought it delivered on that end.

As far as the Visual Effects of the Twisters, and well as capturing the destruction of the forces of nature, they did a really good job. And the fact this was made with VFX from the 90's is really impressive.

Now the characters Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Phillip Hoffman, played their respective roles just fine. I didn't even know Cary Elwes was in this one. (he was wasted IMO). Could there have been much better character development, yes. I think when you have a monstrous force going after our characters, you should make us feel more emotionally attached to them which adds to the tension of when the Twister comes. Again, they were just fine, but not great.

But honestly, I'd still say to give this one a watch. If I weren't from the Midwest, I'd probably give this a much lower score, but it did do a good job capturing that Midwestern (KS, OK, NE) Spirit well. You might not get blown away, but you'll still have a good time.

Despite its thrilling subject matter, Twister doesn't take itself all that seriously, it's fast, it's ferocious and it's also hilarious, even as it takes your breath away. Unabashed entertainment, an undemanding, full-speed-ahead joyride with tornadoes that are big, loud, violent and awesome. Anchored by an amazing array of great character actors, a surprising variety of action set pieces, outstanding sound design and top-notch effects work, director Jan De Bont and writer Michael Crichton orchestrate an irresistible and absurdly exciting piece of pure 90s joy. The film has no time to waste on character, situation, dialogue and nuance, for whenever the skies clear the film's dramatic scenes stand as holding patterns. Yet the film stays as up-tempo and exuberant as a roller-coaster ride, neatly avoiding the idea of real danger. Coupled with a great score from the severely underrated Mark Mancina, Twister sets out to leave you breathless, a thunderously terrifying blockbuster about one of the most frightening forces of nature. If it dawdles on the ground, it'll blow you away when the winds kick up.

FILM: 7.5 Rewatching Twister reminds me why it's considered one of the daddies of the modern action blockbuster. Directed by Jan de Bont, who also brought us Speed, this film delivers an exhilarating ride, and I'm immediately transported back to the mid-90s, where these popcorn flicks reigned supreme. There's something so satisfying about the way Twister manages to blend action with just the right amount of heart, making it one of my favourites from that era.

I find the camaraderie among the cast to be one of the film's strongest points. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, leading the storm-chasing crew, are an absolute blast to watch. Their dynamic feels genuine, and it's clear that the cast is having as much fun as we are. The stopover at Lois Smith's character's house is one of my favourite scenes. It's a moment where the film's family feel really comes to life, showing off just how well the cast fits together.

Jami Gertz plays the perfect outsider, and although she's a bit of an odd one out, her role is crucial in highlighting the deep bond between the storm-chasing team. Cary Elwes nails it as the smarmy quasi-villain, bringing a different kind of tension to the story. But, let's be honest, the real villain here is the storm itself.

What I love most is how de Bont gives the storms a character of their own. It's reminiscent of Ron Howard's treatment of fire in Backdraft-there's emotion and intent behind these natural disasters that make them more than just special effects. They feel alive, unpredictable, and full of menace.

Even after all these years, Twister remains great fun. It's a film that knows exactly what it is and delivers on its promises, making it a rewatch well worth my time.

FORMAT: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

VIDEO: 6.5 1080/24p presentation Detail level: Moderate Colour reproduction: Good Level accuracy: Good Encode: Moderate Master condition: Moderate

AUDIO: 9.0 DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio Dialogue reproduction: Excellent Soundtrack & effects clarity: Good Dynamics: Excellent Surround sound presentation: Excellent LFE content: Good

MOOFIEMETER: 7.0.

Sorry haters, this is a great movie. Spectacular FX and a story so entertaining that makes this movie a joy too watch.

ReWatching this now almost 30 years after its release makes me think it's aging absolutely great shape.

We know disasters movies don't have the best scripts, but it works anyway. The acting is very good from all involved and knowing Paxton and Seymour Hoffman are not around anymore it turns it more a must see.

Great action, fast pace, unbelievable special effects and a great cast. What else would you ask from a disaster movie whatsoever?

I think one of the best action movie from the 90s.

If you've never seen a cow soaring through a field like a superhero who missed their calling, Twister is here to fill that void. Jan de Bont, the guy who already gave us an adrenaline rush with Speed, is back, hitting us with tornadoes as devastating as tax season. The '90s pumped out their share of disaster flicks, but this one grabs you by the guts and shakes you around like a washing machine on its final spin. The storm hits, you're glued to your seat, and you've already forgotten the dialogue because the wind is blowing that hard.

They're arguing, they're in love, and they're chasing tornadoes like it's a Black Friday sale. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton deliver performances that hold up, even when the ground beneath them is being swept away. Their chemistry isn't just movie magic; it's rock solid. And when they're not busy saving each other's skin, they remind you that even amidst chaos, there's always time to bicker about who's doing the dishes.

Honestly, for a movie that's pushing 30 years old, the visual effects still hold up remarkably well. The tornadoes are so realistic you feel like diving under the nearest table. When that cow takes a victory lap in the sky, we're not far from calling it modern art. And the scenes where everything gets torn apart-barns, cars, fuel tankers-nothing is spared. It's a spectacle like they don't make anymore, with practical effects that put the cheap CGI we often see today to shame.

Let's be clear, the cast of Twister is a bunch of thrill-seekers looking for a rush. Between the Hunt-Paxton duo, the eccentric Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the detestable Cary Elwes, we're treated to a gallery of characters who match each other in craziness. These guys and gals chase tornadoes like it's the Holy Grail. Tornadoes are their drug, and every time a storm looms, they turn into kids on Christmas morning. It's wild, it's dumb, but that's why we love them.

When you find out that the guy behind Jurassic Park wrote the script for Twister, you realize he's got a thing for the forces of nature. Sure, there are no dinosaurs here, but the tornadoes have their own personalities, and it shows in every scene. The film ramps up the intensity, and even though we know the plot could fit on a postcard, the adrenaline is real. You're here for the tornadoes, not philosophical monologues, and that's perfect because Twister doesn't pretend to be highbrow cinema.

In short, Twister is the kind of movie that gives you a thrill without needing an emotional rollercoaster. It's loud, it's chaotic, it's airborne, and you're left in awe. The special effects still hold up, the cast is on point, and the direction makes this movie a true classic of the disaster genre. If you haven't seen this masterpiece of natural destruction yet, you're missing out on one of the few films where the wind has more charisma than half of today's actors.

Do you like irony? Most of the contemporaneous reviews of TWISTER 1996 make a fuss about the effects. In fact (this review written in 2024) the number of reviews for TWISTERS 2024 that insisted this older version was the better version made me pop back for a quick revisit of the original. The modern critics were right. Billions of dollars of new, advanced, SFX in the modern version cannot compensate for the humanity and the heart of the original. Hunt at the peak of her Hollywood career practically glows. Paxton plays himself, as always, and Gertz has to suffer being the "contrast" to Hunt -- an old trope, but it works well. Newer isn't always better. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

A great blend of tones: Ominous danger & high speed adventure. Plenty of 90's charm that's lots of fun with an awesome cast. The score adds to the thrills. But it's overdramatic, repetitive, & without a strong narrative to push it forward.

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. A great blend of tones: Ominous danger & high speed adventure. Plenty of 90's charm that's lots of fun with an awesome cast. The score adds to the thrills. But it's overdramatic, repetitive, & without a strong narrative to push it forward.

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. A great blend of tones: Ominous danger & high speed adventure. Plenty of 90's charm that's lots of fun with an awesome cast. The score adds to the thrills. But it's overdramatic, repetitive, & without a strong narrative to push it forward.

It's tornado season in the mid west of America and two rival teams of scientists are out chasing them. Their aim? To finally crack just what makes a tornado tick. Trouble is is that it's far harder to put into practise-especially with problematic romances and in house rivalries to deal with.

Directed by Jan De Bont and written by one Michael Crichton, Twister might just be one of the most reviled disaster films ever made. With a production budget of $92 million, Twister went on to make a staggering worldwide gross of nearly $500 million, not bad for a picture that the un-popcorn crowd like to call the worst written film of the 90s.

The truth is, and trust me I would never try to sell a revisit to this movie to anyone who has seen and hated it, is that it is badly written. The plodding story lacks zip and the character interaction is painfully poor, but as action films go, Twister is one of the 90s most entertaining films. By the numbers block buster be damned I say, I want thrills with my popcorn and thrills are what I get...big time. The storm chasing characters {looking like a group plucked out of a Nirvana concert} are merely linking us into the next thrill sequence, just like doors on a haunted house train ride at the local fun-fair. There are some attempts at arking a story line about faltering love, and courtesy of the annoying Carey Elwes we get a sly dig at corporate greed and cheat tactics, but meh, bring on the computer trickery and sub woofer busting noise please folks.

Twister simultaneously shows the best and worst of the modern day summer block buster. It has no concern for character forming or to even get the audience to care about these over excited no marks chasing behemoth tornadoes. It does however know how to entertain you, entertain you in a way that that haunted house train ride kept making you go back for more after your first dabble. And that my friends is why Twister became one of the highest grossing films of the modern era. 7/10

Twister is one of those movies that captured the imagination at the time, but has always suffered a backlash due to it's religious adherence to the blockbuster formula. But when the results are this much fun, who really cares? Make no mistake, this movie is not a dramatic powerhouse. It has nothing approaching nuanced acting, as most characters are either half asleep (Bill Paxton), or completely over the top (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). The villains might as well have mustaches so they can twirl the tips while laughing like Snidley Whiplash. The adherence to physics is pretty loose at best and outrageous bad at worst (being 100 feet from a mile wide tornado). But the nice thing is with the wonderful ability of home video, you can skip over all of the filler! And that leaves you with the tornado scenes themselves. 13 years later the CGI isn't quite as impressive as it used to be, with the primitive sky replacement/color grading looking particularly bad and some of the tornadoes looking very 'digital'. Despite this it get's the job done well enough that it's not a huge distraction. Coupled with a dated but still impressive (and very loud) surround sound mix and you can still have 45 minutes of fun with this movie. So many critics seems to judge this movie by the standards of a 'film'. In my opinion this is a mistake. Taken as a pure piece of entertainment (much like an amusement park ride) it works quite well, as long as you can stand (or skip) the parts in between the swirling wind tunnels.