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Twister Movie Review

Twister is a 1996 disaster film directed by Jan de Bont and starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. It’s one of the better disaster movies out there.

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“I gotta go Julia, we got cows“

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Jo Harding is a meteorologist on the brink of divorce from her husband, Bill. Before separating, they team up to develop a weather alert system by putting themselves in the paths of violent tornadoes. This was the second highest-grossing movie of 1996, but it didn’t receive the strongest reviews. It deserves more praise for being so entertaining and genuinely well crafted.

I’d expected just a silly disaster flick with overwhelming action scenes and nothing else, but what I got was a lot of spectacle for sure, but also some surprising character development. Critics complained about the characters being thin, but I disagree with that assessment. For blockbuster standards, this is an unexpectedly well realized film in story and characters.

Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton exuded so much star power that they elevated their roles to greater heights. Paxton himself rarely appeared in central roles, so this was a great opportunity for him and he used it well. He was likable and charismatic. But the standout is Hunt. This was such a strong turn from her. She is both sexy and cool, memorable and fun. I loved her look and how competent and obsessive she was in her job.

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Jo’s arc was a strong one and I really liked the explanation behind her tornado obsession. I also actually liked the love triangle. It was definitely clichéd and predictable, but well executed and fun. Jami Gertz delivered a very weak performance, but her character was fine. The drama between the three was amusing and I found the simple yet well crafted storyline surprisingly effective.

There are other supporting players here, but they don’t get much to do in the plot sadly. Alan Ruck and Philip Seymour Hoffman are the most memorable and fun, but the latter was also too silly and ridiculous. Still, I did appreciate the team dynamic present in their scenes and I really liked the movie not being fully devoted to action scenes, but at least sprinkling some characterization and story in there.

Twister is also a lot of fun. There is no denying that the action is stupendous in this movie. The cow sequence was unforgettable while the final scene was an expected spectacle. I personally loved the most that scene where they chased a tornado only for it to disappear eventually. That was a superbly crafted sequence in suspense, fun factor and strong character moments. The VFX are just phenomenal and the movie still looks very realistic today. The sound, score and cinematography are very good too. The directing is also surprisingly competent.

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It is also worth noting how extensively the story focused on the science behind these natural phenomena. The various instruments that they used to research the twisters were intriguing and the movie made this job very thrilling and inviting. It has that big charm, fun factor and simple nature that I loved from the blockbusters of this era, and it’s a shame that Hollywood cannot quite replicate those elements today.