Twister

1996 • 112 minutes
4.6
2.02K reviews
63%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt and Carey Elwes may be billed as the stars of Twister, but the film's real attractions are the cyclones themselves. Best experienced in a theater, the nail-biting, blow-the-audience-out-of-their-seats computer generated graphics, cutting edge sound and other special effects are designed to take viewers straight into the roaring funnel of a gigantic tornado. In order to focus on special effects and action, the story is simple and the characters are drawn in broad strokes with little depth. Jo Harding (Hunt) became a storm chaser (a meteorologist who photographs and scientifically studies tornadoes in the field) after a large twister sucked her hapless daddy into oblivion when she was a girl. Bill (Paxton) was a storm chaser too, but left to become a successful weatherman. His change of profession ruined his marriage to Jo. Before separating, the Hardings invented DOROTHY, a gizmo designed to release thousands of tiny sensors when a tornado passes over it. The Hardings hope the information transmitted by the sensors will provide insight into the nature of the whirling windstorms. Backed by a large corporation, the villainous Dr. Jonas Miller (Elwes) has created a similar machine. Neither gadget has been field tested and both groups of storm chasers are anxious to find tornadoes. At the peak of the worst twister season in decades, Bill shows up at Jo's truck with his prissy fiancee Melissa (Jami Gertz) so Jo can sign divorce papers. Suddenly a twister is spotted. With little hesitation, Bill rejoins the mad rush to reach it in time to activate DOROTHY. Jonas and his team are right behind them. Throughout the day the storms become worse and the rivalrous race becomes more intense. As they continue facing incredible dangers together Jo and Bill find renewed love while poor Melissa finds only an intense desire to get away from these storm-obsessed lunatics.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.6
2.02K reviews
Mike Young
July 26, 2014
I don't get it. The movie wreaks of the cliché with a story that just sickens you but I can't help myself: I love this movie. The only good performance is Jamie Gertz and while Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and Mr Elwes cake-walk through it they are fun to watch. Hoffman is so bad he's fun. The weather lore and technology is laughable at times. But it's the spirit of the movie that grabs me. I love the 'love story'. I love Jamie Gertz's ability to hang on the edge of fear while supporting her husband to be even in the face of such an obvious fate for losing him. The excitement of when they charge into the fun makes you laugh while the ominous moan of the approaching tornado makes you shiver. This is a movie you either love or hate and both viewpoints have their merits.
35 people found this review helpful
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Gervase Grant
July 20, 2022
Esta película es una de mis favoritas, por la animación cuando se hizo, era la mejor que había. Incluso la animación espacial al principio fue genial. Hoy en día, algunas cosas están un poco desactualizadas en animación, pero en general aún se ven geniales. Saca a relucir el suspenso y el miedo de un tornado. Lo único con lo que encuentro un problema es (tal vez spoilers) que el tornado siempre parece estar justo al lado de ellos, pero pueden huir de él con tiempo para merodear cada momento.
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Zach Mihalko
May 19, 2020
I'd like to purchase this movie but I'd like to buy it in 4K to make certain it's a future proof purchase. If I Buy the HD version will it automatically be upgraded when 4K becomes available?
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