Twister - Limited Edition Collector's Set

Rating:
Summary: The best movie ever!
Review: Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play otherwise-likable characters who are dedicated (driven? obsessed?) with studying and predicting tornadoes. They chase them all over the country, and try to usew new inventions to study them. The special effects are what sold this movie at the box office, and they are very special. There were times when I felt like ducking and dodging flying objects. What elevated this movie one notch above being just a great special effects show were: how much I liked the Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton characters; how everyone in the little group of tornado-chasers seemed to want to be "normal" people but accepted that their "calling" prevented that and made everything that was not tornado-related into a second-level priority.

Rating:
Summary: Soaring Farm Animals Are Featured In This Likeable Flick!
Review: Earning more than $241-Million at the U.S. box office (and just shy of half-a-billion bucks worldwide), "Twister" was certainly a blockbuster hit after premiering in theaters on May 10, 1996.

I've been fond of this movie since seeing it for the first time on VHS. This DVD version tops the horrid Full-Frame VHS copy by a mile.

Sure, this film is a bit overdone in many places, I suppose. And there are enough contrivances to fill up a football stadium -- but it's still a lot of fun to watch nonetheless.

Many people have praised the tornado special effects in "Twister". But, in my opinion, I found most of the CGI tornado footage in the film to look a tad bit on the "phony" side. I think some of these tornadoes look a little "too perfect" to be "real" looking. The majority of twisters I've seen in pictures and on video haven't really looked like these so-called "real" storms we see in this motion picture. The movie's twisters, while impressive and imposing, just don't look quite "right" if you ask me.

In addition, I found some of the sound effects during the tornado scenes to be a bit odd. The filmmakers have seemingly added some unusual-sounding noises to these windstorms. Since when do twisters emanate "groaning" noises? I've always heard that an approaching tornado sounds just like a freight train. I don't think there's any "freight train" sounds in this whole movie. The movie's storms seem to like to groan and whine; almost as if the filmmakers were attempting to make the tornadoes seem like "living creatures". Most curious, IMO. But, oh well... :)

The flying cows and flying tractors are probably a bit on the exaggerated side as well, but it's all in good fun -- and nobody gets hurt by the orbiting moo cows, etc., thanks to Bill Paxton's expert skills of driving directly through the center of an F4 or F5 monster tornado -- a handy skill to have in this film.

Plus: the "flying cow" scene is redeemed by Bill's funny line of dialogue after being warned by Jo (Helen Hunt) of a SECOND flying moo cow in the vicinity -- "Actually, I think that was the same one." (LOL!)

Besides the massive amounts of really windy weather that we experience in the movie, another of the main reasons this motion picture appeals to me (and remains highly re-watchable) is the sheer likeability of the film's characters. The main stars of the film (Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton) perform their tasks fairly well, but it's the secondary (supporting) characters that I really found the most engaging in "Twister" -- such as Jami Gertz, who plays the new woman in Paxton's life. In addition to Gertz, I really like each of the characters that make up the tornado "chase team", including Alan Ruck ("Rabbit") and Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Dusty").

The actors that were employed to represent the team of storm-chasers here seem to me to be 'just right'. That guy "Dusty", in fact, looks perfect for his part. He's totally believable, IMO, as the kind of sloppy-looking, off-the-wall guy who does nothing but chase funnel clouds across the landscape. He gets in a few good zingers of dialogue during the film, too.

This Warner Brothers' single-disc DVD of "Twister" delivers the goods very nicely. The disc contains a good-looking Anamorphic 2.35:1 Widescreen print and three different 5.1 Surround soundtracks (a DTS track, along with English 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DD).

This movie is well-suited, I think, for the really-wide "scope" aspect ratio we get here (2.35:1). A nice-quality video transfer makes the movie shine on this DVD.

The DVD has some bonuses worth checking out as well. ..... There's a 2-person Audio Commentary Track, which includes participation by the film's Director (Jan de Bont). In addition to that, the disc has 2 behind-the-scenes featurettes -- "The Making Of 'Twister' " (run time of 13:50) and "Anatomy Of A Twister" (8:32). "Anatomy" takes us on a nice little tour showing how the special effects for the film were accomplished. For some reason, the DVD package only shows the "Anatomy" documentary feature, and omits the other (longer) featurette. But there *are* two separate mini-docs on the disc.

A Van Halen music video, 2 Theatrical Trailers, and some text-only "Cast & Crew" Notes are also included as Special Features on the DVD.


Some additional information about this DVD can be found below:

>> Subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

>> "Twister" was Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "Intense depiction of very bad weather" (ROFL!! That MPAA blurb kills me! Just imagine what rating a film about a Category 5 hurricane would garner! That'd probably get an NC-17! LOL!)

>> Feature Film Run Time -- 1 hour, 53 minutes.

>> Scene Index, located on inside flap of the "Snapper" case. There are a bunch of individual "Chapters" here too (34 total).

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"Twister" isn't "Oscar-winning" good -- but it's certainly good enough to occupy a spot on the "Films About Natural Phenomena" DVD shelf. :-)

Rating:
Summary: A Big Bag Of Wind
Review: Twister is the kind of movie that personifies the Summer Blockbuster season. Loud, lots of distruction and plenty of special effects substitute for plot and character. While I like these kinds of movies as much as the next guy... In order for the audience to care about what's going on, even a little, there has to be a reason for you to stick around. Twister fails on that level and by the end you're saying so what.

The largest storm to hit Oklahoma in more than half a century is brewing, and it promises to drop multiple twisters into Tornado Alley. It's the storm that two rival groups of scientists--Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and her band of brash university students, and corporate-sponsored Dr. Jonas Miller (Carey Elwes) and his sleek, crack staff, with their state-of-the-art research vans--have been waiting for to earn their place in meteorological history. Each team wants to be the first to launch their own equipment pack inside a twister to transmit valuable scientific data about tornado behavior. But to do so, they must put themselves directly in the path of the marauding monster--and stay always just ahead of the swirling twister, anticipating its every move. Adding to the already volitile situation is Jo's soon-to-be-ex-husband, meteorologist Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) and his girlfriend Melissa (Jami Gertz) tagging along in order to get Jo's signature on the divorce papers.

Coming off the mega-hit Speed, director Jan de Bont, was probably feeling confident that this would be another winner. The problem is the film's awesome effects are really all you get. I maintain that even for the most effects ladden film to work, there has to be worthwhile characters to invest in. The irony is that De Bont already knew this, having worked on actioners like Die Hard and Speed. In both of those films you really were rooting for the heroes to win and cared what happened. The characters in Twister are hollow. I didn't care at all what happened to anyone. The scipt from screenwriters Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) and Anne-Marie Martin is very predictable in the way it tells what little story there is. As I say the effects are all the film really has going for it. Flying cows, massive destruction, and thunderous sound does not a good film make.

The DVD's audio commentary by de Bont and Visual Effects Supervisor Stefan Fangmeier is ok, considering how I feel about the film. Since the film is technically well done, those interested in such details will enjoy it more than the average listener. The documentary, The Making of Twister and the featurette Anatomy of the Twister don't really cover anything not already covered in the commentary, and the partipation of the cast is limited to stating the painfully obvious or contrite. Van Halen's music video for the song Humans Being, from the soundtrack, and two theatrical trailers top off the disc's extras.

Twister is basically special effects and a great sound mix in search of a movie...Watch once and forget about it. Better yet rent or buy Speed instead.

Rating:
Summary: Dont watch it
Review: Dont even watch Twister. Its kind of cool the first time you watch it but then it gets really boring. Its just about tornados.

Rating:
Summary: A Gale-Force Film
Review: In this movie, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play scientists pursuing the most destructive weatherfront to sweep through mid-America's tornado alley in 50 years.

Helen Hunt stars as Jo Harding, a weather scientist who, as a young girl saw her father sucked up inside a tornado. It is Jo's dream to develop electronic storm sensors which can be launched inside the tornado to provide data to create an improved weather warning system. Bll Paxton stars as Bill Harding, Jo's estranged husband. He's brought divorce papers for Jo to sign. However, there still seems to be a spark between the two. Both serverd as storm chasers together. Bill has brought his uptight and jealous fiance Melissa, played wonderfully by Jami Gertz. Melissa doesn't fit in very well with the storm chasers. Bill is now a weatherman, having given up the stormchasing business.

Jo shows Bill "Dorothy", her storm sensor system which launches sensors inside a tornado. Bill is the one who designed Dorothy originally. The sensors bring back data such as windspeed and velocity. The early warning system could give people as much as 15 minutes to reach safety, Jo theorizes.

Soon, the group is off chasing a storm, and Bill, realizing that he forgot his signed divorce papers, is tagging along. The group soon encounters Jonas Miller, played by Cary Elwes, a fellow stormchaser from the same lab who received help from corporate sponsors. Bill believes that Jonas is only in the business for the money and he refers to him as a "nightcrawler with no instincts". Jonas and his group are chasing the same storm as Jo's group. Jonas has developed his own storm system sensor called the Dot 3. It is almost an exact copy of Dorothy. The race is on to see who's system will work first.

A tornado is spotted, and Bill and Jo race to place Dorothy in its path, at the same time being pursued by Jonas. Despite their arguing, Bill and Jo seem to be rekindling their romance, while Bill and Melissa are drifting further apart. The storm flings Jo's truck into the middle of the road, destroying Dorothy, but there are still three Dorothys left. Jonas shows up too late. Soon, Dorothy 2 is loaded in Bill's truck, and the chase is on again.

Another tornado is spotted, but this one is much larger than the first. Dorothy 2 is positioned, but unfortunately a telephone pole falls on it and destroys it. Only two Dorothys are left.

Another tornado appears practically on top of the group, who have parked near a drive-in movie. The tornados are increasing in strength, and it launches its wrath on the drive-in. Soon, cars and other debris is hurtling through the air. The storm passes, but the drive-in is completely destroyed. Jo realizes that the tornado has shifted and is headed directly for her aunt's house. Melissa, realizing that she can't compete with Jo and her crew, informs Bill that she's leaving him. Jo and Bill reach Jo's aunt and rescue her from her destroyed house.

Another stronger tornado is forming and is said to be the strongest ever in the area. Jo and Bill are off in pursuit. What the group encounters is a massive funnel with a base one mile wide. Dorothy 3 is placed in the middle of the highway, but a large tree knocks Dorothy over. Now there's only one Dorothy left.

Meanwhile, Jonas and his group have shown up again. They are placing their own Dot 3 machine. Jo and Bill try to warn Jonas that the tornado may shift, but unfortunately for Jonas' group, they ignore the warning.

Bill leaves Dorothy 4 in the back of his truck, Bill and Jo jump out, and the tornado picks up the truck with Dorothy in it. Much to their joy, Dorothy works just as she was designed to, but the danger isn't over yet. Bill and Jo find themselves facing the wrath of the tornado on foot. Facing gale-force winds and flying farm buildings, Bill and Jo finally take cover in a shed, tied to pipes that reach far down into the ground. The storm passes and Bill and Jo begin planning their future research as a couple again.

This is an excellent movie. Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt do wonderful jobs, and Jami Gertz is teriffic as Melissa. The high point of the movie is the top-notch special effects. They are some of the best I've ever seen. The tornado scenes are extremely realistic. My favorite scenes were when the semi truck loaded with diesel fuel came hurtling out of the tornado and exploded on the road, and the scene where Bill drove the pickup through the house. I highly recommend this thrilling and action-packed movie. The special effects will keep you on edge, and you may even learn something about tornadoes along the way.

Rating:
Summary: Ah, Twister....
Review: LOL, this movie is on now, and the older I get, the cornier the movie gets. This movie is way Hollywood and it makes me laugh The effects are cheesy and the story is predictable. I didn't know a tornado provided the perfect backdrop for renewing an old flame </sarcasm>

all in all, this movie is lame, but it helps pass the time.

Rating:
Summary: Tornado loses again
Review: I love this movie. Yup, it's lame and you find yourself wishing the tornado would win. It is just plain silly - supposed to take place in Oklahoma but you would find such great cornfields in Iowa maybe instead. The cow is just plain fun and we find ourselves looking forward to "Cow." The lines are weak and the characters pretty dorky but all in all, the movie, while it has absolutely no redeeming value, is fun to watch for its silliness. No person can run through a cornfield such as our heroes do and not get sliced to pieces by the sharp edges of the corn leaves. Every farm kid knows that. And the final scene in the barn with all those sharp edges hanging from the rafters... sigh. I can't imagine any farmer taking the time to hang stuff when there are all those blank walls... However, enough said, pop some corn and start the movie, suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the fun. Twenty years from now, "Twister" will be camp.

Rating:
Summary: Three and 1/2 stars...
Review: Are you looking for original plotlines? Don't bother.
Are you looking for oscar winning dialogue? Forget it.
Are you looking for compelling characters and interactions between them? Not here.

Are you looking for a screen presence bigger then Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan or The Terminator? Well may I introduce The Twister as it works it's way up the category ladder to a 'Finger of God' barn trashing, combine throwing, house thrashing level five. I like almost all the actors in this movie, with Jamie Gertz being the only exception. They try very hard to pull something out of this movie, especially Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, but nothing can over shadow the brutality of the movies main celebrity, the tornadoes. Of which the effects are incredible.

In true Hollywood popcorn movie fashion we are treated to a by the numbers, good storm chasers vs. bad storm chasers, 'I don't do this anymore because I'm a weatherman', female lead still in love with the male lead and he's still in love with her but denys it...oh heck with it, it's a fun movie to watch so just shut your brain down, break out the extra butter, artery clogging Reddenbachers and have a blast.

Rating:
Summary: 3 Stars for Effects - Too much Hollywood Cliche overall
Review: I was interested to read another viewers comments about Helen Hunts character in this movie, being interested in Tornadoes, because she witnessed her father being sucked away by one as a child. This is the biggest flaw in this otherwise fairly good escapist flick. I wonder why the Hollywood moguls think we have to have these back stories and then a dreary romance effort, in the midst of carnage, much like the more recent Day After Tomorrow. Was every weatherman inspired by a lightning bolt that killed his dog? Are Lumberjacks so inspired because a tree fell on their brother? the list of possibilities is endless. This could have, and SHOULD have been a great movie. The script and story in general aren't bad, and the special effects are of course impressive. This is a movie remember, so those who want to be disparaging about the lack of similarities to "real" storm chasers should wake up. I for one don't want to see a movie about someone sitting in a field all day waiting for weather. That said, the movies penchant for trying to walk a middle line here (not quite disaster movie, not quite love drama) leaves BOTH areas unfulfilled. Will Helen Hunt get back with Bill Paxton? will his new fiance run away? Will they beat the much better equipped and funded competition to the punch? Will they find a "Finger 5" tornado? - Frankly I stopped caring. I wanted to see a movie about a Twister, and although I was expecting something predictable, this was just too much, and that's a real shame. Getting a DVD makeover means of course clearer picture and sound, and those with a 5:1 system at home will doubtless get a lot from the reproduction here. trouble is however, it won't matter how you watch it, it's still a let down - I wanted to give more but 3 Stars is a stretch, and that's mainly for the CGI.