Rated PG-13 for language and tornados
Starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by Jan de Bont
The Story:
Dr. Jo Harding (Hunt) is obsessed with tornadoes. Has been since she was little. Her husband Bill (Paxton) comes to get her to sign the divorce papers so he can marry his new sweetheart (Gertz). Ah, but when a series of intense storms kicks off in Oklahoma, Harding and her intrepid band of storm chasers are off to try and get their revolutionary storm sensors into the heart of a tornado. Bill tags along, bride-to-be in tow. He's still got the storm chaser bug in him, and he may still have some feelings for his soon to-be ex as well.
Nearing 20 years, Twister holds up remarkably well.
I'd say it's been about 10-15 years since I last watched this film, so I was afraid it would be a creaky mess of bad special effects and terrible acting.
But no, it's a crisp, quick adrenaline rush; the types of movies that de Bont delivers time and time again.
He'll give you a pause just long enough for a laugh, or to catch your breath, and then the roller coaster ensues again.
To flesh out the story a bit more, the storm chasers are a bunch of well rounded background characters that inhabit the screen nicely and aren't just cardboard cutout yes-men.
Then you have the arch-nemesis chasers led by Elwes who of course are out to steal the thunder of our heroes.
While some of the action may be far-fetched with the stunts and gags, the movie delivers with about as true to life account of what it must be like to deal with a tornado.
Easily, the best tornado movie since The Wizard of Oz.
:)
Final Grade: B
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't know that I'll rush out and buy it (I used to have it on VHS) but I'll try and catch it again before another decade rolls by.
