VIDEO CAPSULE: Twister (5/10)

[JoBlo]

Twister (1996)

Believe it or not, I had actually never seen this movie before last night. I was "away" for most of '96 and missed quite a few flicks. I think this film might've been "somewhat" innovative at the time, but seeing it now on video, it did nothing but disappoint.

Of course, I wasn't expecting it to give OUT OF AFRICA a run for its money, but even many of the special effects looked VERY PHONY! (especially the explosions...just plain embarassing). I was actually quite down on the film until its final half hour, which did ROCK, quite some! Saving it from crap-on-a-stickness.

Still though, weak characterizations is what killed most of these DISASTER/EVENT pics, and the same applies here. They tried REAL HARD to make it look like it was exciting stuff, but basically, I felt like it was a bunch of losers running around after wind-storms.

And what's with the "bad guy" tornado chasers? C'MON!

Here's what DeBont seems to have given Philip Seymour Hoffman as his MOTIVATION as an actor for this film:

"Philip....just ACT EXCITED....REALLY EXCITED IN EVERY SCENE!!! Go nuts...be happy and be really STOKED at anything you hear about storms!".

Ugh. Not even a passable popcorn pic, I'm afraid. The good news is that Bill Paxton & Helen Hunt don't embarass themselves...

Stars Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Davies, Cary Elwes and Jamie Gertz (where the heck has she been?!)

[Narst]

I think you graded this one to high JoBlo. This gets a 1/10 for me. It's definatly one of the worst or the worst movies I've ever seen. It ranks down there with Patch Adams 1/10.

[Tuukka]

This film gets 4/10 from me. I can't believe it made so much money (around 400$ wordwide), since there is nothing happening in the film. The script was very weak and the tornado scenes were repetitive. The big Tornado in the end was cool, but it wasn't enough to make this film a decent popcorn film. If you have a crappy script, maybe you should at least put some action in there to make the film worth watching. Apparently the people behind Twister didn't think so.

[halfanarcher]

I recently compared this film to The Perfect Storm, comparing water effects. Then I saw Twister again the other day. It sucks, I couldn't finish it.

I guess I don't like either of these films. And I'm changing my favourite water EFX to The Poseidon Adventure.

[PackBacker]

Deep thought of the day:

Jan de Bont sucks ass.

[JoBlo]

Pack-man...always looking at a way to jam THE HAUNTING back in the man's face, eh?! /ubb/smile.gif

Well, it's cool bro, cause you're right about both of them sucking mighty ass. In fact, thinking it over, I've dropped my ranking of this film to 4/10....ooohh....there is goes again...

PS: Since when do tornadoes literally GROWL?

[SirReel]

I'm OK with your 5/10 rating... I mean, it was certainly entertaining (f/x wise) - and if for nothing else Phillip Seymour Hoffman is worth the rating...

Jamie Gertz has guest starred alongside Calista and Robert Dwoney Jr. in the last 2 episodes of Ally McBeal... If anyone cares...

SirReel

[JoBlo]

<moedrator bump>

[Brock Landers]

I can dig the low score, I mean they just don't make disaster flicks like they used to (as was pointed out to me by Deckard recently when talking about Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno" & "The Poseidon Adventure"... maybe it should have been called something like "The Whirling Dervish" or "Why does trailer trash live in disaster areas?". I can also dig Jami Gertz, I mean, the last flick of hers I dug was Brian De Palma's "Body Double"...

[PackBacker]

Just to re-iterate: Jan de Bont sucks ass.

[Brock Landers]

So let me get this straight PackBacker... Jan De Bont sucks ass OR Jan De Bont sucks ass? /ubb/wink.gif

[kerryanne]

I didn't think this movie was too bad the first time I watched it...so I rented it again...and I was wondering where the hell was the appeal? I live in the midwest...and in the spring and summer we see some very powerful storms move in..(aaaah, small town living.) very cool sight to see. However, I have never seen weather get that bad...heard a tornado growl...I have seen storm spotters...but never a "evil" one. (Where I live they actaully call out the volunteer fire depatment, and these guys sit in their trucks on the outside of town trying to spot funnel clouds....I never seen it before, and asked my husband what the hell they were doing.) You see them everytime the weather gets bad...and my whole point to this story is? What they do, looks a hell of alot more interesting than this movie was. This movie tried to glamourize it...and it failed terribly. I give it a 4/10.


[This message has been edited by kerryanne (edited 03-02-2001).]

[Deckard]

Not worth discussing this film other than to say:

TWISTER 3/10.

P>S Brock I love the Irwin Allen disaster flicks too, as you know, just watched Earthquake the other day with Chuck Heston & Lorne Green. Great flick even if it is a little ridiculous, still not a patch on the stupidty of Twister or Dantes Peak etc.

[armyofmonkeys]

5.5/10

[Snert]

I'd cant decide between 6/10 or 5/10....

[McBain]

You're all a pack of wimps - there is no way Twister deserves anything over 2/10. It was the shitest of the shite disaster movie fad (it made Dante's Peak look like a masterpiece).
Jan De Bont really went down the toilet after speed, but lets not forget his great work as a cinematographer - Leonard Part 6 anyone?

[Bud_Fox]

Twister 5/10

Alternate ending: during the denoument when Paxton and Hunt are holding onto the pipe Paxton leans over and kisses Helen Hunt's ass goodbye as he lands a quick right square between her eyes and sends her sprawling head over heals into the center of the Twister. The last line from Paxton " there yah go bitch the inside of a twister."
That I would give a 8/10



[This message has been edited by Bud_Fox (edited 03-21-2001).]

[TheRock]

I agree that the first time I seen this movie I thought it was pretty cool. The next time I watched it I saw how stupid it actually is. I think the movie suffers from 2 boring leads, the supporting characters were good.

[herculeez]

Oh My God, how could so many of you not like this movie?
I have this on DVD, and i love it!
With 5.1 dolby digital the sound is absolutely amazing and the film is just so much fun to watch!
This is the odd film that one person likes and everyone else hates and it looks like i am that one person /ubb/smile.gif

anyway i give it 8/10

I can hear some of you cursing me now for that score, right?

[neo]

I have to agree with Herculeez.I would give it 8/10.The special effects are really good.Oh yeah before i forget it,Jan de Bont is cool.He a great Dutch director and he did a fine job with this movie.

[PackBacker]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by neo:
Oh yeah before i forget it,Jan de Bont is cool.He a great Dutch director and he did a fine job with this movie.</font>

Once more let me say, Jan de Bont sucks ass.
If he's a great dutch director, then I'm really glad I live in the US...cause he is a shitty American director.

The Haunting- one of the worst films ever made

Speed 2- I've never seen it. Trailers looked bad, reviews were bad, de bont is bad, so I'm extrapolating that the "film" was bad

Twister- Plain stupid. There's even a bad guy in a flick about tornadoes driving sinister black vans. The effects were nothing special...sure not worth the price of watching Paxton make his wounded dog face and Hunt trying to pretend that she has a sense of humor.

Speed- Ok you got me here. I enjoyed it. Nothing that took great direction but a fun film.

[Mike]

I agree with both of you also, I liked it. I haven't seen it for awhile but I saw it twice in the theater and I thought it was really cool. Who knows though, if I watch it now I might not like it as much, but I still know I wouldn't hate it... I think I'd still like it. I thought it was pretty cool, I loved the special effects... I remember hearing a long time ago that they were going to make a sequel to it, what ever happened to that? Anyway, it was supposed to be with the tornado going through a city and everything. Now that would be cool... Anyway, not a bad movie...

From what I can remember:

Grade: 9/10

[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 04-25-2001).]

[Lindsey]

Twister is a great movie. I wouldn't give it a 5/10, but I also wouldn't give it a 10/10. I think maybe a 7.5/10. Great cast,cool sounds,and it's just a good film. /ubb/smile.gif

[ak]

..it's popcorn entertainment.

[Frogster]

aaah!!... invasion of the mindless action fanatics!!

PS: just kidding

[Cyclonus]

It was just so-so. Another special-effects movie with little plot or characterization. 5/10.

[mafia]

This is one I admire because of technical reasons, especially the sound. But characterwise it wasn't that innovating.. (6/10)

[Cyclonus]

That's kinda what I meant, Mafia. /ubb/smile.gif

[Frogster]

I agree... lots of nifty fx but really lacks depth.. storywise. A big crowd pleaser with transparent characters and cheesy acting. I give it a maximum of 6/10.. purely because of the those tornados.. i really dug 'em!

[SteveSzyk]

I loved it! It's a film I can sit back, relax, and enjoy. No brain needed! I loved it, I thought it was thrilling, exciting, and just a great, fun, all-around popcorn flick!

8/10

[This message has been edited by SteveSzyk (edited 09-18-2001).]

[APzombie]

yeah, i liked it alot. I cant relly see how people think its all THAT bad, i mean, i can spot some mistakes here and there, but not enough for what some of you guys give it.

[Fergus]

I still remember coming out of the theater in 96', it was awesome, my eyes were sore after I came out of it. Excellent in the theaters, but it suffers on video big time.

[The Claw]

I thought Twister was okay, nothing good, nothing bad, but i havent seen it in years so the opinion might change

[RicochetShaw]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ak:
..it's popcorn entertainment.</font>

Perfectly put ak, just what I was thinking. Not a very good film, but I thought it was very entertaining.

7/10

[Favourite end]

JoBlo, even 5/10 is too high.I`d give it 3.5/10 only for the sake of the effects and the sound (despite it`s a popcorn flick, that doesn`t imply to be SO stupid).

[PackBacker]

So nobody forgets:

Jan de Bont sucks ass.

[Ender]

I forget, does De Bont suck or not? If only someone where here to remind us every four months...
http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by Ender (edited 10-15-2001).]

[moviefan!]

Pure Popcorn Film 5.5/10