Today’s quick review: Twister. Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) gets drawn back into the world of storm chasing when he visits his wife Jo (Helen Hunt) to get her to finalize their divorce. With his flustered fiance Melissa (Jami Gertz) in tow, Bill helps Jo chase down the largest tornado in decades. But to get the readings they need to advance their work, Bill and Jo will have to deliver an experimental device into the eye of the storm.
Twister is an action thriller and disaster movie about two passionate storm chasers who rekindle their relationship while pursuing the biggest break of their careers. Twister dives head-first into the world of tornadoes, assembling a motley team of thrill-seeking meteorologists to conquer a storm of legendary proportions. The movie puts this simple premise to good effect, delivering plenty of spectacle and basic but satisfying character work.
Twister’s best feature is its passion. The movie goes the extra mile to show the appeal of chasing tornadoes, from the grunt work of taking readings and tending to equipment to the raw adrenaline of coming up on a storm. Twister is shameless about putting its characters in harm’s way, pelting them with storm after storm to get every last bit of action out of its premise. The result is a movie that accomplishes exactly what it wants to.
The downside is that Twister gambles big on a couple of key elements. Nearly all of the action revolves around tornadoes. While the tornado footage is impressive to behold and the special effects hold up well, it does get repetitive after a while. The movie also gambles on Bill and Jo, who are together more because they share teh same goals and personality than any real chemistry. This can make their story a little hit-or-miss.
While Twister has a couple of drawabacks, it sets up its story well and executes it cleanly, making it a fine pick for anyone looking for an action flick that opts for storms and destruction over guns and violence. Twister will not resonate strongly with everyone, but it has broad enough appeal to entertain a wide audience. Give it a shot if you’re curious about the premise or just in the mood for some light entertainment.
For an action thriller with a similar attitude, larger stakes, and a sci-fi twist, try Armageddon. For an action movie that uses similar tricks to dramatize a unique line of work, try Cliffhanger, Drop Zone, or Sahara. For an even more sensationalistic thriller about the impacts of weather, try The Day After Tomorrow.
[6.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117998/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for simple but effective spectacle.