Opening

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—— A Green Story
—— Alyce Kills May 24

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Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

Twister (1996)

tomatometer

58

Average Rating: 6/10
Reviews Counted: 52
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 22

A high-concept blockbuster that emphasizes special effects over three-dimensional characters, Twister's visceral thrills are often offset by the film's generic plot.

67

Average Rating: 6.4/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 4

A high-concept blockbuster that emphasizes special effects over three-dimensional characters, Twister's visceral thrills are often offset by the film's generic plot.

audience

62

liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 825,568

My Rating

Movie Info

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

PG-13,

Drama, Action & Adventure

Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin

Jun 6, 2000

Warner Bros. Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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All Critics (52) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (24) | DVD (26)

You know a movie is in trouble when a cow provides its only moment of authentic human interest.

November 5, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Even more than with most of Michael Crichton's concoctions, this one conveys the overwhelming impression of a mechanical entertainment, a very high concept in which the characters and their problems seem like utterly arbitrary creations.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Effects apart, this is dire: predictable, clichéd, sloppily written, pitifully performed and surprisingly short of real shocks and suspense.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It looks real, and Director Jan De Bont keeps the action coming so fast there's no time to question it.

June 18, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An expert in making audiences squirm and twist, at making us feel the rush of experience right along with the actors, De Bont choreographs action and suspense so beautifully he makes it seem like a snap.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The movie is wall-to-wall with special effects, and they're all convincing, although it's impossible for me to explain how Bill and Jo escape serious injury while staring right up into the Suck Zone of the Finger of God.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Decent disaster movie for teens.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Extreme-weather buffs, thrill-ride junkies and anyone else in search of mindless entertainment need look no further.

November 5, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The action starts in the opening frame and never lets up.

July 23, 2008 Full Review Source: ESplatter
ESplatter

Twister has to be one of the most unlikely blockbusters ever, a mediocre movie dressed up in the then novel element of CGI to become all spectacle and no substance.

May 28, 2008 Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com
DVDTalk.com

It may not be fashionable to like Twister, but darn if it isn't an entertaining electro-shock of action cinema.

May 21, 2008 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews
Groucho Reviews

Surely the only movie to ever suggest a dumbed-down His Girl Friday, Road Runner cartoon, and The Abyss simultaneously

May 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central
Film Freak Central

An anorexic premise could've been a great and unusual disaster film if only Twister had taken the courage to keep everything pared down.

May 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

When it sticks to kinetically portraying the sheer oddness of the tornadic phenomenon, Twister is a breeze. When it tries to recreate Hawks, it falls gracelessly from the green sky.

May 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

...to quibble about the plot of Twister is to miss the whole point of the film. This one is all about looking and listening. (Two-Disc Special Edition)

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

The plot is thin and the characters are shallow. But who cares! The picture and sound are knockouts.

May 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Twister isn't the brilliant machine that Speed was, but it often packs a comparable wallop.

July 25, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

I am going to recommend Twister for three reasons.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

Audience Reviews for Twister

One of my favourite movies in this genre! Its a suspenful drama! If you enjoy disaster movies and are intrigue with nature and twisters, and with a hint of a blossoming romance then you'll enjoy this movie, very muich worth the watch!!
September 4, 2007
FiLmCrAzY
Film Crazy

Super Reviewer

TWISTER surely is not the best disaster film (come on, rarely does one ever get really good), but it does not deserve all the critical hate it gets, as it is quite decent.

If it were just Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, and no cyclones, this would be one hell of a bad film. The acting is terrible, and the three main cast members, who portray "storm-chasers", need to go to acting school.

On the other hand, the disaster SFX that this film generously offers are amazingly realistic and well-accomplished. If it weren't for the poorly-made opening scene, it would be easy to say that the effects were put to a good use at all costs.

But cows? "We have cows!" (?) That is the most ridiculous film quote mankind has ever come access. Especially for a disaster film. And all the urban legends sparked by TWISTER...don't even make me go there.
June 14, 2011
spielberg00

Super Reviewer

    1. Aunt Meg: Okay but im going to drive myself.
    2. Rabbit: Honey, your car is in a tree a block away.
    – Submitted by Tanner B (15 months ago)
    1. Bill Harding: Jonas... son of a bitch.
    2. Melissa: Who is that honey?
    3. Bill Harding: Jonas Miller, he's a nightcrawler. We all started out in the same lab and Jonas got himself some corporate sponsors! He's in it for the money, not the science! He's got a lot of high tech gadgets... but he's got no instincts... and he doesn't have Dorothy!
    – Submitted by Adrian G (19 months ago)

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Latest News on Twister

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November 5, 2008:
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