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Movies / On DVD / Twister
Twister

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Twister (1996)

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Reviews Counted:47

Fresh:26

Rotten:21

Average Rating:6/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 46 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: This special effects-laden blockbuster chronicles one day in the life of a band of gung-ho "storm chasers," who track and follow twisters and tornadoes. The group, led by the gutsy Jo and her... This special effects-laden blockbuster chronicles one day in the life of a band of gung-ho "storm chasers," who track and follow twisters and tornadoes. The group, led by the gutsy Jo and her macho, soon-to-be-ex Bill, have invented "Dorothy," a tank containing sensors that can provide much-needed info about these mysterious, severe weather conditions. But in order for Dorothy to work, she first must be swallowed by a twister. So Jo, Bill, and the gang put their lives on the line innumerable times, as getting close to the storm means dodging everything from windswept cattle to flying oil tankers. For Jo and Bill in particular, making meteorological history means having firsthand experience of the inside of a twister... [More]

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Sean Whalen, Scott Thomson, Zach Grenier

Director: Jan de Bont

Director: Jan de Bont
Screenwriter: Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Ian Bryce

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 3, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Dual Layer
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French
  • DTS - English, French
  • Subtitles - English, French, Spanish
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Twister

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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I am going to recommend Twister for three reasons.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

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

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

The plot is minimal, and the character exposition full of cliches -- the scenes that don't feature tornadoes seem very long and almost unbearable to watch.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/20/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

A furiously paced and fantastically fierce series of tornadoes, each one more intense and more amazing than the last, offer enough exhaustion and thrills for even the most jaded moviegoer.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

It's a perfect motion picture roller coaster -- fun, fast, and furious... as long as you don't think too hard.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/23/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

It's blatantly pirated stuff. Hopefully screenwriters Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin weren't paid too handsomely for these recycled ideas.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

An adrenalin-pumping thriller that leaves you with a deep respect for the terrifying power of nature.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/15/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

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

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
05/21/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

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

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
05/12/08
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

A summer crowd-pleaser worthy of its wind.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An excellent example of what the Hollywood F/X blockbuster has become -- all show and very little substance.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Enjoy every cow flying, tractor crashing frame. (published 5-17-96)

Full Review Source: Kansas City Kansan | comment Comment
01/02/05
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

Formulaic writing is more than made up for by awesome visceral thrills.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/08/05
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even though the plot is more predictable than the path of a tornado, it's still exciting entertainment.

Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment Comment
06/23/04
Judith Egerton
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

A movie with wooden performances, a color-by-numbers screenplay, and some mighty cool but hardly revolutionary special effects.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

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

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/25/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

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.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
05/08/08
Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

The story is pretty thin, but the gee-whiz effects -- especially in an auditorium with good stereo sound -- are guaranteed to knock the audience for a loop.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Latest News for Twister

November 05, 2008: Michael Crichton Passes Away (1942-2008)
Best-selling author, screenwriter, and director Michael Crichton has passed away at the age of 66. The medical doctor-turned-filmmaker was best known for writing... More...

May 14, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: "Mission: Impossible 3" Beats "Poseidon" to Remain at #1
Tom Cruise's spy sequel Mission: Impossible III remained the most popular film in North America for the second straight weekend while the big-budget disaster film Poseidon... More...

April 11, 2005: Get Ready to Meet "MEG"!
Variety brings some news that's been long-anticipated by fans of author Steve Alten: "MEG" is officially a go project. Although Disney held onto the rights for a... More...

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