Plot: What’s it about?
Director Jan de Bont had just scored a major hit with the movie “Speed” (well, about a year and a half prior to this). Speed was a box office hit, and had very good action sequences and awesome sound. Yeah, great…right? What happens when an all out action movie is made, about the weather no less? Well, you get this action filled movie with top notch special effects and bad acting.
Bill (Bill Paxton) plays a weatherman who used to be a top notch “Storm Chaser”. He has since given all that up, along with his ex-wife, Jo (Helen Hunt).
It is not a typical day in Oklahoma, it seems that the day is set to be one of the biggest for tornadoes in the last 30 years. Bill and his new fiance, Melissa (Jami Gertz) are on their way to get the divorce papers signed when everything blows up (get it). One call leads to a tornado chasing and before we know it, we’re swept along with them (get it, again).
It isn’t long before we find out that the relationship between Melissa and Bill isn’t really going to last. He’s too wild and she’s a psychologist….But that’s just a sub-plot. The real story is about the tornadoes!
This movie does feature some awesome effects, not to mention some of the best sound of any movie out there. What the whole crew is trying to do is release these little tiny sensor balls into the heart of a tornado so that they may see how a tornado can change direction and move. Thus, this would give them an advance warning system that would allow them to evecuate people from oncoming tornadoes faster.
In a showdown with mother nature herself, the cast of “Twister” really disappoints, but the sound and special effects don’t…
Video: How does it look?
Probably one of the earliest releases on DVD. But Warner did it right and this movie is 16:9 enhanced. the picture is crystal clear, for all the good it does. So much of the movie is covered with twisters and dust (cows, tractors, trucks…) that it doesn’t really make a difference. Still, it’s better to have it than not to. Good picture overall.
Audio: How does it sound?
If there’s one thing that’s synonymous with sound, it should be this movie. I though Godzilla and Air Force One were good. Whoa! My sub never stopped working. This movie literally blew me away, pardon the pun. This movie is worth a rental and/or purchase just for the sound alone. I can say no more.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Not much in this department. A trailer is included, and as with most Warner titles, Production Notes and Cast Bios are included as well. The usual. But again, this was an early release for DVD in general, so no standards were really “set”.
