TWISTER (1996) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Jan De Bont
Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes,
Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck,
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Davies,
Todd Field, Zach Grenier, Jake Busey
Rival gangs of meteorologists chase tornadoes across rural Oklahoma in the kind of movie where you can tell who the evil scientists are because they drive sleek, black minivans, and the ragtag heroes always emerge unscathed, and even manage to keep their eyes open in the face of 300-m.p.h. winds. Pictures like this exist for their special effects, not their stark realism, and the effects in "Twister" are awesome. It's not art and it's not trying to be, but the people who made it knew what they wanted to get and got it, and the goofy camaraderie between the players suggests they were either on the same page or in on the same joke. Whatever else it may or may not be, it's an exciting carnival ride.
Bill Paxton
(1955-2017)
