MovieChat Forums > Twister (1996) Discussion > Holds up pretty well after 20 years!

Holds up pretty well after 20 years!

posted 8 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8707)
13 replies | jump to latest

Hoo boy! I'm sure many of you remember when this one came out back in the day, because this movie was BIG! Not only did it make almost half a billion globally (a huge feat in 1996), but it also was the second highest grossing film of the year (well behind juggernaut Independence Day, but just ahead of Mission: Impossible).

Curious to know how it held up, I decided to rewatch it last night. And I have to say homies, this movie is still a hell of a lot of fun.

It's great to see Bill Paxton being alive and awesome as "The Extreme," the most bad ass storm chaser you'll find this side of the grave. Likewise, it's great to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman being equally awesome and alive, as the hilarious lovable oddball Dusty.

And Helen Hunt. Oh, Helen Hunt in her prime. This has gotta be her prime, right?

Then you got Cary Elwes doing a great job as the evil corporate sponsored Jonas as well as an excellent supporting cast. And that really is one of this movie's greatest strengths: Strong, memorable characters brought to life by very competent performers.

Combine all that with the fact that, especially in 1996, the world of storm chasing had not been explored much in film, so it was cool to get this (dramatized) look into a little known sub-culture and learn some real shit about tornadoes in the process.

All in all, I think this is a REALLY fun film and, if you enjoyed the movie in 1996 but aren't sure how well it will hold up, I would strongly encourage you to give it another look. I think it holds up surprisingly well and even the effects, some of which do look a LITTLE rough by today's standards, all in all are still pretty good.

8.5/10

[–] wickerman (31) 8 years ago

I agree. I watched it last night for the first time since seeing it a few times in the theater in middle school. Mostly I was expecting it to be pretty lame and was just watching it for nostalgia (and I'd been meaning to revisit it since Bill Paxton passed away), but was then really surprised by how much fun it was. I'm particularly impressed at how well the special effects held up. And what a cast too; so many recognizable faces.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 8 years ago

The one scene that makes me still feel the trembles is the one where the tornado tears through that drive-in screen. That was a well done scene!

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 5 years ago

Agreed. Great scene!

I know there was an urban legend that a tornado ripped through a drive-in theater as that scene was playing, but apparently this was only a half truth. (In reality, a tornado hit a drive-in that was scheduled to play Twister later that night.)

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 8 years ago

The cast and the characters are a HUGE part of why this film works. Imagine the same film, but generic characters with generic actors playing them. It wouldn't be nearly as good.

The score also is great and the tornado scenes are thrilling.

And it's really interesting in the way that it gives us this inside look into the world of storm chasing. The only other movie that I can think of that features storm chasers as a significant part of the story is Into the Storm, but Into the Storm is not nearly as good as Twister and is not primarily about storm chasing.

[–] artguylarry (498) 7 years ago

I've always loved this movie. It's been a favorite of mine since it came out. I saw it in theaters 10 times, one of which was at the drive in - AND a storm came through. It would have been more of a virtual experience if it came through during the drive-in scene, but no such luck LOL, it hit us way earlier in the movie.

I remember before ever even seeing it, calling in sick to my job, so I could go to where the premier was, to see some of the cast (oh yeah, I live in OKC). I never got to see anybody, and I didn't really think I would, but it was fun trying.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 5 years ago

That's a good story!

I know a lot of people acting this is a bad movie, but I don't understand that at all. Not only is it very entertaining, but it's also well-made.

It's a shame the Jan de Bont's directing career fizzled out not long after. He made two very good movies in Speed and Twister. Unfortunately he went on to make two very poor ones, Speed 2 and Lara Croft: Cradle of Life.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

I never managed to see it

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 7 years ago

Sounds like something you need to rectify.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

Seems like it!

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 5 years ago

Well did you?

[–] Renovatio (2990) 5 years ago

I did... Had more fun than I expected from a mid-90s special effects movie...

Good choice!

[–] Steve1978 (67) 7 years ago

Disagree. I've watched tons of YouTube videos of REAL tornadoes. They don't look like that, move like that, or sound like that. Special effects in this movie are cringeworthy.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 5 years ago

It's a disaster movie. You're just supposed to have fun with it, not analyze it for scientific accuracy.

Also, the effects are pretty good and still hold up well almost 25 years later.