Review of Twister (1996) by Spangle — 09 Mar 2017

In 2017, a film such as Twister being made would be pretty inconceivable. It is a big-budget film that basically feels as though it was a film made to just build up anticipation for a future ride at Universal Studios. Yes, it did become a ride at Universal Studios, but it feels more akin to the movie being mere marketing for the ride, rather than the ride coming as a result of the movie. A special effects bonanza, Twister is hardly a good film in the typical sense, but it is a good film in its own way. What saves the film is its sense of purpose and scope. It feels like a blockbuster and one that is unafraid to delve into serious topics in honoring the storm chaser profession with costly special effects. While cliche and derivative, the film powers through them and delivers terrific entertainment that is hardly a mindless blockbuster.

Often times, on sites other than Letterboxd, I am accused of hating fun. Big blockbusters are not my thing. Marvel films are hollow parades of predictability and action scenes that exist merely to look cool and show off technology than to actually do anything plot-wise. They are devoid of thrills or entertainment value. The films have just become more like the X Games with guys doing tricks on bikes or the World's Strongest Man re-runs on ESPN with men flexing as they reign in a plane. For those into that, the films are appealing, but it is not my style. Films such as Twister, however, are my style. It special effects, which are tremendous even today, feel built to be experienced first hand. They are a throwback to old school disaster movies with objects flying from every which direction and the characters forced to run to the right and left on a set with real objects, rather than just a green screen. These more stripped down special effects are fun and far more engaging, but also serve a purpose plot-wise. There are no moments where something is thrown in because it looks cool. The twisters are needed. The carnage is needed. Every piece is there because it communicates the scope of these tornadoes and the danger storm chasers find themselves in during the course of their scientific duty. The special effects, therefore, are quite tight and well deployed. This is a film built to impress with great effects, but its effects create well earned tension and thrills that deliver splendid entertainment.

The tornadoes, however, are only part of Twister's appeal. It is a blockbuster unafraid to become real. Depicting the real damage of tornadoes, the film develops tremendous stakes. Watching the storm chasers trying to play these sensors into the tornado is given incredible purpose as it would allow them to create a new warning system to give people more time to get to safety. It would be a life saving discovery and, therefore, essential. This is not some "save the world from whatever" mission, this is a small increase in warning time, but an essential step for the citizens of the area nonetheless. Thus, while the special effects and tornadoes do look quite "cool", they are also weirdly haunting. As they tear across the country side, you can feel the fear and anticipation of the citizens and the storm chasers as it bears down on populated areas throughout Oklahoma. While the film does not develop these random citizens at all (nor should it), the film is blessed with the fact that it is real because it immediately makes the destruction and human suffering feel real. It gives the film great stakes, but also great scope and purpose with the mission these people are on carrying great importance and weight.

That said, the film does suffer from its stock characters. From the married couple who used to be partners at work, but are now separated and one having a new spouse who simply does not "get" their passion, the film's romantic center is doomed to be cliche. A loud and obnoxious comic relief stock character, a stock supporting character that will clearly wind up in danger, a bad backstory and family tragedy, a useless "villain", and a typical cast of unrecognizable character actors in small roles that help to chase storms, accompany the film's poor romantic set-up. In focusing on its special effects, Twister did forget to build worthwhile characters, but fortunately, this problem is helped and not by the special effects. Rather, the stakes. We do not need much to root for them. We root against the villain because he is a bad storm chaser who does not listen to advice or words of wisdom. His device will fail to help the people in tornado alley. If Bill (Bill Paxton) and Jo (Helen Hunt) get in the right position, however, they can help because they know what they are doing. Regardless of how one-dimensional they are, director Jan De Bont's aforementioned inclusion of the damage caused by a tornado helps to alleviate issues with the characterization as it gives the audience a cause and group of people to easily root for.