Twister (1996), directed by Jan de Bont, stars Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, Sean Whalen, Scott Thomson, Todd Field, Joey Slotnick, Wendle Josepher, Jeremy Davies, and Zach Grenier. The film follows Bill (Paxton), a former storm chaser on the verge of getting married for a second time. So he can make the annulment of his first marriage official, Bill and his fiance Melissa (Gertz) travel to rural Oklahoma to find his first wife, Jo (Hunt), and get her to sign their divorce papers. While there, Bill reconnects with old friends as well as Jo and eventually gets pulled back into his old life as a storm chaser. Bill agrees to temporarily help his old crew test a device based on designs he created which can more accurately chart the trajectory of deadly tornados. Over the course of a few life-threatening days, Bill and Jo reconnect over their shared love of chasing storms while attempting to test their device. Bill is forced to choose between his two loves while Jo struggles to overcome a past tragedy, but first, they have to survive. 

This film lives and dies with its central romance, and thankfully Bill Paxton and Helen give performances that are bursting with life. Not only that, but their romantic chemistry is off the charts. The film rarely requires any cheesy romantic dialogue because their natural chemistry speaks for itself. The film smartly uses their shared interest in storm-chasing as the core of their connection. It’s just more naturally believable compared to simple physical attraction or cute but hollow flirtation – not as “sexy”, but feels more authentic. This results in a love triangle element that significantly increases the tension of the tornado-chasing sequences. We care about not only their lives but the outcome of their relationships as well. The issue is that most of these character tensions are solved before the film’s climactic action sequence. This takes away a lot of tension from what should be the most exciting part of the film. I also found myself being occasionally annoyed by Jo’s over-the-top death-wish attitude throughout most of the film. Oftentimes it seems like her immaturity toward Bill is the sole reason for certain things going south. She just occasionally comes across as childish. It feels unnecessary and doesn’t do the character any favors in terms of likability. 

Although the large supporting cast doesn’t all receive equal focus, they succeed in providing the film with a certain level of contagious fun. Whether they have strong characterization or not, one thing is for sure, they’re all having a lot of fun chasing tornados. The main supporting cast member that shines in this group is easily Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the group’s required laid-back and goofy member. Honestly, it might be the most infectiously fun side character I’ve ever seen him play (and it’s up against some stiff competition). Through these multiple fun side characters, the film often achieves an almost comedic Star Wars (1977) X-WIng sequence effect. The film spends a lot of time focusing on characters driving as they chase tornadoes. This could easily be boring, but there’s so much entertaining back-and-forth banter that it saves these scenes from boredom. 

Although the characters are constantly placed in life-or-death situations, it’s interesting that it’s ultimately their choice to do so. Most film characters in these situations don’t seek these situations out. This solidifies a sense of consistent fun throughout all the danger because we know that it’s exactly what the protagonists want. This, along with the score solidifies a sense of adventure as opposed to danger. That being said, it’s fun when the characters inevitably find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Instead of being a typical natural disaster, the tornado becomes something more akin to a slasher villain – intentionally choosing and stalking its eventual victims when they least expect it. 

The film ends up working extremely well in the sense that a majority of viewers can easily connect to the fear of having to wait out a violent storm. That being said, the CGI hurts this tension because it often appears a bit dated by today’s standards (though still not awful due to a mix of practical effects). What’s important is that the relentless pace remains intact, and it does. 

Overall, this is one of the best natural disaster films of all time and remains unique in terms of its antagonist, approach, and setting. The cast is great and provides the film with unlimited energy. The two leads also succeed in making the romantic element, which is usually an afterthought in this genre, the strongest aspect of the film. Although there are a couple of script issues in the third act as well as some dated special effects, they don’t bring the film down in any significant ways. This should appeal to just about anyone, and that’s such a rare achievement that it puts a huge smile on my face. It’s not perfect, but something with this much soul is an undeniable treat. B+