Search - Twister [HD DVD] on HD DVD

Hang on!

D. Mikels | Skunk Holler | 04/04/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If ever a film was made to perpetuate the stereotype of Oklahoma as a state mercilessly and relentlessly ravaged by tornadoes, TWISTER is it. As a resident of Oklahoma, I can assure the readers of this review of two things: 1) tornadoes do on occasion occur here; and 2) tornadoes do not come in endless waves, one after another, like some sort of demented assembly line.Having said this, TWISTER is a remarkably entertaining film. It's a fasten-your-seatbelt, get-ready-to-duck, leave-both-hands-inside-the-car rollercoaster ride, complete with eye-popping, hair-raising special effects. This movie is a vivid feast for the eyes: menacing, swirling tornadoes of various shapes and sizes; flying cows; and an endless assortment of storm debris to block the path of our protagonists, from tractors to tanker trucks--even houses. The plot plays second fiddle to the action and special effects. Thank goodness: if the plot had to carry this film, the movie would have collapsed into a sappy and contrived love story. From the very beginning of the film, when meteorologist Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) locates his estranged stormchasing wife Dr. JoAnne Thornton-Harding (Helen Hunt) out on the northern Oklahoma plains and asks her to sign divorce papers, the viewer instantly realizes: the couple, eventually, will get back together. Thankfully, Mother Nature takes over and the film takes off. Paxton and Hunt are solid in their performances, yet Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show, as techno-goofy, slightly off-center Dusty Davis, a member of JoAnne's stormchasing team. If anyone can have a good time in the face of oncoming disaster, it's Dusty (who refers to a tornado's swath of destruction as "the suck zone").Director Jan de Bont delivers nonstop action like a swirling wall cloud; TWISTER is nervous energy unleashed, a cacophony of sights and sounds that keeps the adrenaline flowing."

Stunning Dolby 5.1 sound and Visual Effects

David S Smith | Richmond, VA USA | 10/31/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the best sounding 5.1 channel DVD that I have heard so far! The thunderstorms sound like the real thing and the dialog is always crisp and clear. This disc includes both widescreen and full screen versions of the movie. Unfortunately, there aren't any good special features on this disc (thats why only 4 stars instead of 5). I would have liked to have seen some behind the scenes info. This film has stunning visual effects and it would be nice to watch the computer art gurus in action! Even without special features, this disc is worth the money. It will squeeze every drop of performance out of your home theater!"

Twister

Kelly | Littleton, Colorado | 03/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Probably the best disaster movie made about tornadoes/twisters. The special effects were really exciting if you can overlook the inaccurate scenes enhanced for dramatic effect. It was a good balance between the story and the action. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were really good - actually the whole cast was wonderful.

"

Good, but not as good as other Blu-Ray movies

G. Stant | 09/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have this in regular DVD as well as Blu-Ray. It is one of the movies that is light and lively and enjoyable to watch from time to time. I looked forward to the production in Blu-Ray but was disappointed. The Blu-Ray product was not much better than the regular DVD when played in my Blu-Ray player which like other Blu-Ray players has the upconvert feature. While I enjoy the superior quality of most of the Blu-Ray movies that I have bought, this movie, while good, did not make the leap in superior picture quality that it could have when being converted to Blu-Ray."