Twister-The Cow Says Mooo
Michael Crichton gets a lot of credit for being some sort of super genius. Now, that is kind of a weird fact when you consider the fact that the man has produced some really silly scripts. Twister is one, The Thirteenth Warrior is another, Timeline, oh Timeline, now that is another one for sure, Congo and I could go on. Somehow, he has managed to convince folks that he does no wrong, but many of his scripts, concepts and books are deeply flawed and do not translate well to the big screen, or little screen or cell phone screen for that matter. Just because it says “Michael Crichton” on the label doesn’t mean anything. For every Jurassic Park you get a Timeline or a Congo.
As for Twister, the name says it all doesn’t it? Man vs. Tornado. Sure there is a plot, but so what, this is really about appealing the NASCAR element who want to see s**t get ripped up, even if it is a poor little old cow. It’s a disaster film plain and simple. Unfortunately some of the disasters occurred in casting with the bewildering decision to cast Helen Hunt. Hollywood executives in Hollywood tried for years to convince American men that she was a sex symbol. Funny stuff folks, funny stuff. An okay looking woman on the street, but not a leading lady, not gorgeous on film. Then again, she does have all her teeth and that alone is enough to appease the NASCAR crowd, so there you go.
At the heart of Twister is a simple formula for success. People like to see stuff ripped apart. There is little blood and gore, so people can take their kids, especially since the enemy in question is nature. Ah remember the good old days when American cinema had turned its attention to the enemy of nature? Those were the days. Twister doesn’t try to be something that it is not and in this regards the film added its own success mightily. Crichton and crew knew they were making a money grab that appeals to the lowest common denominator both here in the States and oversees. Despite the window dressing this film was made for little boys and teenagers to some extent, however, if they really had been thinking they would have cast more attractive leads in order to appeal those teenagers.
Twister is conceptually flawed and poorly executed in a variety of ways, however, the film understands its strength and never deviates too far from it, namely tornados ripping the crap out of everything in site. Like many big budget Hollywood flicks, the real heros are the poor souls who were strapped down for months on end to work stations peering into computer screens for mere peanuts. These are the men and women who really made this film, for without those visual effects this film would be nothing more than hot air (couldn’t help myself).
Story C
Acting C (With a film like this you almost don’t even need the actors do you?)
Visuals B+
Originality/Innovation B- (Some innovative visuals keep the film from being completely redundant.)
Enjoyability Grade B- (You will probably enjoy yourself if you are able to just switch your brain off for a bit.)
Home Theater/HD Factor B (Enough visual and special effects to make a home theater system come alive. The sound design and sound effects add a fair degree of fun to the film.)
Overall Grade B- (I want to give Twister a lower grade but it does just enough right to warrant a viewing. Still Crichton is wildly over rated.)
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