Twister (1996) 4K Blu-ray Review

TweakTown's Rating: 84%

The Bottom Line

In its stunning 4K rejuvenation, Twister not only holds up, but impresses more deeply than ever.

Pros

• A stunning 4K remaster from the original negative
• A terrifying, reference-quality Dolby Atmos remix

Cons

• Brief new bonus feature
• Some older features are missing, including the groundbreaking teaser trailer

Should you buy it?

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8

The mid-1990s was an exciting time for cinema. Without the competition offered by today's ubiquitous entertainment distractions like streaming and on-demand video, the theatre was still a wholly relevant cultural institution where audiences flocked for content to fuel the next water cooler conversation. Meanwhile, fast-maturing CGI had opened the floodgates to a whole genre of films that could finally be brought to life in a convincing manner, including alien invasions, dinosaurs, volcanoes... and a Twister!

During peak storm season in America's midwest, Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and her team plan to launch a newly developed tornado-monitoring device into the eye of a tornado to develop improved prediction models and save lives. But when co-developer and ex-husband Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) temporarily joins the chase with his new partner Dr. Melissa (Jamie Gertz) in tow, the team is quickly thrust into the path of a power that can't be tamed.

Grossing $500m worldwide from a $90m production budget, Twister was a roaring success and came in second to Independence Day as the highest-grossing film of 1996. While undoubtedly its appeal was driven by the then cutting-edge visual effects (which still look rather good), there's a deeper authenticity and heart to the film, making it eminently entertaining nearly three decades later.

The cast, led affably by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, is believable, engaging, and very likable. Much more than mere human set dressing, you genuinely care when danger approaches. The script is efficient and inoffensive (despite some Hollywood science), and Jan de Bont's direction is frenetic and exciting. The existence of the limp reboot Twisters only serves to confirm how good the original is in comparison, which deftly retains its position as one of the best disaster films in cinema history.

8

Video transfer

Twister is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, in the Rec. 2020 color space, finished with HDR-10 and encoded with AVC H.265 compression.

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For the first time in two decades, Twister has been granted a brand new 4K scan from the original camera negative and film-out elements by Warner's legendary Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) department, with input and approval by director Jan de Bont.

This is a significant upgrade that will please long-term fans and contemporary audiences alike, brimming with wonderful detail and textures that leap from the screen, as much a leap courtesy of the 4K format itself, as well as advancements in film scanning and restoration tools available today. Twister has always been a great-looking film, but this version takes that to new heights, with Cinematographer Jack N. Green's gorgeous Oklahoma vistas even more beautifully rendered and with impeccable saturation.

Somewhat controversially, Jan de Bont has taken the opportunity to apply a new digital to the film, which give the film a subtly updated sheen in the main, but also transforms one particular scene quite radically. Take a look at the before and after below.

De Bont has stated that he wasn't able to visualize this real-life atmospheric phenomenon back in 1996, and while this is undoubtedly an example of revisionism, it's hardly of the order of the Star Wars: Special Edition - so I'm happy to allow de Bont this extravagance. But it doesn't stop there. I also noticed two (and perhaps more) examples of film crews inadvertently captured that have been digitally removed for the first time.

But let's address the flying cow in the room. You might think that the bump in resolution would be ungracious to the nearly 30-year-old CG (much of it originally rendered at sub-2K resolution). Notwithstanding a shot here that looks a little, shall we say, 'cartoony,' the new 4K color grading actually assists in blending the CG and live-action elements in a much more convincing manner than previous, with the outcome looking better than ever. Impressive!

Overall, Twister in 4K is a sumptuous celebration of the film. Something like this doesn't happen by accident. Props to Warner Bros. and Jan de Bont for giving the film the treatment it so richly deserves.

8

Audio transfer

Twister is presented with a newly remixed Dolby Atmos mix.

From its original DVD and laserdisc releases, Twister has long been lauded as a reference quality audio track, and while challengers might have stolen the crown in intervening years, Twister has well and truly gained it back in a big, big way!

From the opening prologue sequence, it's clear that this mix is going to wring every ounce of power from your system - big or small - and itches to be heard as loud as possible. Dialogue is kept firmly tethered to the center, while the surrounds are engaged consistently, supporting general ambiance in gentler sequences and commanding attention during moments of peril. Low-frequency effects are deep and low, such that you will feel this just as much as you'll hear it. Deeply impressive, deeply affecting stuff.

Interestingly, Jan de Bont's revisionism also extends to the audio mix - listen out for a few new sound effects, most notably when Jo's father is taken by the storm in the opening sequence.

Overall, this is a really satisfying, sometimes terrifying experience that serves as a standout example of remixing with care.

8

Bonus materials

The 4K release of Twister gains one new featurette, but loses a few from the previous Blu-ray. Let's jump in.

The package highlight is a decent Audio Commentary with Jan de Bont and VFX supervisor Stefen Fangmeier, originally recorded in 2000. As with most commentaries, it's often dry and occasionally boring, but diehard fans may learn a thing or two.

The 15-minute longThe Legacy of Twister: Taken by the Wind Featurette is the sole 'new' feature, which discusses, amongst other things, the aforementioned 4K revisions. It's nice to hear the evident love that de Bont still has for the film, and despite his 80 years of age (and that he's not directed in over 20), he's still sharp as a tack.

Next up is the legacy documentary Chasing the Storm: Twister Revisited, which reveals a decent amount of production info and footage in its 30-minute runtime, alongside the firmly promotion-focused HBO First Look: The Making of Twister and Anatomy of a Twister featurettes.

Finally, we have the Van Halen's 'Humans Being' Music Video in all its mid-90s cringiness.