Certainly, I was keen to go, Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies and that's about a tornado, too. The opening scene quickly shoes that the Wizard in Twister John Frazier and his incredibly special effects. A sign prior to entry in the theatre warns patrons that the volume is to be turned way up in this film, to create an "in your face" effect. And this movie is certainly in your face.

There are many similarities to Wizard of Oz. The opening scene depicts a house somewhere in the Midwest where a father and mother race off to the storm shelter with their small daughter, almost leaving behind a dog who looks very much like Toto.

Another similarity to Wizard is the employment of stereotypical images of good and evil. In Wizard of Oz it was the good and wicked witches, in Twister we see polar opposites in the scientist. The good are poor, drive old beaten up vehicles and wear weird clothing. The bad guys, meanwhile, defined as bad because they have sold out to big money, all drive matching black vehicles and wear slick clothes - oh, and of course they are stupid, relying on the good guys for everything.

Both groups have devised a new piece of equipment to discover more about twisters, and again deference is due to Wizard of Oz. The good guys named their machine Dorothy, while the bad guys went for the name Dot.

Dualism continues throughout the film. Helen Hunt plays Jo in a role as masculine as her name hints. She is perfectly counterbalanced by Jamie Gertz as Melissa. As feminine as Jo is masculine, Gertz's character might be wimpy, but she is a security blanket in the film - not everyone is as wild and reckless as these weather chasers!

The film is traditional Hollywood fare - its big, bold and spectacular and it comes as no surprise to see Spielberg's name pop up in the credits. The final comparison I would draw between Twister and The Wizard of Oz is that both are based on a lie. There was no all powerful wizard in the 1939 classic, and there's no story to Twister, its just a collection of special effects, highlighted by a flying bovine who aroused more sympathy during two brief flybys than the rest of the film put together. The movie isn't dull, however, since the special effects hold your attention, and will arouse your curiosity about the real thing.