Airborne bovines, natural destruction, explosions and very special effects provide the thrills in two of the most anticipated summer movies.

"Twister," an extravagant production short on Oscar-caliber dialogue, but big on super special effects, is about two teams of "storm chasers" (Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton vs. Cary Elwes) in Oklahoma tracking twisters during the biggest day of tornadoes in 12 years. Moviegoers should not expect much in the way of plot, realism or quality acting in this one-of-a-kind film. Why not? Well, the humans in this movie are not the main attractions. It's what the humans are infatuated with, nature, that is the star. Most of the actors aren't exactly big, marquee names. The B-list includes Alan Ruck ("Speed," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), Robert Patrick (the bad terminator in "Terminator 2"), as well as television's Hunt ("Mad About You") and supporting actors Paxton ("Apollo 13") and Elwes ("The Princess Bride"). To compensate for the lack of big names, and a sketchy plot, the viewer gets action, adventure, flying cows (it's all about them!), whirling homes and the feeling of virtual reality traveling with Hunt and Paxton on their way to the next twister. The movie's writers, Michael Crichton and his wife, Anne-Marie Martin, along with producer Steven Spielberg, director Jan De Bont, and special effects wizard John Frazier, have collaborated to create an exciting, nail-biting movie. I'm sure I was one of many viewers who found indentations in their armrests when it was over.

The Tom Cruise-produced vehicle "Mission: Impossible" is somewhat of an impossible mission. The plot is made up of a group of secret agents (Cruise, Emmanuelle Beart, Ving Rhames and Jean Reno) trying to stop an international cabal of baddies from making the sale of the highly confidential list of IMF (Impossible Mission Forces) agents. The plot is not the usual one found in most action films, and has more red herrings than the O.J. Simpson case. First, you think a certain group has picked off the IMF Team, and then you think the head of the IMF has gone bad, but nothing really comes together until the end, when the baddies are sorted out (leaving the viewer with more questions). The story leaves you guessing, craving more information, a subtle hint... something! "Mission:Impossible" forces you to think and come up with your own ideas, and that's the great part of it - you don't leave with the same conclusion as the person next to you. Once you think you have the answer, the story twists again. Chubby Checker, watch out! The excitement and adrenalin of this movie come from the special effects, explosions, double-crossing, masks, and a scene in which Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, must obtain the list by breaking into an ultraprotected room without a rise in body temperature or a sound (breathing alone is loud enough to set off the alarm).

"Twister" and "Mission: Impossible" are both great summer movies, providing action, excitement and the right amount of bang for your buck. They are a welcome sight after a dismal string of movies in the spring (case in point - anything starring a member of the cast of "Friends"). Both movies are $7 quality, but it's "Twister" that blows away the competition with a full-fledged $7 rating for its special effects and pure adrenalin rushes. "Mission: Impossible" gets a $4 dollar rating for its confusing plot.