Twisters

This reboot/sequel is a hugely entertaining, old-school summer blockbuster, with plenty of spectacle and a charismatic cast.  Leave your cynicism at the door and enjoy the ride.

Premise:  After suffering a traumatic experience while storm chasing in Oklahoma, meteorological scientist Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) moves to New York, but is drawn back to ‘Tornado Alley’ by her former colleague Javi (Anthony Ramos), who’s on the verge of a breakthrough in tornado scanning.  But the scientists find themselves at odds with rival storm chasers, led by social-media star, stunt-performer and self-styled ‘tornado wrangler’ Tyler Owens (Glen Powell).

Review:

I’ll be upfront that I don’t have any particular affection or nostalgia for 1996’s Twister (I didn’t dislike it, but I don’t remember it being anything special or making a particular impact with me either) – so I approached Twisters from an entirely neutral perspective.  And in fairness to this film, unlike a lot of belated sequels it doesn’t rely heavily (or arguably, at all) on nostalgia for its appeal, choosing instead to tell an entirely standalone story with an entirely new cast of characters (although the ‘Dorothy’ device from the original film does make a brief cameo).  This has led to some debate as to whether the film is really a “sequel”, or whether it’s actually a “reboot” of the original concept ... but really, who cares which label the film is given – the real question is, is it any good?

Thankfully, what could have easily felt like a cynical, cash-grab B-movie in lesser filmmakers’ hands has actually been made into a highly entertaining summer blockbuster that not only provides all the spectacle and excitement you could ask for, but also a decent amount of character depth too.  Yes, the plot is still a little on the thin side (this is definitely a film that’s built around a concept, rather than around convoluted plot mechanics), but the characters are far more rounded than the two-dimensional tropes often found in films like this.  The end result is a popcorn flick with feels like a throwback to the classic summer blockbusters that were unapologetically built around huge set-pieces, but not at the expense of character.

“…features three of the most interesting up-and-coming actors of the moment…”

The key to Twisters’ success is the calibre of the people involved in the movie, starting with its director Lee Isaac Chung.  After his Oscar nominations for the semi-autobiographical indie drama Minari, few would have expected his next project to be a CGI-heavy tentpole blockbuster ... but weirdly, you could say that Twisters also has a personal connection for Lee Isaac Chung, because he grew up in ‘Tornado Alley’ where the danger of tornados was a very real threat.  As entertaining as Twisters is, it also makes a point of focusing on the devastation wrought by tornados on rural communities, so that the human cost isn’t lost amongst the spectacle.

As well as the behind-the-camera talent, Twisters features three of the most interesting up-and-coming actors of the moment.  This is Daisy Edgar-Jones‘ highest profile film role so far, but she has no problem at all carrying the movie on her shoulders.  Her performance as Kate not only has to act as the audience surrogate for most of the film, but it also includes moments of genuine emotion, panic and resilience during the course of the film.  Glen Powell, meanwhile, gets the showier of the two lead roles as the uber-confident ‘tornado wrangler’ Tyler, but his charisma and charm ensure that his character is endearing rather than brash and annoying (which can sometimes be a problem with that type of character).  Glen Powell was already having quite the year with Anyone But You and Hit Man, but his performance here solidifies his status as a genuine, old-school Movie Star (TM).

“…the film’s tornado sequences are breathtakingly realised…”

The third lead of the movie, Anthony Ramos, doesn’t get as much to do as Edgar-Jones or Powell, but equally, his character of Javi is far more than just an ‘exposition guy’.  While it was nice seeing him get a high-profile role in last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, he gets far more to do here, with Javi having a more complex, nuanced relationship with Kate (that reminded me of Anthony Romos’ breakthrough performance in 2021’s In The Heights).

Although Twisters deserves credit for giving its three lead actors more character depth than might normally be expected in this type of movie, the focus on those main characters (and the spectacular action sequences) leaves little room for the rest of the supporting cast to make an impact.  Sasha Lane and Katy O'Brian in particular get little to do other than look cool, and the new recently-cast-Superman David Corenswet only appears in a peripheral, very un-Superman-ly, role.

“…delivers on its promise of excitement & spectacle…”

But ultimately, although the engaging characters are an unexpected bonus, anyone coming to see Twisters is really coming for the set-pieces – and the film absolutely delivers in that area.  Seamlessly combining impressive CGI, location shooting in the real ‘Tornado Alley’, and physically impactful practical effects (including wind machines, water cannons and jet engines), the film’s many tornado-based sequences are breathtakingly realised – and surprisingly tense and nail-biting as well (given its 12A rating, it’s worth bearing in mind that some of the storm sequences may be a bit too intense for younger viewers).

That said, although some sections are very intense, the overall tone of the film is clearly aiming to entertain rather than scare, and there are various comedic moments sprinkled in-between the impressive action sequences.  While you could argue that the film ultimately doesn’t contain many surprises, there’s something to be said for a film that simply delivers on its promise of excitement and spectacle, providing a rollercoaster ride that’s well worth the price of admission.