The 90s classic Twister has blown audiences away with its depiction of disaster storms and the human story of survival. Almost 30 years later, audiences are getting a standalone sequel on another tornado of epic proportions causing massive destruction in its path. Twisters has some high expectations from the first film and the good news is that it mostly nails it to become a worthy successor. The new installment gives enough love and respect to the original while also standing out on its own with gigantic set pieces that deliver on the action of this force of nature. There’s much to take away from this film, from the visual effects to the ensemble cast that brings the story together to make an engaging and thrilling piece of cinema to see on the big screen.
Twisters starts with a big opener that introduces audiences to our female protagonist Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a storm chaser who faces a tragedy and leaves that life behind. Picking up five years later, Kate lives in New York living a safe life until her former colleague and friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) offers her an opportunity to help save lives. Eventually, Kate accepts Javi’s offer to help track the next upcoming storm to prevent any more deaths. Their journey soon has them crossing paths with a famous social media storm chaser named Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) who can be charming but also a risk-taker. His team often goes after the biggest storms to hit up those views on their YouTube channel. With more storms coming their way, these characters will find themselves fighting for survival.
To stay current, the film uses 35 mm as it makes the jump to digital from the original film and makes use of some incredible VFX effects to replicate these forces of nature. Director Lee Isaac Chung manages to make those human connections in the movie without having to lose them in the shuffle among the chaos that happens on screen. It also acknowledges the real-life disasters that have happened recently with these tornadoes. The director brings the humanity and texture from his previous works and proves he can also tackle big-budget films with that same mentality. The movie does get to explore the aftermath of these natural disasters and how these small towns get affected by them. Twisters don’t go too in-depth with this element of the story but it’s enough to paint a picture to the audience of how these big storms have made life difficult for parts of the country.
The sequel does build on our leads with both Daisy and Glen at the helm of the story. Each of them has their arcs but they are in their element as their characters. Glen is the modern American cowboy who has the charm and cockiness but gets serious when things get rough. Daisy is the anchor of the film as she gets to do a lot as Kate, making her a true standout character. She takes the journey of a survivor who is trying to overcome her fears by facing the theme head-on. Both of these actors have great chemistry on screen as they build off of their rivalry that later evolves into a friendship and perhaps something more. As far as the supporting cast, they each get a chance to shine, very reminiscent of the original film’s ragtag group of storm chasers who got a memorable scene. Not everyone gets a chance to shine, but they fulfill their roles in the story that’s being told.
The movie does retain some of that nostalgia from the original where these set pieces capture the destruction of these tornadoes. It is exhilarating to watch on a big screen, especially if someone goes for the IMAX format. The movie also captures the essence of rural America with its countryside shots and music to set the scene. Audiences may get engaged with the story, but they also want to see the action unfold as they witness the chaos that’s about to happen. It’s how the film blends practical with digital effects to create the realness of these storms. Seeing all these characters getting swept from one storm to another keeps audiences glued to their seat as the tension continues to build up to the big finale.
Twisters is an exhilarating ride that is filled with charm and heart. Fans of the original will find nods to it and find lots of things to love in the sequel. The movie is a large-scale spectacle that has plenty of engaging elements thanks to the captivating leading duo who provide the human emotion necessary to keep things grounded as everything around them starts to blow away. It is a popcorn summer blockbuster that will certainly sweep anyone away into the eye of the storm.
Twisters release in theaters on July 19, 2024.
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