TWISTERS Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, David Corenswet, Harry Hadden-Patton, Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, Tunde Adebimpe, James Paxton.
In 1996 filmmaker Jan De Bont and writer Michael Crichton gave audiences a thrill ride with the blockbuster disaster film Twister, which followed a group of storm chasers who tried to deploy an experimental research device during a severe tornado outbreak in Oklahoma. The film was a massive box office success and the second highest grossing film in the US of 1996. Twenty-eight years later we get this belated stand-alone sequel. There is no Bill Paxton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt this time around, and not even a flying cow. But there are tornadoes.
In Twisters we meet Kate Cooper (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, from Where The Crawdads Sing, etc), a passionate young tornado chaser who is working on her PhD dissertation about tornadoes and how to dissipate them. During field work to test a tornado taming device tragedy strikes when a massive storm overtakes her team. Several of her colleagues are killed while she survives. Four years later, plagued by guilt and PTSD, she has abandoned her studies and now works in the meteorological offices in New York, assessing storm data and predicting weather patterns. She prefers the safety of the office and her computer screen.
Then she is approached by Javi (Anthony Ramos, from In The Heights, etc), her former best friend and colleague, who reveals that he is working with a new 3D tracking system, developed by the military, which he claims will help them better track and understand tornadoes. Reluctantly she agrees to join him in the field while he and his new crew test the system as tornadoes wreak havoc across Oklahoma. But there is a secret and more sinister side to Javi’s mission that has little to do with pure research and more to do with corporate greed that finances his Storm Par team.
In the field Kate and Javi cross paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell, from Top Gun: Maverick and the recent romcom Anyone But You, etc) a reckless and irresponsible maverick storm chaser who sets off fireworks in the middle of a tornado and films his exploits for his YouTube channel. Kate initially rebuffs Tyler, a self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler”, quickly tiring of his bravado and attitude. However, Tyler recognises something in Kate’s ability to intuit tornadoes and their paths and he and his crew follow her. Before too long the sparks fly between the two adversaries and a growing attraction develops.
Initially Twisters was intended as a remake of the 1996 film, but the story devolved into something else during the early production stages. Despite the cliched and somewhat predictable romantic subplot here the script from Mark L Smith (The Boys In The Boat, etc) the film does come alive when the titular twisters strike and leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Twisters works more as a companion piece to the original rather than a remake or sequel although there are some moments that reference the 1996 original. Smith has also subtly included some warnings about how climate change has made these storms more violent and destructive. But some of the dialogue is quite cheesy.
Superb special effects and impressive sound design create these terrifyingly destructive forces of nature, and the excellent production design from Patrick M Sullivan jr recreates the heartbreaking trail of destruction wreaked upon small towns across the midwest. There are a couple of superb set pieces, and a climactic scene set inside a movie theatre as a storm rages outside is well staged. Cinematographer Dan Mindel does a superb job and gives us some striking visuals of the storm ravaged Oklahoma landscape.
This big budget special effects driven piece of popcorn cinema is a decided change of pace for director Korean filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung who gave us the award winning Minari, a slow burn semi-autobiographical drama about a Korean family having a hard time while experiencing the American Dream during the Reagan era of the 80s. It is obvious that Chung has a real affection for this landscape and its people. His direction is confident as he gives us plenty of CGI created action and special effects. Most of the $200 million budget can be seen on the screen.
Powell has a ready-made cocksure attitude and a grin that would give Tom Cruise a run for his money, and he oozes devilish charm, swagger and sex appeal as the cocky Tyler. Edgar-Jones brings a mix of strength and vulnerability to her performance. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable however. Maura Tierney (recently seen in the wrestling drama The Iron Claw, etc) is solid as Kate’s estranged but sympathetic and no-nonsense mother. Ramos largely plays second fiddle here. Harry Hadden-Patton brings much needed humour to the material with his role as Ben, a British journalist riding with Tyler to write a feature article about him. The cast is rounded out by David Corenswet, Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, Tunde Adebimpe, and there is a brief cameo from Bill Paxton’s son James, although few of them really leave any lasting impression.
The drama is accompanied by a strong country music influenced soundtrack that adds to the overall mood.
Twisters is certainly crowd-pleasing entertainment with some great characters and exciting action. I’m not sure about the science behind it all though.
★★★☆