It might be more of a spiritual sequel than a legacy one, but Twisters is one pure rush of adrenaline pumping action. 

Twisters Review

In 1996, Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt led a team of misfits into the eye of the storm in Twister. It instantly became a hit and has since been one of those movies we all agreed didn’t need to be touched. But Hollywood had other ideas and almost 30 years later (ouch), we’re getting Twisters. I’ll be the first to admit I had my doubts, there was no way anyone could catch lightning in a bottle twice. Now, though, I can share that while it does not live up to the original, Twisters is still a lot of tornado chasing fun that needs to be watched on the biggest screen possible. 

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung and written by Mark L. Smith (with a story from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski), Twisters isn’t a nostalgia-filled legacy sequel but rather a spiritual successor. There are a few minor easter eggs early on in the film but apart from those fleeting moments, it has no connections to the original outside of subject matter and basic story beats. What it lacks in cameos, it makes up for with incredible technical effects and a surplus of pulse-pounding thrills. Which is enough to keep you seated even when the science aspects of it lean a little too far into the middle school science fair and it doesn’t outwardly acknowledge that climate change is the real villain. 

Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a meteorologist and storm chaser, determined to learn how to disrupt tornadoes and save lives. Though she is full of hopes and dreams when the film starts, tragedy soon strikes, and Kate leaves behind Oklahoma for a desk job in New York City. Five years later, her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) shows up with a proposition– come work for him tracking storms, using new military grade technology. Kate is still reeling from the past but there’s no doubt she will join him. Once back in Oklahoma, the two encounter the obnoxious YouTube storm-chasing celebrity Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) who seems to treat everything like one big game. A rivalry quickly forms between the polo wearing group Kate leads and Tyler’s ragtag crew.

The clashing of these two teams pave the way for the playful push-and-pull relationship between Kate and Tyler. It feels a bit similar to Bill and Jo’s relationship in the original, although these two have never met before, in that one is more controlled while the other is spirited. Opposites attract and the inevitable happens as they go from bickering to working together, all thanks to a desire to help these communities in need. However it should be noted that where the original was about the dedicated “nobodies” versus corporate America, in this sequel even the more altruistic group is still out to make money. 

It’s no doubt that Kate and Tyler are the central characters and their chemistry is one of the highlights of the film. The script plays favoritism for sure, giving them both well-rounded, if somewhat shallow, arcs. Ramos’ is technically the third lead but his own arc gets lost in the shuffle about halfway through. At least they seem to remember him before the end so that he gets a decent conclusion. Despite the less than robust plot points, these three make the most of their time. Edgar-Jones plays the tortured genius well with her emotional delivery of lines and her meaningful facial expressions. Powell plays essentially the same character he usually plays, the over-the-top, token “hunk” who practically winks at the audience. That’s not a diss, he is well suited for them and it works here in spades. Although I would argue that for the first half of the film he was less a rugged Prince Charming and more so the king of pricks. While Ramos is down to earth as the forever friend-zoned Javi.

The rest of the ensemble is composed of interesting characters who unfortunately get very little time to shine. Unlike the original’s breakfast scene at Aunt Meg’s which allowed audiences to really connect with the eclectic tornado chasers, the supporting cast here is essentially just around to check off a box. The smart one, the quirky one, the nerd, etc. If another one of these happens to break through the cap and form, I hope we get more time with Boone (Brandon Perea), Lilly (Sasha Lane), Dani (Katy O’Brien) and Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe).

The real stars of the film are definitely the storms. Twister’s effects hold up remarkably well for a film that is 28 years old but Twisters tornadoes are bigger, louder, and angry as hell. The special effects, sound design, and cinematography heighten each moment and place you right in the path of these ferocious beasts. Cinematographer Dan Mindel accomplishes this by placing the camera at eye level. The anxiety and dread felt by the characters is visceral and you can’t help but feel your heart race as you also look up (and up and up) at the behemoth coming right at you. Chung makes each successive tornado run-in feel freshly terrifying as debris flies and everyone runs for cover. 

Twisters takes a slightly different approach to the storytelling than its predecessor in that Chung chooses to focus on the wider implications of the storms with his drama while still deftly balancing the action set pieces. That means after the storms hit there are sweeping views of destroyed towns with people picking through the rubble that was once their home. This film is one of highs and lows in terms of emotional impact, there are the thrills of watching Tyler rush into the storm determined to wrangle it and the devastation that comes from seeing the devastating aftermath of it. 

For the most part the VFXs hold throughout the runtime. There is one towards the end that seemed the most “fake” out of them all but it still was super cool to see. I won’t spoil it here even if I saw some talking about it online. Insanely awesome storms aside, it’s never not obvious that the reason we are seeing them is because something is making them worse every year. It’s as if they wanted to say hey climate change is awful and someone told them it was better to skirt around it. Characters make comments about how extreme weather is increasing but they never actually point the finger at anyone or anything. 

Verdict

Ultimately, Twisters is pure adrenaline pumping action that makes you feel like you’re right in the heart of the storm. You can’t help but be swept up in the battle of humans vs Mother Nature, knowing the latter is going to prevail but hoping the former at least survives it. It lacks the charm of Bill and Jo’s bohemian friend group and the originality that comes with being the first film to do this type of story, but Lee Isaac Chung still delivers something tailor made for the summer blockbuster season. It’s thrilling, fun, and even a little scary. All in all, Twisters is a must watch on the biggest screen possible. 

Twisters releases in theaters on Friday, July 19. It is rated PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images with a runtime of 122 minutes.