Twisters (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.

My Take – An often forgotten film for the kids growing up in 90s, among the barrage of disaster flicks like Independence Day (1996), Titanic (1997), and Armageddon (1998), is the Jan de Bont directed Twister (1996).

The film saw a group of spirited storm chasers, led by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, who are trying to deploy a tornado research device during a severe outbreak in Oklahoma. Although it was flawed in many places, it managed to be a box office hit and win over audiences with its great special effects and sound design, all the while embracing the tropes of the period it was made in, resulting in a cheesy, totally comfort blockbuster feature.

And while the film has retained its fan-favorite status over the years, nothing about it exactly begged for a sequel.

Yet, 28 years later, we have a standalone follow-up with a new star-studded cast headlining and a new story-line that is albeit peppered with references to its predecessor. And if the trailers were any indication, the film also manages to provide a thrilling adventure that combines compelling characters, stunning special effects, and a gripping narrative.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), who are both working from a story by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), the film revels in a let’s-not-take-this-too-seriously vibe, even though, of course, there are real stakes, what with trucks smashing into buildings and people occasionally being snatched by the Hand of God and hurled to a terrifying death.

Even in the moments where certain elements were lacking, it is sure to provide all of the necessary popcorn entertainment one would expect from a film about people chasing tornadoes, and never getting bogged down with deep themes or complicated exposition.

The story follows Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a former storm chaser, known for her instinctual gifts for weather prediction, who five years ago while pursuing a tornado to conduct an experiment to develop a tool that could tamp down dangerous weather in the future, ended up losing most of her friends including her boyfriend, Jeb (Daryl McCormack).

Still reeling from guilt, Kate has since pursued a career in New York City as a meteorologist that is until she is approached by Javi (Anthony Ramos), the only surviving member of her former storm chasing team, to help him test a new groundbreaking military-grade tracking system in the intensifying tornado season of Oklahoma.

Reluctant at first, Kate only agrees with the hope that this new device can prevent future casualties of this natural phenomenon. Upon arrival, Kate find herself crossing paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a social media influencer who has gained fame by posting all of his storm chasing adventures on YouTube for his millions of followers.

And as storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives to further study the patterns of these deadly winds before being blown away in the process.

The clashing ideologies of Javi’s team, all men in crisp white shirts and sleek vans, and Tyler’s, a ragtag group in old, battered trucks sets the stage for a delightful push-and-pull as the two sides work to get the upper hand on every tornado they spot and predict. It also provides the perfect foundation for Kate and Tyler’s relationship, which grows from bantering rivals to loyal partners.

It helps that Kate and Tyler are compelling figures, with the script offering enough details about where they came from to make them well-rounded. They’re also surrounded by intriguing characters, though most don’t get nearly as much attention as they should’ve.

The film throws enough weather jargon and theories at you, explaining how a tornado works and how, potentially, to make one vanish before it does significant damage, but thankfully, screenwriter Mark L. Smith and director Lee Isaac Chung seek to capture everything that made the first film work, while at times inverting its narrative as a rhyming companion piece.

Anyone baffled by the decision to have the Oscar-nominated director of Minari (202) helm the sequel to one of the popular disaster films ever made will have their confusion resided instantly. Right from the film’s opening frames, director Chung proves his capabilities to marrying the drama to the film’s action. Much like its predecessor, the film has plenty of moments where its characters are at the mercy of the elements, hunkering down as intense winds and debris whirl around them.

Each successive tornado run-in runs the risk of getting repetitive, but director Chung makes the most of the new environments every time to keep things fresh. He also smartly keeps the focus on the people we’re watching, the characters we’re invested in.

Add to that the CGI effects are all highly convincing here, and the very idea that a large object like a truck or even a barn could drop out of the sky amidst the chaos at any moment helps keep viewers in suspense.

Additionally, unlike the 1996 film, which was borderline comical in how convenient the tornadoes would appear randomly whenever the plot desired it, each time one was featured here it was because the characters were actively searching for it. As a result, it really felt as though these storms were being chased by the chasers rather than the storms chasing them instead.

If there’s one complaint I have about the film, it’s that the many terrific supporting actors don’t get much time to shine. Maura Tierney, David Corenswet, Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, Brandon Perea, and Tunde Adebimpe really don’t have much to do, other than simply in and out of the scene.

In the lead role, Daisy Edgar-Jones is decent enough, although it does take her a bit of time to gain some personality throughout the film. However, Glen Powell is definitely a major highlight. Here, Powell leverages his megawatt charisma to hoist the entire picture on his broad shoulders, a true film star who maximizes every minute of his screen time. Their slow-burn romance is charming but it does lack the screwball back-and-forth of Paxton and Hunt from the original.

Anthony Ramos is likable in his part and carries his strong arc well. Nik Dodani, Kiernan Shipka and Daryl McCormack are alright in cameos. On the whole, ‘Twisters’ is a charming destruction filled sequel that delivers a thrilling and entertaining whirlwind.