“If you see something you like, chase it”
It’s been nearly 30 years since the original Twister ushered in a new wave of blockbuster disaster filmmaking, while at the same time encouraging a new generation of meteorologists and weather enthusiasts to get excited about wild weather and the art of chasing and interpreting it. After years of rumoured sequels, spin-offs and reboots, we get a semi-sequel that follows along closely to the original story, with a fresh new cast and a huge advancement in special effects, This time around there has been an increase in tornado activity across Oklahoma, and while the movie doesn’t say the words “Global warming” at any point during the film, it is heavily implied as the cause. The opening sequence showcases the devastation these unpredictable weather events are causing and propels Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Javi (Anthony Ramos) to find a way to make her high school science project of stopping a tornado a reality.
Javi is all decked out with the latest in tech equipment thanks to his startup and funding from some very generous donors, along for the ride is Tornado Wrangler Tyler (Glen Powell) and his merry band of YouTube vloggers who are chasing the weather for the Likes. When a larger-than-expected amount of tornadoes strike the area, causing a gargantuan amount of devastation, Kate desperately tries to unlock the right formula to potentially stop a tornado in its tracks and provide more warning for potentially affected towns.
Taking over from the previous film’s director Jan de Bont, Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung steps into the directing chair as his follow-up from the immigrant story, also set in Oklahoma. While the original film painted a romanticised version of storm chasing, here Chung focuses on the after effects that it causes and the lives of the people who are left in the trail of devastation, with nothing but the option to rebuild their lives. It’s a hard turn from the previous film that focused on the thrill of the tornado hunt and the desire to understand how it forms.
Edgar-Jones takes her first steps into blockbuster territory here and does so with a confidence in this character that’s able to keep her insecurities and trauma always bubbling away, just below her girl-next-door exterior. She does have a nose for storms, similar to Bill Paxton’s character in the first film, although here it is more at the forefront, feeling like an almost supernatural power that she possesses. Ramos feels a little in and out, providing support for Jones’s character and providing the corporate-style energy that this character needs. His interactions with his gruff business partner Scott played by upcoming Superman David Corenswet, give the film a lot of the laughs. All of this is topped off by another “rizztastic” performance from Glen Powell, the Glenergy that pours down every time Powell is on screen is on another level. He further accentuates the charisma from his previous films Anyone But You, Hit Man and Top Gun : Maverick, by somehow being more charming while able to stay grounded in the heavy action scenes when hero work is required of him.
It has been nearly 30 years since the first film and technology has come a long way in terms of visual effects. It is clear on the screen from the incredible detail of each tornado as it brings devastation in its path. In the first film there were a few tornadoes, in this film it feels like it has doubled, perhaps more the amount of tornadoes that touch down and the interactions each team gets with them. Adding things like fireworks, chicken and the firenado, keeps the visuals interesting and are a contrast to the solid green fields and bright sunshine of the Oklahoma country.
Twisters is the blockbuster of 2024 that we have been waiting for. It delivers a solid spectacle that manages to fit into that legacy sequel similar to Top Gun : Maverick, in which all the right ingredients are thrown together to deliver a movie that stands out on its own and will no doubt keep the franchise moving forward. Powell is cementing his case as the next big movie star of our time, there’s a scene here in which he is put in a tight white t-shirt in the pouring rain for no narrative reason whatsoever. The chemistry between Edgar-Jones and Powell is magnetic and the supporting cast here are strong enough to keep up with their pace. There are plenty of nods and winks to the original film with the Dorothy I ball barrel in plain sight, and some similar tornado interactions, Chung shifts the focus onto the devastation that these storms leave behind, and the people who are left with nothing after it. Twisters is a fun ride you’ll want to take over and over again.
