Twisters comes roaring across the screen like the juggernaut studio execs hope it will be.
Director Lee Isaac Chung offers audiences an action-filled 2-hour thriller with plenty of parallels to the successful 1996 Twister. This film is not a sequel, but it mirrors the narrative of dedicated scientists trying to understand tornados and do something to save people from them. It has the benefit of popular actor Glen Powell portraying a charismatic storm chaser mixing things up with protagonist Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Jones plays Kate Carter, an Oklahoma meteorologist who has retired from storm chasing after a tragedy that happened while she was finishing up her Ph.D. She’s relocated to New York to distance herself from her losses. She’s now just a regular meteorologist forecasting weather. If that reminds you of Bill Paxton’s character in the 1996 film, you’d be right except for their reasons for leaving. You’ll even hear her echo the famous line “I’m not back” more than once.
Kate is lured back to Oklahoma by her good friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) who’d like to be more than a friend. He’s become a successful entrepreneur running a company that forecasts destructive tornados with paths that might bring land-buying opportunities for developers exploiting the victims’ devastation. Kate, however, believes he’s just trying to help people with his forecasts so she reluctantly agrees to join him for a week to lend her forecasting talent as a trial run for joining his team.
On their first storm chase, they encounter Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a larger-than-life YouTube star with an enormous following, and his eccentric team. He arrives on the scene as an obnoxious show-off, selling T-shirts with his picture on them…which Kate immediately dislikes. He calls himself a “storm wrangler” and the audience quickly learns why. Of course, you’ll probably sense there’s more to him than his arrogant exterior.
The film was filmed entirely in Oklahoma using footage of actual tornados when possible. While this gives the storms authenticity, sadly all one has to do to see the destruction is turn on the evening news – almost every day. Special effects of tornadic destruction are quite well done and, therefore, heart-wrenching.
Of course, there are some ridiculous situations and outcomes that would be impossible in real life, but that’s what you’re paying to see. Not everything is exaggerated. The most authentic performance comes from Maura Tierney as Kate’s mother Cathy. She’s still working the farm where Kate grew up and skillfully communicates the steely perseverance of the die-hard family farmer.
Along with the compelling visuals of the storms, there are also ample lyrical shots of the land’s rural beauty. The contrast of Kate’s growing affection for her native state along with Tyler’s unending love for the land alongside Javi’s now purely commercial interest in tornadic behavior provides a powerful thematic element to the narrative. Throughout the film, the perils of climate change loom large in the background.
Twisters has all the elements of a blockbuster, but it also has shortcomings. Some characters are too exaggerated. The strength of the 1996 film was the bond between Jo and Bill’s team members, not to mention the chemistry between the two leads. That same chemistry just isn’t present in the present film. Also, the charming eccentricity of the supporting actors in the 1996 film doesn’t measure up in the present film. It feels contrived; it’s as if they’re having a contest as to who can be the weirdest. While it was often funny, I found it off-putting.
That said, Twisters provides an entertaining movie-going experience. Plus, Glen Powell’s star power, if you ever had any doubts, is overwhelmingly obvious in the film and that doesn’t hurt. So will it be the summer blockbuster you’ve been waiting for? This weekend will tell the tale. – JoAnne Hyde
