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When a sequel is released nearly 30 years after the original, can you blame it for retreading the same story? Does that even weigh on whether or not the sequel is a good standalone movie? Thankfully, Twisters is at the very least a good, entertaining film, even if it has some old baggage to contend with. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), Twisters stars Glen Powell (Anyone But You), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), Anthony Ramos (Hamilton), and Brandon Perea (Nope). The film’s plot is nearly identical to the original in that it follows meteorologist tornado chasers who try to use their technology to study them.
The movie begins with a studying meteorologist Kate (Edgar-Jones) losing her entire team – including the man she loves (Daryl McCormack) – after they underestimate a tornado. It picks up five years later with Kate working behind a desk in New York. The only other surviving member Javi (Ramos) pleads with her to come to Oklahoma to help him because he’s gotten access to military technology. The new scans could tell them everything they need to know about tornadoes, so she reluctantly returns to the field.
Twisters – Sequel Or Remake?
Kate meets Tyler Owens (Powell) in Oklahoma. He’s an influencer who treats tornado chasing like he’s in the rodeo. From here on out the movie follows a plot that is essentially the same as the original film, with the characters chasing after multiple tornadoes to study them, and occasionally checking out the aftermath. Rather than add many new plot points, Twisters essentially flips the plot from the first film on its head. The main villain of Twister was Cary Elwes’s (Saw) character Jonas, a meteorologist who followed the main characters around to steal their limelight while filming a reality television show.
Tyler is essentially doing that same thing, it’s just online this time around. He starts filling that same antagonist role, but as the film continues and he and Kate get to know each other, they realize they’re more alike than they thought. Flipping that trope and making the influencer the hero by having him and his team help the survivors of the tornadoes is an interesting idea, and it brings some authenticity to Tyler and Kate’s relationship.
With that being said, if Twister is one of your favorite movies, there’s no way you’ll walk out of this not thinking that they just made the movie again. Characters and storylines are flipped or updated for modernity’s sake, but it’s more or less the same movie. Thankfully, Edgar-Jones and Powell are every bit as good as the leads of the original if not better. Powell is constantly charming, while Edgar-Jones plays the trepidation of her character well. There’s chemistry between the pair and you’ll root for them the entire back half of the film.
Some Wild Weather We’re Having
The supporting cast is great too, with everyone filling out different roles and personalities. David Corenswet (Pearl) is a one-note villain who you’ll hate the moment he’s on-screen. Perea plays Tyler’s right-hand man and he’s exactly as crazy as you expect a chaser like that would be. Most of the actors do a good job of portraying that range of personalities, and the only one who falls a little flat is Ramos, as he is a little one-note.
One of the major ways Twisters differs from the original film is that it scales up everything from the tornadoes to the destruction. The effects are phenomenal and the last tornado is so spectacular that you have to imagine it was the highlight of the film’s original pitch. Yet, sometimes the scale doesn’t improve the story. An F5 tornado wipes out Kate’s team at the beginning. While this informs her character’s decisions going forward and feels necessary, the scale of the destruction lessens many of the set pieces that occur later.
Part of Tyler’s persona is that he drives right into the tornadoes, anchoring his truck in the ground. This is the main thing that separates Twisters tonally. On one hand, tornadoes are horrific elements of destruction but on the other, we shouldn’t take them too seriously. Starting the film with Kate’s tragedy makes the more lighthearted moments seem too risky, in a haunting way. However, Tyler as a charismatic chaser does work overall. His risky antics endear him to the audience, especially when you realize he actually knows what he’s doing.
Go For Cover!
While the tonal mismatch between certain segments of the movie is an issue, the tones do give Twisters depth. It’s part romantic comedy, part disaster movie, and part horror film. But, that depth only goes so far. The film was written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant). While it’s not poorly written, there are substantive issues. Bouncing between greater themes and ideas like global warming or the impact of influencers and fan culture on the tornado-chasing experience is fine if the film comments on them. These more interesting ideas just have passing mentions as Twisters chugs along repeating the original film’s plot.
It’s not just the visuals of the tornadoes that you should walk away impressed with, as the sound design is great too. Speaking of sound, the film has a good country soundtrack, with the score doing some heavy lifting by amplifying the destruction of the tornadoes. In any scene that pits a tornado against people or buildings, it feels as if you’re watching people have their lives completely ruined, and uprooted.
Twisters is filled with elements that should make it a great movie. But, as a whole, they come together to be a bit of a mangled mess. Ultimately, it’s a good film that doesn’t stray too far from the original, telling an old story with new characters. With some charming leading performances and terrific effects, Twisters is an entertaining movie that you should probably see on the biggest screen you can. But, if you haven’t watched the original, you should absolutely watch that first.
You can catch Twisters when it rides into theaters on July 19, 2024.
Twisters
Twisters is a good disaster movie with solid performances and some horrific yet terrific tornadoes.
Pros
- Good performances from Powell and Edgar-Jones with great chemistry.
- Great visual effects, bringing some spectacular set pieces to life.
Cons
- The plot is reminiscent of the original and repetitive.
- There’s a mismatch in tone that affects the pacing of the film.
- A deeper exploration of themes feels passed over to move the plot forward.
