‘Twisters’ Review
The movie is an endearing ode to old-fashioned disaster flicks that had romance at the center and it’s a legacy sequel that delivers.
Twisters is the summer blockbuster you've been waiting for. Hearkening back to tent-pole movies like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and the original Twister and other disaster films like Earthquake and The Poseidon Adventure, it's a kinetic experience, with eye-popping visuals, robust performances, and a story with heart.
The original Twister, which came out in 1996, starred Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cary Elwes, and Jami Gertz. Opening in Oklahoma, it gives a nod to The Wizard of Oz, with a family trying to survive an F5 tornado by hiding in their storm cellar. The central story revolves around two storm chasers on the verge of divorce. Chasing tornadoes again reignites their love. The tornadoes in the film are CGI generated and they look monstrous. Director Jan de Bont (Speed) shot it on film and cinematographer Jack N. Green (Unforgiven, Beverly Hills Cop) gave it a heady look with Panavision.
The primary similarity between Twisters and its predecessor is that tornadoes are portrayed as full-throttle beasts of destruction and forces of nature that have a strange symmetrical beauty, like huge waves forming in the ocean. Characters in both films are trying to prevent the destruction of communities.
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing, Normal People) and Glen Powell’s (Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man) chemistry is a category F5. The tornadoes are gigantic siphons of living and inanimate matter but also anthropomorphic because they reflect the synergy of Jones and Powell and display the innate beauty of nature. Jones is Kate Cooper, a storm chaser who briefly retires but is roped back into chasing by friend and colleague Javi, played by an always spirited and entertaining Anthony Ramos (In the Heights, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts). Kate encounters Tyler Owens, a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants YouTube star, and they join forces to predict and possibly tame these vis major.
Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, The Mandalorian) used Kodak film, 35mm, when shooting on location in Oklahoma. The look of this film is a testament to the necessity to preserve movies shot on film and to continue to shoot on film in this artform. Chung loves the “tactile” nature of film and wanted to make sure the film looked “poetic.” The colors in this film do justice to the dramatic earthy tones of the Midwest and the twisters look and sound like the open maw of a monster ready to devour whatever is in its path. Cinematographer Dan Mindel (Mission: Impossible III,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2) shot it in glorious Panavision. This is a must-see on the big screen. The swelling score by Benjamin Wallfisch buttresses scenes of distress, chaos, and cataclysm. Silence is also an instrument of mood in the film.
With a story by Joseph Kosinski and script by Mark L. Smith (The Boys in the Boat, The Revenant), Twisters has a story that is timely and entertaining. Characters are an intricate part of the plot and Kate and Tyler are tornado whisperers, together and apart. Glen Powell’s success hasn’t been overnight. He’s been acting for over twenty years and has proven he’s not just another pretty face but an actor of many faces – hero, cad, charmer. As Tyler, it seems he also has a larger-than-life presence on the big screen. Daisy Edgar-Jones is absolutely magnetic as tornado chaser Kate who’s not only smart but emotionally connected to the weather. She glows whenever she’s on screen.
Sometimes the film is a little exhausting, akin to a thrill ride. The viewer is meant to feel like they’re in the middle of the action and that can be overwhelming at times. But every scene isn’t action-packed. It does give the audience a chance to breathe.
This is a blockbuster with just the right amount of substance. It never becomes too preachy, though it takes its topic seriously. There are also moments of levity, primarily provided by Powell and Ramos, who are both vying for Kate’s affection. The movie is an endearing ode to old-fashioned disaster flicks that had romance at the center and it’s a legacy sequel that delivers. It’s sweet, it’s exciting, it’s a visual feast.
Universal Pictures’ Twisters opens in Theaters on July 19.
Sonya Alexander started off her career training to be a talent agent. She eventually realized she was meant to be on the creative end and has been writing ever since. As a freelance writer she’s written screenplays, covered film, television, music and video games and done academic writing. She’s also been a script reader for over twenty years. She's a member of the African American Film Critics Association and currently resides in Los Angeles.
