TWISTERS – A Review by Jenn Rohm
1996 saw the release of one of my top five favorite movies – Twister. The give-and-take between Dr. Jo Harding, Helen Hunt, Bill Harding, and Bill Paxton, with classic quotes such as Jo “Do you want me to drive.” Bill “No!” Jo “Then, would you?” Or Dr. Melissa Reeves, Jami Gertz “I gotta go Julia, we got cows.” I watch this film several times a year, especially during storm/tornado season. Paxton was trying to get another movie made before he passed in 2017.
It is now 2024, and Twisters is being released on July 19. It is being called a sequel. To be clear (and as spoiler-free as possible), this is not a re-make or part II. The fundamental core of understanding tornadoes and wanting to reduce the destruction they create is at the heart of both films.
Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), along with her boyfriend Boone (Brandon Perea) and their friends Addy (Kiernan Shipka), Praveen (Nik Dodani), and Javi (Anthony Ramos) are young storm watchers working on obtaining a grant for tornado research. After an encounter with an F5 twister leading to injury and loss, we jump to 5 years later, where Kate is still monitoring storms from afar. She is in New York, where Javi tracks her down and asks her to be part of his business plan. Upon return to Oklahoma, we meet the crew Javi works with and in rolls YouTube sensation/tornado wrangler Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his crew of storm chasers.
Director Lee Isaac Chung brings a different perspective to the storms. With technological changes, it has a different look and feel than 1996. The storms are impressive, and their destruction is impactful. Having driven through towns, I know after a tornado had torn through less than 24 hours before, I found this film was more realistic, while 1996 felt like an overdesigned set. This is his first big blockbuster; he has made a good start.
The plot does have some gaps. The ten-year age gap between Kate and Tyler makes him seem a bit of a creeper in places. What Javi has been doing for the five-year gap with how he carries himself does not mesh 100%. While there aren’t any significant issues, just several little ones added up.
For the generation that does not know the original, I hope Twisters becomes the film for them that Twister is for me. I will watch this film again and purchase a copy when that becomes an option. It is a Summer Blockbuster and I look forward to seeing how well it does in ticket sales.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Written By: Mark L. Smith, Joseph Kosinski, Michael Crichton
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language, and injury images.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Selig Rating: 4 stars
Runtime: 1h 57m
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Trailer: Twisters official trailer
Website: Twisters website
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
