When Twisters’ teaser trailer was released during the Super Bowl this year, you might have laughed at its title. “Just add an ‘S’ and we’re done?” And yes, it would be enough to make the blood boil of every highbrow cinephile to see Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and Glen Powell; three leading actors known for their daring choices in projects becoming a part of a big-budget summer popcorn’s pseudo-sequel to Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures’ tag-team blockbuster from nearly thirty years ago.
But don’t worry about that. In addition, let us recall that Twister is worth revisiting even if you are not inclined towards watching this new version. No, Helen Hunt or late Bill Paxton or Philip Seymour Hoffmann will be seen in Twisters; however, the new onscreen additions provide surprisingly layered performances that have been largely undermined by the marketing trailers released so far. Is Glen Powell wearing a cowboy hat in those previews? So is he performing as Top Gun: Maverick but wearing different clothes now? Well incidentally it seems that Tom Cruise loves Twisters already. You probably will too. It is like a classic summer blockbuster movie.
Twisters proved much more successful than other flagship reboots done by Universal Pictures such as Jurassic franchise for instance. Particularly since Jurassic world I felt it got overly campy and “fun,” causing me to expect teenage characters and good-looking main actors are not going to succumb to dinosaurs.
Years later came “Twister.” From the very beginning it showed long opening scenes where no one could predict who would survive the first tornadoes while some won’t ever dare describe them. With terror Kate (Edgar-Jones) chases tornadoes with her motley crew on what appears as lost mission because she wants to test her expensive gadgets which can stop some cyclones if implemented properly and at a right time.
Afterwards, the story skips five years where Javi, Kate’s old friend and co-worker (Anthony Ramos who is reliably sharp) locating her to see if she would consider “chasing” again despite their tragedy five years ago. At this point enters Glen Powell—the next Cary Grant of Hollywood—and he breathes life into the spirit of the first film. It seems that there is a competition in tornado chasing out there as even Tyler Owens (Powell) an invented YouTube star referred to himself as a professional “wrangler”.
Owens is not the only person present when Kate returns back home to Oklahoma with Javi for his new job – collecting data on tornados secretly commissioned by a corrupt power player. While he has also found himself at the same place where Cary Elwes hitched Helen Hunt down all through 1996 movie original because he quickly learned that she had a special gift for premonition these funnel clouds brewing close to them.
It all seems like fairly conventional storytelling, and it is, really. Moreover, as is par for the course with these kinds of blockbusters, the build-up for the climax could’ve been cut short by around a quarter of an hour or so. But then it all wraps up by getting extremely forgiving within a harrowing conclusion that becomes surprisingly meta (you’ll understand) and takes place in Oklahoma where another tornado hits the already doomed town.
There are some clever little twists in this film that may make you want to punch your fist through the screen. In most parts, there’s nothing but relentless entertainment; if you can’t manage to get hold of IMAX experience, at least spare your time and watch this monster piece in theaters. You may not believe it when you see that Lee Isaac Chung directed Twisters – his first big-budget attempt after breakout success stories like Minari (2020), which made its way through the awards circuit. Did he have what it took? Our answer will be yes.
Also, Twisters has a story credit from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. However whether they were involved at stages like these or not directing is beside the point because some amazing shots and stunning visuals bring us right into it – just try yelling “green screen” during any scene here!
Chung has good chemistry with cinematographer Dan Mindel who has often worked as J.J. Abrams’ DP on Star Trek II and III as well as his other Star Wars movies and Mission Impossible III. The shaky frames with handheld cameras capture those nail-biting moments when you think some of them may die from natural disasters while hoping they won’t because most of them are really likable actors anyhow; even if not all viewers dislike haters—on whom Powell doesn’t waste her time at all—and still find her eyes sparkling on covers of magazines such as this one!
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