Review: Twisters
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Alright, let’s get something straight before we even begin here. I am not a fan of the nineties Twister.
It is a truly odd movie that seems to centre on eating food more than it has any need to. I didn’t get the hype behind it. Full disclosure: I also watched it for the first time two weeks ago. So, in fairness, badly CGI’d flying cows had well and truly no novelty for me. But back in 1996 it was a mega huge hit, I understand that.
I say all of this so that you might be inclined to believe I have no bias when I say that Twisters is not your parents’ tornado movie. They have really borrowed the name, the erratic driving, the tornados and that’s about it. This truly is a fresh and really fun take on the Helen Hunt classic.
The story centres on Kate (played by the ever-talented Daisy Edgar-Jones), a meteorological prodigy who is determined to ‘solve’ tornados. Which when you think about it, is both a noble pursuit and well overdue for science. So, kudos to you Kate. Her methods are a tad, shall we say, hands-on. Apparently getting to the bottom of tornados unfortunately requires standing at the bottom of active tornados, like a lot. Along the way Kate meets plenty of storm-chasing friends. Like the original film, there are competing Storm Squads, but this time one of them is led by Glen Powell.
Everyone, hold on to your cowboy hats, we are now living in the Power Powell era. It started in Anyone But You and now we have liftoff. I think this Glen guy could be a hit. He plays Tyler, the cliched ‘renegade cowboy YouTube star idiot that is actually a PhD candidate weather genius ex-bull rider’. You know, that old stereotype. He puts in a solid outing and wears a tight white tee in the rain, because… money.
The special effects are truly phenomenal and it is clear to see that for what we haven’t learned since 1996 about tornados, we’ve made up for in what we’ve learned about computer graphics. This is a disaster movie that really makes you feel the danger. The destruction doesn’t feel senseless. There are stakes and that makes for compelling action sequences.
As much as I enjoyed this film, there are still a few questions that will not be answered by even repeat viewings of Twisters. For example, how do a bunch of people drive convoys of storm-chasing vehicles across hectares of private property in one of the most gun-friendly states in the US with no interference? Also, how much country music is too much country music? Maybe for the current cultural moment we’re in, there isn’t such a thing.
Twisters isn’t going to walk away with a Best Picture nomination, but that was never ever its job. Its job is to be a fun escape for two hours and it more than delivers on that deal. Some great performances by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen ‘He’s happening!’ Powell and Anthony Ramos leave you feeling no ill will to some plotline shenanigans. But there is infinitely more to like than loathe in this epic movie and truly terrible commercial for Oklahoma tourism.
The author saw Twisters as a guest of Limelight Cinemas. Imagery courtesy of Limelight Cinemas.
