‘Twisters’ Movie Review: Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell’s ‘Disaster Flick’ Has One Strong Asset – Likeable Human Characters! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Twisters Movie Review: The 1996 film Twister was all about chasing tornadoes and measuring them for our ragtag heroes, led by Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton. For its 2024 sequel, Twisters, it is now about taming the tornadoes, at least for its protagonist Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones). Lee Isaac Chung of Minari fame fulfils the perfunctory quota of an indie filmmaker directing a Hollywood blockbuster as he helms this sequel, which may not follow the OG characters from the 1996 film unless you consider the tornadoes as one. Of that, there is plenty in the obviously-titled Twisters. ‘Twisters’ Movie Review: Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Disaster-Thriller Isn’t Stormy Enough To Win All Critics, See What They Have to Say!

Twisters begins with a solid opening act. Kate, who has a natural skill for predicting which tornadoes will hit where and how severe they will be, loses most of her team members, including her boyfriend, when a tornado they were chasing turns out to be more devastating than expected. Five years later, Kate has left tornado chasing behind and settled into a desk job at a meteorology department. She is then visited by Javi (Anthony Ramos), her only surviving teammate from that disastrous expedition.

Javi has a proposal for her - he has got his hands on some military-grade apparatus that can scan tornadoes to predict their behaviour better, and he wants Kate on his team. Kate is obviously reluctant to return back in the storm's eye, but as it goes in these films, it hardly takes a scene for her to join Javi's team as they head off to Oklahoma, where there is a reported outbreak of tornadoes.

Watch the Trailer of 'Twisters':

Javi's team is not the only one chasing the twisters; a group of YouTube enthusiasts from Arkansas, calling themselves the Tornado Wranglers and led by the flashy Tyler (Glen Powell), are also on the hunt. They are more interested in sending firecrackers up the tornadoes. Kate and Tyler start off as rivals, but as they encounter more tornadoes, they begin to appreciate and respect each other's work.

'Twisters' Movie Review - The Tropes Haven't Blown Away!

The 1996 film Twister was a fun, cheesy disaster film that prioritised thrilling action over character development, relying on the likeable charm of its two leads and an exciting third act. It was released during the '90s, a time when disaster flicks like Independence Day, Volcano, and Armageddon were box office hits, and Twister also struck gold.

The once-popular disaster genre has waned in recent years, and the main criticism is that Hollywood isn't innovating much. On that note, Twisters doesn't bring any game-changing innovations. It features familiar tropes, such as characters miraculously surviving seemingly fatal situations and a main character experiencing a change of heart at the right moment, landing exactly where needed.

Logic may need to be suspended in certain scenes. I am no tornado wrangler, but I question how drilling your vehicle into the muddy ground keeps it intact in the eye of a storm. Also, if your area is expected to be hit by a barrage of tornadoes for 36 hours, as the news constantly reminds us, why are people holding rodeo contests and junior baseball leagues instead of evacuating?

'Twisters' Movie Review - Engaging Character Development Midst The Tornado-Wrangling

All flaws aside, I still managed to enjoy Twisters, perhaps even better than the first film, even if I missed the flying cows. A major reason for that is how the film treats the main characters. Instead of reducing them to two-dimensional clichés, Twisters takes a cue from the best recent disaster film, Godzilla Minus One, and adds enough depth to the protagonists to make them likeable and worth rooting for. Daisy Edgar-Jones's Kate is ultimately the hero of the piece, no matter how charming you find Powell's toothy smile, and it is her story from the beginning to the end. If she is bound by her failure in the opening act that inadvertently killed her friends, the movie does a good job of building up on her redemption arc, with Jones bringing about the right amount of stoicism and vulnerability to the role.

If Twisters were made in the '90s, a character like Tyler would have been a casualty if he wasn't the hero. In hindsight, he could have ruined the film if his alpha-masculinity were played up like Chris Pratt's Owen Grady in the Jurassic World movies. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Twisters pokes holes in Tyler's confidence without making him a turnoff. He complements Kate's serious demeanour without overshadowing her, and there are times when he needs rescuing by her. In a film filled with noisy tornadoes, the quieter moments, like the time they spend at Kate's mum's house, where they bond, are where Twisters shines the most.

Anthony Ramos' Javi addresses a criticism of the first film: why was Cary Elwes' character treated as a villain for taking corporate sponsorships? The answer is simple: Corporations... BAD. Never ming the irony that Twisters is backed by Warner Bros, infamous for writing off movies as tax breaks.

Not all human characters are well-written. Katy O'Brian, the breakout star of this year's Love Lies Bleeding, hardly gets to do much, while David Corenswet, our future Superman, is relegated to being the resident douchebag role as Javi's corporate-minded partner who also hardly gets to do much except being curt. Love Lies Bleeding Movie Review: Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian's Noir Film is Sexy, Savage and Nerve-Wracking.

Twisters has increased the body count; the first film had only three onscreen deaths, while the sequel has three deaths in the opening act alone, with more to come. However, Twisters doesn't treat these deaths as mere 'disaster porn'; you genuinely don't want these characters to die, which is a refreshing change.

As for the film's recreation of the tornadoes, the special effects are incredibly well done. The opening scene, the tornado scene after the rodeo, and the third act are particularly nail-biting.

'Twisters' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Twisters successfully revives the spirit of the original while introducing enough fresh elements to stand on its own. Despite some familiar genre tropes and moments requiring a suspension of disbelief, the film shines with its strong character development, relying heavily on Edgar-Jones and Powell's lovely chemistry, impressive special effects, and engaging storyline.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2024 12:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).