Twisters

Twisters is odd because it's not really a sequel to the original Twister (1996), nor is it a remake. It's its own thing. And that's kind of a good thing. This film is highly predictable, which takes away a lot of the suspense, but it still manages to present a few exciting moments. Also, I expected the visual effects to far surpass the ones from the 90s, but they honestly seem about the same. And there are far too many characters for me to care about any of them individually, except for Glen Powell, who is a whirlwind of charisma. Even with all its eye-rolling moments, I enjoyed watching Twisters.

I love disaster movies and Twister (1996) is one of my all-time favourites. It embodies the 90s, and although cheesy, it's a total comfort movie.

I was really excited for Twisters and the trailers looked like it would live up to the hype. Seeing this tonight I couldn't help but compare the two movies and feel disappointed. Twisters isn't bad, it's just bland.

Jan De Bont had a captivating style of directing with big aerial shots and practical action scenes that worked with the relatively new CGI back in '96. The cast was also stellar (especially Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cary Elwes etc). Twisters at times feels like a caricature of the previous film's characters but uninteresting and not particularly likeable. Daisy Edgar-Jones does a great job and there's decent chemistry between her and Glen Powell (albeit not to the same extent of Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt).

Mark Mancina's score was one of the best action scores of the 90s and I was really looking forward to at least a reference, but unfortunately we only get a generic score from Benjamin Wallfisch. I do rate the solid country soundtrack though.

What are the good things about Twisters? The set pieces are on point - especially the rodeo and finale in the town. The effects are amazing and there's a couple moments of spectacle. I think if you haven't seen (or aren't a huge fan) of the original, you'll probably appreciate this one a lot more.

Have you noticed an epidemic of movies that don't take themselves seriously? They often involve knowing looks/winks at the camera and meta-jokes that break the fourth wall. (And maybe a Ryan Reynolds appearance.) Twisters is not that. In fact, it is the opposite of that. Twisters is a throwback to when summer blockbusters just went for it, and it is ridiculous in all the best ways. This movie builds on what made the original Twister fun, dials all of it up to 11, and makes absolutely zero apologies for it. Not coincidentally, I had an absolute blast. Everybody who walked into that theater knew what they were signing up for, and we all got it. Not only that, but these characters were way more well rounded than the original, so I understood their choices and cared more when the winds started swirling. It isn't perfect, and it certainly strains credulity throughout, but it was a thrill ride that treated its setting, characters, and audience like they deserved some respect. What's not to like about that?

PS - Powell and Edgar-Jones were absolutely tailor-made for this one.

Recently saw the 90s version with the same title starring Hunt & Paxton which was an epic disaster thriller. It was better than this one in every sense be it casting, acting, emotional connect or gravity & intensity of scenes. One thing though seemed to have improved is the visual effects and why not, it's been 30 years since the previous one got released. It's the least they could have done.

Kate, a former tornado chaser is lured back to study a series of tornados expected to hit Oklahoma. Still haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years, she crosses paths with fearless Tyler Owens, a modern day tornado chaser cum blogger and his awesome team. In 1996 version they had this alert system called Dorothy which was supposed to track the nature of the tornado. In this film they go next level to mitigate the tornado itself.

Daisy Edgar Jones looks great but disappoints with her portrayal of Kate. Her performance lacked the vigor and magnitude that Hunt's character had. Glen Powell carries the whole movie with his ever-charming role. Though this movie lacked the thrill that the other Twister had, maybe because of the better cast involved in the earlier installment, current version excels in the visual department. Those Tornados looked realistically awesome on the big screen.

I want to keep this brief because there really isn't so much to say about this film. The plot is beat to death, with the emotional and plot pivot beats being as predictable as a marvel movie. The film doesn't take itself all that seriously, which is certainly an upside considering how mediocre it is. Every now and then the humor is pretty good and Glen Powell's performance easily is the best out of the two leads. One huge shining mark for the film are the gorgeous wide shot visuals and awesome destruction and effects of the tornados. They did a great job of capturing the beauty of the American midwest.

Beisdes these things, it is an entirely predictable and forgettable film about finishing the job after a haunting tragedy. Despite how average it was, I still enjoyed the film, at least enough for a random Wednesday.