An homage to its 1996 predecessor “Twister,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “TWISTERS” is a modern reboot worth chasin’ into a theater (on the biggest screen near you). It’s a turn-your-brain-off disaster movie, sure, but a great time nonetheless.
“TWISTERS” sets up an entirely new cast from the original — a film I remember begging my parents to play on repeat as an eight-year-old — but it still captures the same spirit and layers. The director Chung grew up in Westville, OK, and has a respect for nature which comes across in the film. It’s a movie, but it’s also an homage to community, humanitarianism, and nods to science. “It’s all about home. It’s all about this mutual love of the way everyone looks up in the sky with reverence and awe,” said Glen Powell, one of the leading actors. Too, many of the background actors are real-life storm chasers, so some cast members had the opportunity to chase real tornadoes while filming.
The plot revolves around a primary goal to disrupt tornadoes during a once-in-a-generation tornado outbreak across the state. After a fatal attempt in the field five years prior, we meet Kate Cooper (played by an adorably convincing Daisy Edgar-Jones) who relinquished her storm chaser days and is now a city-girl meteorologist. Predictably, an old friend Javi (the multi-talented Anthony Ramos) scouts her out to help him gather more data to improve tornado warnings. Kate promises him a week.
Back in Oklahoma they meet Tyler Owens (screen-stealer Glen Powell), the leader of a rowdy crowd known by Javi’s team as “hillbillies with a YouTube channel.” Owens goes by the moniker “Tornado Wrangler” and sells t-shirts with “Not My First Tornadeo” on them to his one million subscribers — but he’s not just a thrill junkie with a camera: turns out Owens has a scientific background too. He’s just a little bit more buttoned-down. His team includes Lily, their “eyes in the sky;” Boone, who handles social media; and Dexter and Dani, the heart of their operations.
“TWISTERS” boasts a genuine onscreen chemistry between its cast, and if you’re a country music fan you’ll be in good company. Beyond that, there’s plenty of eerie and devastating action scenes that hold your attention while showcasing how powerful forces of nature can be. It may not win “Best Picture,” but it’s mindlessly entertaining and boot kickin’ fun.
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Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Actors: Daisy-Edgar Jones, Sasha Lane, Brandon Perea, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Kiernan Shipka
Run Time: 122 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Intense Action & Peril, Some Language, and Injury Images
