Sigh. These days, movie studios don’t seem to trust their instincts when it comes to creating completely new stories. It feels like every new movie that is released is either a remake or a sequel to a much better film. Even when a studio sticks its neck out for something that is fresh and original, they try to find an IP that will give the new movie some clout even when it will do just fine on its own. At first, that seems to be the case with Twisters; the so-called sequel to 1996’s Twister. The logo looks the same, it has the same vibe, and the two main stars look suspiciously like a younger Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. But Twisters isn’t really a sequel. It’s more of a spiritual cousin.
Besides the subject matter, there is very little to tie the two films together. There’s not even a flying cow. The events that take place in the new movie do happen after the first movie and the film does share some of the same DNA, but the only “character” to reappear in the film is “Dorothy.” Not the girl from Kansas, but the technology that Jo and Bill used in the first film which helped with tornado research. In fact, the very same container that carries the dozens of round weather sensors is along for the ride (although, it is never revealed how she got there), so apparently this younger generation are using the same technology.
Once a wide-eyed and excited college student bent on changing the world, Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) now spends her days studying storm patterns in New York, far away from her twister-chasing days. She tells herself that she’s happy, but it isn’t what she really wants to do. And then, out of the blue, she receives a visit from Javi (Anthony Ramos) a former researcher and friend she knew in college (Anthony Ramos). He wants her to come back, just for one week, to see if together they can use what they learned six years earlier in hopes of saving the lives of others by “taming” the tornados. And possibly making a little money at the same time. Reluctantly, she agrees.
As it turns out, tornado chasing is still as popular as it was back in 1996. Groupies are still risking their lives by following the storms and leading the pack is the “tornado wrangler” Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). Tyler is an obnoxious social media star with a big ego, a large group of followers and lots of t-shirts to sell. He appears to care for no one but himself. Tyler relies on numbers to predict where the next twister is going to hit while Kate relies a lot more on instinct. Tyler is the polar opposite of Kate, so you know that they are destined to get together. But wait, what is the look on Javi’s face?
Like the movie that came before it, Twisters is a well-told, thriller that gets one’s adrenaline pumping. It’s not a mean-spirited disaster movie which finds inventive ways for its characters to get swept away. Except for a nasty cut on a leg, violence is pretty much nonexistent. This is an adventure story about noble heroes. Sure, there are some tones of romance, but that story takes a backseat from the action at hand. In short, Mark L. Smith’s script, which is based on a story by Joseph Kosinkski, follows in the footsteps of Michael Crichton (who wrote Twister along with Anne Marie Crichton) and even has a writer credit. Not only that, but Lee Isaac Chung’s directing style sort of mimics Jan de Bont’s. (He directed Twister).
The movie feels fresh, but nostalgic at the same time. It tells a similar story told many years later. It features a talented and likeable cast including David Corenswet (as Javi’s distrusting business partner), Harry Hadden-Paton (as Ben, the British journalist covering a story about Tyler) and Maura Tierney (where’s she been?) playing Kate’s supportive and loving mother, Cathy. The special effects and CGI are powerful, but not over-the-top. Okay, they get a little close in a couple of scenes, but hey, this is a disaster movie after all. I will say though, if you’ve seen the first movie, there isn’t much that will shock you this time around. But that’s okay. It’s still a great summertime popcorn movie which should be watched inside a theater.
Main Image: Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) (Universal Pictures)
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