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Movie Review: Twisters
30 years after the original Twister movie, Twisters blows into theatres only due to climate warming they have intensified leading to a once in a generation outbreak of angry tornadoes that wreak havoc across Oklahoma. The sequel’s opening clearly shows the dangers and violence; and sets the film off on a harrowing note that derails the lives and work of friends Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Javi (Anthony Ramos).
Fives years on and Kate now in New York is called back to Oklahoma and the eye of the storm by Javi who now has new technology to scan the behaviour of the tornadoes. However, this time they’re not alone, as a social-media-fuelled convoy of tornado chasers. The main cowboy is good looking Tyler (Glen Powell), who performs stunts like shooting fireworks up into tornadoes for YouTube likes and subscribes.
Tyler’s charisma and swagger is dialled way up along with his hill Billie friends who sell merchandise including T-shirts featuring his image over the slogan, “Not my first rodeo.” It’s not until Tyler dials down the showboating and shows genuine respect for Kate’s knowledge and natural gift to understand the behaviour of tornadoes that the couple connect to work together on trying to tame a tornado. Pouring Glen Powell into skin-tight white t-shirts and Western jeans certainly helps his case.
I felt they could’ve played up climate change into the increasing frequency of the violent storms tearing up America’s Tornado Alley but it was limited to a few passing comments. Having the tornado whip through a wind farm and through an oil refinery certainly added an extra level of drama. The movie does also touch on the ways in which wealthy business opportunists’ profit from the tragedies of ordinary Americans with just a hint of romance between Kate and Tyler intertwined.
Certainly, the advances in the last 30 years with CGI and special effects gives the storms more definition and visual drama to Director, Lee Isaac Chung's tornado thriller. Overall, it’s a fun movie and a good one to take the older kids and teenagers to.
Written by Liesje Bradley