Dog’s Movie House: “Twisters” Very Entertaining, But Lacking Something From The Original!

“Twisters” brings us back to Oklahoma during the most intense tormado outbreak in recent memory. After a disastrous experience five years earlier, climate scientist Katie (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is lured back into the field by her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) who now has corporate sponsorship and a whole bunch of new toys to help Katie achieve her goal of creating a way to disperse tornadoes from the inside. While in Oklahoma, Katie’s team runs into another team consisting of adrenaline junkies led by “tornado wrangler” Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). The two teams are forced to work together as the storm system intensifies and puts various towns in jeapordy. Romantic banter and mass destruction ensue.

“Twisters” is actually has a more rounded script than the original film, with lots of character beats that make the science-speak tolerable. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith does a great job of making us care about the characters and presenting most of the tornado action in a fairly believable manner. At first, the idea of having an indie director Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) helm a big summer action blockbuster, but the decision turns out to be a good one, with Chung adding a welcome does of humanity to the spectacular proceedings. He also directs the hell out of the set pieces, teaming with the ace special effects team to bring the most realistic-looking storms to life on the big screen.

The only issue I have with the screenplay is that many of the supporting characters don’t have a chance to make much of an impression. Unlike the original film, Katie and Tyler’s teams don’t have anyone that particularly stands out. There is no Alan Ruck or Phillip Seymour Hoffman to leave an indelible impression on the viewer. There aren’t any real villains like Cary Elwes Jonoh or the evil team of tornado chasers to boo during the film. Most of the heavy lifting falls to Ramos, Powell, and Edgar-Jones, so it’s a good thing these three are up to the task Ramos is good as the smooth talking Javi, whose new employer is not quite what he seems to be. Edgar-Jones does fine work as Katie, a woman who knows she’s the smartest person in the room but has to overcome her own doubts and her past to get the job done.

But the MVP of “Twisters” has got to be Glen Powell. The man is having a banner couple of years, starting with “Top Gun: Maverick” to the romantic hit “Anyone But You” and the Netflix hit “Hitman.” In “Twisters” Powell turns in another movie star quality performance, sharing great chemistry with Edgar-Jones and pretty much dominating the screen whenever he appears. Powell takes a character that could have been obnoxiously one-note and turns him into a wonderfully formed character Don’t let the trailers fool you: Tyler is much more than his cowboy persona suggests in the trailer.

The effects, of course, are top-notch, with an immersiveness that’s even better than the ground breaking work in the 1996 film. The sound design is also excellent, giving you the impression that you’re right in the middle of the storm. (the huge one at the end is particulary impressive.) But there is something missing and it has nothing to do with the film itself. Instead it’s all about first impressions and age at which one sees a film. I was twenty-four when “Twister” released and more easily impressed by the novelty of new computer technology. I’m fifty-two now and have seen every damn epic sci-fi movie released in the last 30 years and it’s admittedly colored my perception a bit.

There is also the way each director staged the tornadoes in their individual movies. Jan De Bont heightened the suspense by leveling up each tornado like a boss in a video game. The tornadoes were like characters themselves: wild animals that actively hunted the humans chasing them. Chung, on the other hand, takes a more naturalistic approach, treating the storms as impressive, but natural phenomenon that, while dangerous, simply exist in the natural order of things. It’s probably a more realistic approach but it robs the film of some of the over-the-top suspense and anticipation that made the original film so much fun.

That said, most of you fine folks haven’t seen as many movies as I have and (as I’ve been accused of in the past) I’m probably overthinking things. Most of you will enjoy “Twisters” as a fine example of how to do a legacy sequel, honoring the original while adding enough originality to make the film worth seeing, especially in big theater. 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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