photo credit: Shiv Majmudar
Well folks, I’m back. Classes are back in session, and so is this column. I had a great summer. I spent it reading and writing all sorts of stuff, watching a movie or two, and travelling to lots of beautiful places. Before I knew it, I was back at school, missing summer and all the things that came with it. Excitement, thrill, and. . . tornadoes?
No, I didn’t get caught up in a natural disaster. But I did watch a really good movie.
In many ways, 2024’s “Twisters” is the quintessential summer movie. Who doesn’t love a disaster flick with stormy weather and charismatic actors? With a plot that manages to be both immensely predictable yet gripping, you have to hate fun in order to not like “Twisters”. We can pow-wow about the script, the unsurprising ending, and the fact that it’s another (standalone) sequel to an older movie. But regardless of what you think, I had a good time. Here’s why.
The film opens with a flashback from five years prior, a group of five storm chasers led by protagonist Katie, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones. They attempt to stop the tornado by releasing sodium-something into the atmosphere (don’t quiz me on the science in this movie. The point is, they tried to create a magical solution to get rid of the big scary tornado). Anyways, their plan goes horribly wrong. Three of the five are killed, blown away by the storm in a rousing opening sequence. Katie survives along with Javi (played by Anthony Ramos), who watches from a distance.
Five years later, and still traumatized by the accident, Katie is living in New York, far away from the Tornado Alley that claimed the lives of her friends. Javi persuades her to come back and test his new tornado-detecting radar, which he and a group of storm chasers have developed to aid the battered region of Oklahoma where the movie takes place. Katie is drawn by the chance of saving lives, like any good heroine would be, and accepts her friends offer.
At this point, the film kicks into high gear. Lifted by the charisma of Glen Powell, “Twisters” becomes a truly enjoyable experience. Powell plays Tyler Owens, known as the “Tornado Wrangler,” a popular YouTube storm-chaser. The character brings some wild, free-wheeling rodeo bravado to a film that sure needed it. The uptight professionalism of Katie and the other storm chasers hilariously contrasts with the reckless, cocky style of Tyler and his buddies. The movie is funny, thrilling, and loud. It is everything you’d want from a summer movie. In the middle of a tornado outbreak (which is a thing, I guess?), Katie and Tyler unite their teams to save an Oklahoma town. The movie teases romance between the two but keeps it subtle. It mostly remains a rip-roaring survival flick. Director Lee Isaac Chung offers a splendid spinoff to 1996’s original. “Twisters”delivers on its promise. You very much get what you paid for. “Twisters” promised to be an entertaining disaster film, and along with keeping that promise, it delivers a bit extra. With shining performances from Powell and Edgar-Jones, “Twisters”is as good as forecasted. It is a stormy piece of entertainment. The verdict? Eight dollars well spent.
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