I have fond memories of the impact of Twister (1996), starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.
Even though, plot points may differ, I felt like I was getting a repeat dose of the fundamentals in Twisters.
It is a special effects movie, with romance thrown in for good measure.
Perhaps it will resonate more strongly with those that haven’t seen the earlier film.
What we have here is a young female tornado chaser, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones – Where the Crawdads Sing) full of life and energy.
The research scientist is out on the hunt with four colleagues (they are looking for a government grant) when everything goes awry, with disastrous consequences.
Her world implodes and five years later she is in a safe meteorological office job in New York.
That is when one of her former colleagues, Javi (Anthony Ramos – In The Heights) comes calling.
She hasn’t done any tornado chasing since that fateful day and, at first, she readily dismisses Javi’s new overture.
But she is drawn back in when Javi reveals to her an exciting new 3D tracking system.
The idea is to help save lives, but there is more at play than at first meets the eye.
To bring added tension to the situation, tornado chasing is certainly not only the domain of Kate, Javi and his crew.
Another party with a vested interest is Tyler Owens (Glen Powell – Anyone But You).
He is reckless, a cowboy in the field, who documents his exploits.
With his posse, he has become a YouTube sensation.
Initially, Kate gives his short shrift, but she discovers that there is another layer to him.
Soon, the lives of many, including Kate, Tyler and Javi are at stake as a massive tornado descends upon central Oklahoma.
Twisters and devastation go hand in glove and so it is on screen.
Buildings, cars and people are dismantled and dispensed with like confetti, giving the filmmakers plenty of visual latitude.
Kate Cooper suffering PTSD and effectively withdrawing from her former life … including from her mother is an effective enough device.
But I didn’t feel the film, written by Mark L. Smith (The Boys in the Boat), gave me anything that I wasn’t expecting. There are no great shocks or surprises.
In other words, it is predictable, with director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) also playing it safe.
The performances are fine, but little more than that.
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays a sympathetic character, one with a strong conscience.
With a smirk on his face for much of the film, Powell goes for roguish sex appeal, while Ramos, as Javi, is left playing second fiddle.
Featuring a strong score, Twisters is a Hollywood popcorn movie that those looking to lose themselves in glossy lightweight entertainment should enjoy.
Rated M, it scores a 6½ out of 10.
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