TWISTERS. This Really Spins Me Up! [REVIEW]

I won’t beat around the bush—Twisters pulled me straight into the eye of the cyclone, grabbed me by the throat, played on my emotions, and provided tons of excitement. I haven’t had this much fun at the cinema in a long time! It’s pure escapism, which makes it easy to forgive a few weaknesses. This is a blockbuster with a capital B, where shooting fireworks into the cyclone’s tail is one of the least crazy things the characters do. Importantly, the film has a good pace, builds tension very well, features a pair of likable main characters, and offers pure entertainment. So despite some clichés and tropes that we know well, it serves up a high-energy adventure at a high level. Lee Isaac Chung’s film is a worthy successor to the phenomenal Twister with Helen Hunt (why do I always confuse her with Jodie Foster?) and Bill Paxton. At the same time, it stands on its own and delivers a completely new, autonomous story.

Plot-wise, Twisters may not become a turning point for cinema. It’s another group of storm chasers using the latest technologies to uncover tornadoes’ secrets and tame nature’s power. Some have pure intentions, others seek fame and sensationalism, while still others try to fight their own demons by facing the source—the frenzied element. Among these crazies are Kate and Tyler, who share a fascination with some of the most dangerous catastrophic phenomena on earth. Initially… that’s all. Their rivalry, of course, turns into something entirely different, but (fortunately) Twisters is not about that. It’s primarily a spectacle, a true blockbuster feast for moviegoers seeking thrills, excitement, and adrenaline. Not everything succeeds here, but much is forgiven precisely because it delivers what is expected from such films in its category.

It’s hard to escape comparisons to the excellent 1996 production, which was outstanding in many ways—effects, pace, music, and storytelling. The screenwriting hand of Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton was evident. The creators of the sequel had two choices—lean into nostalgia with references to Jan de Bont’s film, or forge their own path. Thankfully, they chose the latter. As a result, we received a spiritual successor to a great film, which may not be as perfect as the original, but provides fantastic entertainment and a ton of sheer movie fun. Twisters’ success lies in wrapping very familiar patterns in genuinely fresh decorations of modern technology and interesting characters with good chemistry. While it may lack the constant sense of adrenaline and frantic energy of de Bont’s cult classic, a few scenes definitely surpass the Hollywood average.

To paraphrase a classic—let the energetic spectacle not overshadow the flaws, because they do exist. While Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell (give this guy a big dramatic role, and he will nail it, you’ll see!) steal the screen with their chemistry, the supporting cast is somewhat underutilized and mainly serves as props. The potential of the big villain Riggs and Javi’s team, with the grumpy guy played by the future Superman David Corenswet, was especially wasted. I was quite interested in his role in Twisters before the screening. Well, if the actor was supposed to show some versatility, he didn’t manage it this time. The plot is terribly predictable, which paradoxically… isn’t a flaw for me. Because such films are expected to follow a specific pattern, a kind of cathartic path. We want to experience certain emotions and share a bit of a crazy adventure with the main characters, then witness their transformation. And Chung and his team succeeded in that.

The biggest winners in Twisters remain the effects specialists. This is, after all, a film where the $200 million budget is evident. I’m not a big expert in recognizing and evaluating CGI work, but here I was impressed—both the tornadoes and explosions looked incredibly spectacular and realistic. The scenes of towns destroyed by typhoons made a huge impression on me. Several times I wondered: how did they do that? I must also mention the finale, which totally won my cinephile heart. It’s a great, metaphorically rich scene that takes place in a cinema. An absolutely iconic gothic horror film where lightning and storms play a huge role is being screened. You can probably guess which one. They completely won me over with that, and I nodded in approval, amused and content.

I sincerely hope that Twisters will restore the glory of the good old disaster film, because it proves that there is still great potential in the heavily exploited genre of the second half of the 20th century. It’s great, fresh, and spectacular cinema, which has been somewhat lacking in recent years. It resonates with me especially at a time when we are experiencing such drastic climate changes in the contemporary world that many similar productions are becoming… a terrifying reality.