The director of “Twisters,” Lee Isaac Chung, is no Jan de Bont, who called the shots on the original “Twister” in 1996. This storm chasers actioner is not as showy, even though social media star Tyler, played by Glen Powell (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Hit Man”) fancies himself as a tornado wrangler. His ego is as big as the gathering dark clouds. He even has a picture of himself on his T-shirt.
Also, in this one the storm chasers are extremely juvenile and immature. They run around like high school kids. Kate, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Marianne in the TV miniseries “Normal People”), is recruited by high school acquaintance Javi (Anthony Ramos) to join the storm chasers.
I liked “Twisters” but I didn’t love it. It’s a definite must for the big screen because of the amazing special visual effects. In the original “Twister,” the characters were watching “The Shining” at the drive-in when the tornado tore up the screen. In lieu of that kind of tornado hit, the sequel features something less grandiose. The storm chasers are in an indoor theater watching James Whale’s classic “Frankenstein” of 1931.
These characters must have good credit card limits. They don’t seem all that concerned about feeding their automobiles to the rampaging storms that rumble across Oklahoma.
Kate has a good relationship with her mom, Cathy, played by Maura Tierney, recently on screen in the wrestling drama “The Iron Claw.” Their relationship is explored between storms to show that the characters are not superheroes, but regular folks. One good thing about “Twisters” is that the characters take time to warn residents of the pending doom.
I expect to see Powell in important leading roles to come. He has the it factor and has shown versatility. He’s not just another pretty face.
This is a definite movie-theater adventure. Get up off the couch and find a big screen to see this one.
Grade: B-
