MOVIE SCENE CANADA
TWISTERS
I Universal Pictures Canada I July 19, 2024 I 122 mins. I
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78%
* As of 7/18/24
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, David Corenswet, Kiernan Shipka, Anthony Ramos,
Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane
Directed By: Lee Isaac Chung
Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.
REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus - 7/16/24
RATING 5 out of 5
Twisters sets down with one exhilarating, astonishing and highly entertaining film that captures the magic of the disaster genre, anchored by two magnificent lead performances from Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell and mesmerizing visual effects, resulting in the summer blockbuster experience of the year!
Back in the summer of 1996, one disaster film took the box office by storm… quite literally. Twister opened and instantly became a success, delivering an exciting summer blockbuster experience with a strong cast led by the remarkable pairing of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, with producers Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy and director Jan de Bont, hot off his success of Speed. And almost thirty years later, the film remains to delight audiences with one of the most entertaining disaster films ever made thanks to its incredible practical effects that put both the cast and audiences in the middle of the storm. It’s truly surprising that no sequel was officially announced until 2020, and after passing on a pitch from the star of the original Hunt, the studio landed with Minari director Lee Issac Chung, a story from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, and a cast of the hottest up and coming stars in Hollywood led by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. And the results are nothing short of a dazzling summer blockbuster of the highest degree, delivering a phenomenal legacy sequel that ranks among the greats like Top Gun: Maverick and Mad Max: Fury Road that is going to blow the roofs off of cinemas this summer!
If they weren’t already movie stars, Powell and Edgar-Jones have just cemented themselves as such! Their unbelievable chemistry lights up the screen as their two characters head directly into the storm. What starts off as a fun rivalry, fuelled by their characters’ intelligence and initial gut reactions to each other with tons of fun moments as they try to out-perform each, quickly becomes something more. As the story progresses, the connection deepens as each realizes there is more to the other than meets the eye, resulting in strong chemistry that lets both actors cook in their individual performances. Powell oozes pure charm as Tyler Owens, the tornado wrangler, capturing the pretentious internet clout chaser that Edgar-Jones’ Kate initially sees. What makes his character truly shine is the good natured, down to Earth individual who has a deep sense of community and desire to protect, despite his danger seeking habits. It allows Powell to channel his real life goodness that has made him one of the most popular young actors in the business. Edgar-Jones captures the spirit of Hunt’s Jo from the original, bringing an incredible intelligence and natural talent for sensing storms to life in every scene. Grappling with her character’s past trauma from the last tornado she chased, Edgar-Jones takes her character on a cathartic and heroic journey over the film, ensuring that the audience instantly becomes invested in the story from the first scene. The talent does not stop with Edgar-Jones and Powell, with a terrific supporting cast that features Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, Harry Haden-Patton, Daryl McCormack, Sasha Lane and a scene stealing Brandon Perea, but nothing can distract from the star wattage of Edgar-Jones and Powell. If Hollywood doesn’t recognize them as bona fide movie stars after Twisters, I don’t know what will!
Following up your small, independent Academy Award winning film with a massive, studio summer blockbuster is a bold move, but Chung proves himself one versatile filmmaker, delivering one of the best blockbuster experiences of the year. There are lots of quiet, beautiful shots throughout the film showing the American Midwest with sweeping shots of grass and clouds as the storm brews off in the distance, capturing the majestic scale of mother nature that evokes the tenderness of his previous thepchase the storms, Chung kicks the film into overdrive. Shot on location in Oklahoma during tornado season, there is a ferocity to the film from its stunning visuals and practical effects that plunge the cast and the audience into the middle of the storm. It’s an exhilarating experience brought to life by impeccable sound design that captures the destructive and powerful nature of the titular twisters, ensuring that the audience feels the mighty, sheer power of this weather event to elevate your heartbeat. The set pieces leap right off the screen, starting with that excellent opening sequence, and all culminating in that jaw dropping and absolutely terrifying final act sequence that sums up the definition of a blockbuster with one heart pounding thrill ride, evoking true movie magic at every turn. Needless to say, Chung has conjured up one storm that you do not want to miss.
While it is Edgar-Jones, Powell and Chung’s direction that takes Twisters to new heights to become one thrilling theatrical experience, it is Joseph Kosinski’s story that is the beating heart of the film. There is an undeniable love of the original film as you watch these two groups of storm chasers jump into their trucks and chasing storms, the science of trying to better understand tornadoes in an effort to stop them just like Hunt and Paxton’s characters, the appearance of Dorothy in the opening scene, and the naming of the film’s new tornado measuring technology that callbacks to one of cinema’s most iconic twisters. While Kosinski captures that epic and old school summer blockbuster in every scene with his story that captures the adrenaline rush of storm chasing, fueled by the budding romance between Kate and Tyler, his story places a great emphasis on America as a nation. There is the strong love of America with Powell’s Tyler Owens embodying the thrill and fame seeking nature that can be associated with the modern American Dream, but it also captures America’s great resilience. The devastation left in the wake of tornadoes takes centre stage, showing the effects on everyday citizens and the greed of corporate overlords, but also the strength of the community looking out for each other in these times of peril. It is one piece that was missing from the original film that elevates this sequel, making for one gripping legacy sequel full of emotional stakes that will have you holding your breath in fear during the final act, watching with great anticipation to see if our main characters are going to survive the storm.
In the words of Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens, “if you feel it, CHASE IT!” It has been a long time since audiences have been treated to such an outstanding disaster film, but Twisters rejuvenates the genre with one heart pounding, grandiose blockbuster experience that calls back to the genre’s finest films. Paying homage to both the original fan favourite and the disaster genre, director Lee Isaac Chung displays his sheer might as a filmmaker, delivering one gripping theatrical experience with technicals so powerful, that it is sure to rip the roof off your local cinema as you enter the storm. Led by the dynamic and sensational duo of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell who do exactly what movie stars are meant to do, while Lee Isaac Chung’s masterful direction and Joseph Kosinski’s intelligent story fuel the storm for one whirlwind cinematic experience that is going to take the summer movie season by storm, Twisters is the epitome of a blockbuster full of thrilling set pieces, incredible visual effects work, and unabashed entertainment from start to finish.