The surprise of summer 2024 is that “Twisters” checks off nearly every item on the punch list, more than deserving of the sequel nobody asked for. Diehard fans of the 1996 original “Twister” may be disappointed that there are no poorly digitized flying cows this time around. The new movie is nice enough to not let you down at all, but you might be too busy dodging flying trucks, RVs, streetcars and movie screens showing the original 1931 “Frankenstein” to notice.
Whereas “Twister” was a remarriage story disguised as a disaster movie, “Twisters” is primarily a wind-tunnel romantic comedy. Young meteorologist Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is revealed early on to have the same supernatural powers for approaching tornadoes that Bill Paxton had in the original, but that doesn’t stop the tragedy that befalls her team in the field and involves a cast of talented young actors.
Five years later, Kate is persuaded to leave her desk job in New York and return to Oklahoma by fellow survivor Javi (Anthony Ramos), whose sponsor wants to test out some questionable new radar technology and needs Kate’s wind nose. One obvious change since 1996 is that the internet and YouTube have spawned an army of amateur storm-chasing weather “influencers,” to the detriment of the experts. Leading the way is Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a self-proclaimed “tornado wrangler,” a snobby cowboy who leads a rag-tag team of hard-living, drone-flying, tattooed misfits.
Kate is high-strung, Tyler is laid-back. It’s a familiar trope, but it’s fun when the actors are up to it, and these two are. Edgar Jones (Normal People, The Crawdad’s Thing) is a forthright, intelligent presence who cuts through the mayhem and shows traces of Kate’s PTSD. She’s not an F5 force of nature like Helen Hunt was in the first film, but the role isn’t written that way.
Anyway, the microburst here is her co-star. Powell has been tipped as the next big thing this year, and there’s a reason for that: he is. Anyone who saw Richard Linklater’s “The Hitman” in theaters (still on Netflix, so check it out) knows that. And while the romantic chemistry in “Twisters” isn’t as extraordinary as that film, it’s plenty fun, especially when Tyler dials down his arrogance and Kate ramps up her expertise. As an actor, Powell combines wit, confidence and decency in a way that’s more welcome than refreshing. He’s like Chris Evans with a few sharper reflexes. Can he do heavy drama? I don’t care. He can, and he can do it brilliantly.
The supporting cast doesn’t quite exude “that guy” energy as much as they did in the 1996 original. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cary Elwes, Todd Field, Alan Ruck, etc. But the cast also includes Hollywood alumni Katie O’Brien (Love Lies Bleeding), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Brandon Perea (Nope) and the thankfully sane Maura Tierney as Kate’s mother.
I’d love to tell you more about the story, but do you really need to know? Science Blah blah blah polymer Blah blah blah Evil Real Estate Villainyou do Need to know: Tornado burningTwenty-eight years of advances in digital effects mean that the weather disasters in “Twisters” are bigger, more detailed and more terrifying than those in the first film: The nighttime rodeo scene becomes a terrifying maelstrom of panic and split-second decisions, while an explosion at a gas refinery satisfies your most basic reptilian-brain needs for a summer movie.
The difference is that “Twisters” emphasizes the horrific human toll of weather disasters more than its predecessor, and there’s an elegant note of connection in Mark L. Smith and Joseph Kosinski’s script, brought to life by director Lee Isaac Chung. Chung’s last film was the sweet, homemade, Oscar-winning “Minari” (2020), and in the right Hollywood vein, he’s been handed the keys to a mega-budget franchise film and is being tested to see what he can do. It seems he can do anything.
“Twisters” is not art, nor does it want to be. It will never be held up as a classic like “Twister,” but Instead, we will definitely be monitored for the next 28 years until someone gives it to us. “Twister 3: Maximum Vorticity”
As long as we’re alive. Would even the slightest mention of man-made climate change have killed someone? Climate change is responsible for a dramatic increase in severe weather, both on screen and in recent reality. Chung says he didn’t want to inject lectures into the film, but there’s plenty of room between lecture and escapism. But the last thing most people want from a summer blockbuster is a reminder of what awaits them after the movie is over.
PG-13. At a local theater. Contains intense action and danger, some profanity and injury. 122 minutes.
Ty Burr is the author of the film recommendation newsletter “Ty Burr’s Watchlist.” tyburrswatchlist.com.
