Twisters releases in theaters on July 17th in Europe and July 19th in the US.

Usually, predictable, generic films full of clichés end up suffering from these characteristics, often seen as negative aspects. Personally, I endorse the theory that execution can turn a fantastic idea into a terrible movie, just as it can tremendously elevate a mere variation of a worn-out premise. I also believe that films can perfectly be what they’re expected to be – nothing more, nothing less. Disaster flicks are known precisely for the attributes mentioned above, but they possess a layer of simple, straightforward entertainment that wins over audiences and critics worldwide. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s, indeed, a special genre. So much so that we’re getting a standalone sequel to a 1996 classic, Twister. Jan de Bont’s original movie inspired Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) to venture into the same world filled with scientists eager to test new meteorological systems, adrenaline-driven weather cowboys with a massive social media following, and, of course, countless tornadoes – so many that the sequel’s title could only really be Twisters.

Twisters Critique

All cinephiles have their guilty pleasures, that is, films admittedly “bad” or with evident problems, but that we hold close to our hearts, whether for nostalgia, unintentional humor, simplicity of plot, or pure escapism. Armageddon has always been my top choice – nothing beats Trevon Rabin’s score – but Twister is mentioned as much or more times by many other viewers as their favorite disaster flick. Expectations for the sequel were the same as for any other blockbuster of its kind: I just wanted to have genuine fun.

Because that’s the only reason movies like Twisters exist. A viewer entering the theater hoping for some complex thematic study or a unique narrative is akin to wishing for disappointment caused by unrealistic, nonsensical expectations. Chung and Smith created a simple story with well-identified characters and arcs, as well as a well-defined central theme, and let the chaos of constant action take the reins of their project. The rest unfolds naturally with more or less forced exposition.

Addressing what the target audience most wants to know about, Twisters has more than enough tornado entertainment, including its resulting devastation, to satisfy most viewers. The use of shaky cam could have easily been an issue, but Dan Mindel (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), DP, manages not only to control the number of times the technique is employed but also to focus the camera to a point where it doesn’t become an incomprehensible visual mess. Despite the admirable visual effects, it’s Mindel’s few stunning wide shots and the overall framing of a couple of particular scenes that generate an immersive, unexpected beauty. Benjamin Wallfisch’s (It) score transports viewers to the Oklahoma region, with country music surprisingly contributing to the high energy levels of the action set pieces.

Technically, Twisters meets the minimum requirements and adds a few occasional sprinkles of style. Narratively? As mentioned before, it’s everything one would anticipate. The formulaic storytelling serves merely as an outline for an already complete drawing, even extending itself too much for this type of film. That said, its predictability and repeatability don’t spoil the cautionary message conveyed by the script and brought to the big screen through the destruction caused by tornadoes to numerous families who lost everything in brief moments. Humanity and altruism are topics equally explored with the eventual help of characters who learn to value what really matters in life or who simply remember the main motivation behind why they do what they do.

It would have been easy for Chung and Smith to fall into the mistake of focusing exclusively on the protagonists, ignoring the real danger of the tornadoes, almost turning them into a kind of myth that never happens. Fortunately, respect is shown for the many victims of natural disasters, even amid a movie guided by cheap entertainment. Twisters is still an amusement park’s roller coaster, but one that’s aware of its limits of insane, inconsequential fun.

In the end, a large part of this sequel’s success – which works perfectly as a standalone film, there’s no real need to watch the original if the concern is understanding the narrative, although it’s obviously recommended – lies with the cast. Twisters secured two phenomenal actors, Daisy Edgar-Jones (Fresh) and Glen Powell (Hit Man), to lead a group with great chemistry. If the latter brings his natural charm and striking smile to portray Tyler, a tornado cowboy/YouTube star who’s much more than what he appears, the actress demonstrates the emotional range that brought her to stardom, playing Kate, a clever, thoughtful woman with a dream of being able to save populations through her middle-school science fair project to stop tornadoes.

Both carry the movie on their shoulders with remarkable ease, with Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) also having his moments of brilliance portraying Javi, Kate’s longtime friend, who changes the most as the narrative unfolds while also serving as a link to almost all plot points and eventual relationships between other characters. A final, curious note about the opening minutes that left me perplexed, thinking Kiernan Shipka was actually Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), such is the impressive resemblance between the actresses and even more between the characterization of their respective characters – it’s impossible that I’m the only one to have this feeling.

In Conclusion

Twisters is exactly what one expects from a disaster flick: a visual spectacle full of action and adrenaline, with a predictable yet effective narrative. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell stand out as protagonists, bringing charisma and chemistry to characters with some emotional depth. Dan Mindel’s cinematography and Benjamin Wallfisch’s score add to the immersion layer of the summer blockbuster. It doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, nor does it need to, as it fulfills its sole, valid purpose of entertaining its target audience while still respecting the victims of natural disasters, reminding us of the importance of humanity and altruism in times of crisis.

6/10

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