This standalone ‘spiritual’ sequel to 1996’s Twister is an incredibly enjoyable thrill-ride.
Once again, Glen Powell – who starred in the blockbusting Top Gun: Maverick two years ago – shows why he’s quickly moving up the Hollywood food-chain with another ‘golden’ outing here.
Much like with the original, the lead is again female – with Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing) stepping into Helen Hunt’s shoes – and her chemistry with Powell makes the movie a must-see for that alone. Much like Hunt had with the late Bill Paxton in the inaugural film – but here the main relationship is even more noteworthy.
And throw in the backdrop of terrifying tornadoes – and this proves to be a likeable recipe for success.
The only real reference to the first film comes right at the start, as we see a Dorothy V doppler radar in the back of storm-chaser Kate Carter’s (Edger-Jones) truck – but once human tragedy ensues on a research mission, it leaves a heartbroken Kate ‘running away’ from her Oklahoma-homestead to New York City, to become a meteorologist.
Cue five years later, and old colleague Javi (Anthony Ramos from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) entices Kate back into the ‘tornado’ game, by showing a new scanning system that could save lives. Potentially offering a guilt-ridden Kate some closure after her last escapade in the field ended in disaster.
But this unprecedented storm front (and predicted tornado outbreak) attracts a lot of outsiders, which includes popular YouTube storm-chasing sensation Tyler Owens (Powell) – also known as the ‘Tornado Wrangler’ – and his tech-savvy team, with their efforts being chronicled by British journalist Ben (Harry Hadden-Paton).
Fortunately, all is not what it seems with the initially-cocky Tyler, and he slowly forms a bond with Kate, as she starts to realise she might be aligning herself with the wrong team.
That leads to them having a common goal to launch barrels of sodium polyacrylate solution into a tornado attempting to reduce its intensity – basically destroying it from the inside out – which could help prevent future disasters in the state.
And when a super-massive tornado literally ‘catches fire’ – after tearing through an oil refinery – they’ll soon have their chance as it heads towards the town of El Reno.
With a great young cast – even ‘new Superman’ David Corenswet drops in for a cameo – exciting action sequences and a punchy script, this really is compelling stuff that is without doubt one of the best movies of the summer.
What makes it even better is that it’s not ridiculously over-the-top or far-fetched, which makes for a refreshing change of pace for a blockbuster.
And headlined by Edgar-Jones and Powell’s electric rapport, Twisters whips up an action-packed adventure worthy of your attention.
Rating: 4/5
Gavin Miller
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, David Corenswet, Katy O’Brian, Maura Tierney & Daryl McCormack
Running Time: 2 Hrs 2 Mins
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux
Comments