It’s been 28 years since ‘Twister’ became a surprising global box office smash way back in 1996. I’m not sure how many people were actually clamouring for a sequel these past three decades, but when has that ever stopped Hollywood from pillaging an IP?! Now we have ‘Twisters’, the imaginatively titled sequel that’s headed by two of the hottest young talents of the moment, Glen Powell (fresh from his success with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘Hit Man’ & ‘Anyone But You’) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (from the hugely popular BBC drama ‘Normal People’). It comes as a massive surprise to find that ‘Twisters’ is that rare of beasts – a sequel that’s much better than the original and a true return to form for the classic disaster movie, delivering a fun summer blockbuster in the traditional vein that delivers at every turn.
Powell and Edgar-Jones play a pair of storm chasers who risk it all to test out a brand new, experimental weather alert system that could potentially save hundreds of lives. Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a brilliant mind in her field, but a past trauma has seen to it that she hasn’t pursued her life’s true ambition. That is until an old friend and colleague named Javi (Anthony Ramos) re-surfaces with a great opportunity for her to put past ghosts to rest. Along the way, she crosses paths with YouTube star and self-proclaimed ‘Tornado Wrangler’ Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). Their journeys converge as a band of severe weather rocks Oklahoma, threatening to deliver mass destruction to anything in its path.
I have been a big fan of Glen Powell’s work for quite some time now, so it’s great to see him finally get his step-up onto the grandest stage of all in Hollywood. Make no mistake, he is absolute box-office gold and can open a movie in his own right now. He’s that next big thing, with screen presence and natural charisma in abundance. It’s been a while since we’ve had one, but Powell is definitely a proper ‘movie star’ now, as opposed to just an actor. Expect huge things from his career from this point on. He is absolutely perfect for the role of ‘Tornado Wrangler’ Tyler Owens, and lights up the screen in ‘Twisters’.
Daisy Edgar-Jones has seamlessly made that leap into Hollywood, proving that great talent always finds a way to shine on the biggest stage of all. She was sensational in ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and she’s now made that next step-up, like Powell, onto a whole other platform. Leading a summer blockbuster like this is no mean feat, but Edgar-Jones is superb in this film. She gives the role of Kate a believability that’s easy for the audience to champion, and her chemistry with Glen Powell is off-the-charts. Together, they do a wonderful job leading an effects-heavy summer spectacular, but keeping it focused on the human element throughout.
The supporting cast are all great too. Along for the ride is the new ‘Superman’ himself David Corenswet, who plays a shady tornado chaser more interested in the financials than the storms themselves. ‘Sabrina’ star Kiernan Shipka plays a pivotal but brief cameo, and ‘ER’ favourite Maura Tierney pops up as Kate’s mother Cathy. Anthony Ramos has made some really solid movies lately, so it’s good to see him as the third lead in this film. His relationship with Kate is a big part of why the film works so well. Elsewhere, there are solid turns from Sasha Lane, Brandon Perea, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tunde Adebimpe and Katy O'Brian.
The soundtrack brings together some of the best country music of the moment, and is utilised with the visuals onscreen to really great effect. And what about those visuals… ‘Twisters’ contains some truly hair-raising set-pieces that really draw the viewer in and grips you like a vice throughout. Echoing what the original movie did, this sequel manages to deliver some very exciting and frantic sequences that linger long after the end credits roll. The finale, especially, uses some outstanding locations and a sequence set in a cinema is truly awesome to watch unfold, delivering box office gold spectacle of the highest order. This is a film that demands you see it in as big a screen as possible, with IMAX and 4DX a particular highlight to seek out if you can.
By collating a team of really talented filmmakers, writers and actors, ‘Twisters’ delivers one of the best blockbusters of the year, and reignites Hollywood’s love affair with the classic, large scale disaster flick. In recent years the genre has been too preoccupied with effects-heavy set-pieces and frequently sacrifices the human element of its story as a result. ‘Twisters’ does the exact opposite. The human-interest story is always front and centre of this film, and the effects (of which there are many) never feel obtrusive. It’s the perfect template for how this genre should work. Director Lee Isaac Chung (responsible for the critically acclaimed ‘Minari’) does a superb job here, with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘TRON: Legacy’ visionary Joseph Kosinski penning the story, and ‘The Revenant’ scribe Mark L. Smith doing the screenplay. It's not rocket science, but if you get the best people on-board and assemble an ensemble who all pull together in the right direction, you’ll get a great film. ‘Twisters’ is the sum of its parts and easily one of the most enjoyable films of the summer.
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, David Corenswet, Kiernan Shipka, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Brandon Perea, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O'Brian Director: Lee Isaac Chung Writer: Joseph Kosinski, Mark L. Smith Certificate: 12A Duration: 117 mins Released by: Warner Bros Release date: 17th July 2024
