From acclaimed filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung comes the re-quel to the 1996 hit, Twister that starred Helen Hunt & Bill Paxton. This time around, a brand new cast of characters join the movie with no relations to the original. Headlining the film are Daisy Edgar Jones & Glen Powell with Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, David Corenswet, and Kay O’Brian rounding out the supporting cast. I had a deep admiration for the original growing up, but a sequel to that didn’t make much sense. Now that I have seen it, I’d say it’s worthy of its existence. It’s even more worth going to see it in the theater in a premium format.

As mentioned, this is not a film I was looking forward to seeing at all. It didn’t seem like a movie I needed to see, yet after seeing Glen Powell in Hit Man and seeing the original again, I started warming up to the idea. Better yet, I think I was won over when I found out that this was going to be my first press screening in Dolby. As I sat in the cushioned, reclining seats, I got a taste of what was to come through the sound design of the ad that played before the movie. When I think of seeing a blockbuster in the theater, I think of big action, loud sound, and something the whole theater can adore. Even with the film’s faults, I’d say the movie overcomes its setbacks to satisfy those who seek it out.

Before seeing Twisters, I revisited Minari, Lee Isaac Chung’s previous film, which may have been a good and a bad thing. On a positive note, you can tell where Chung has a deep admiration for the Midwest. Since I am from the Midwest, it’s nice to see a filmmaker who knows how to take advantage of the location. It also makes him the perfect director to stage the bigger set pieces in the film that involve tornadoes. What Chung establishes in the beginning is extraordinary and sets the tone.

The beginning alone is shocking. I haven’t seen something that dark or hard in a long time, especially for a film with this kind of tone. My friend and I literally turned to each other with shocked expressions on our faces. The beginning doesn’t play it safe, but that’s not to say that the rest of the film doesn’t. When the film focuses on the peril and destruction of the tornadoes is the film at its best. With the roaring sound design and grand picture frame, it’s hard not to feel invested and rewarded after. When there are literal people being sucked into the tornadoes, you have to let go of what could possibly happen.

That’s not to say that the film isn’t always like that. When I said watching Minari beforehand was a bad thing, this is what I mean. Chung also treats the film similar to the first. This may be fine for those like myself who really enjoyed the first, yet it doesn’t do enough to explain how much has changed since the first came out. We still get the same one-dimensional characters who have zero development and joyously scream to the point where it’s too much. The supporting cast is actually quite impressive, so it’s unfortunate when they are sidelined the way they are. With a $200 million budget, this film could have also gone softer on its budget to enjoy a better return.

The film also has its cliches, which leads to plot conveniences, and even worse, lack of chemistry. Don’t get me wrong, the acting is great. I love everyone in front of the camera. It’s the writing that awkwardly places people like Jones’ & Powell’s characters together. Considering they don’t actually get romantically involved, I can’t help but to think the intentions of these characters were to just get more people in seats. There’s even a scene where Powell’s character shows up out of nowhere. My friend and I laughed it off, because even with his explanation, it doesn’t make much sense. The character development between the major characters simply doesn’t even make sense as to why they would get along. Don’t even get me started with the ending. Cliche beyond belief with any realism thrown right out the window.

The film’s structure definitely has that Hollywood tone. As the film goes on, the tornadoes get worse and worse so that way there’s a big finale. While it’s all fun and nice to look at, the amount of tornadoes and the way they appear is unbelievable. Even though I didn’t grow up in Oklahoma, I was still close enough to have a hard time buying that this happened as frequently as it does. The structure does give everyone a nice arc, yet I also would have liked to have seen more anxiety instilled in Jones’ character. After she goes through something traumatic, she shuts herself off from everyone until she is pulled back in. The problem is that there’s not enough there to explain why she decides to get back into the field. I would have even liked to have seen her have more PTSD from the event. Nonetheless, the film still has enough charm to make these characters quite likable by the end.

Overall, I think Twisters does it job well. When it focuses on the tornadoes, that’s where the film is at its best. The film has its flaws that I think is easy to look past compared to its positives. I will say this though: I started off with a strong 4/5 halfway through the movie. The second half embraces its cheesiness a little too hard for my liking. There are even aspects that do feel underwhelming, especially with the writing and chemistry. If you are eager to see it or love seeing blockbusters in the theater, I personally think it’s worth your time.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 – Pretty Good