- TWISTERS
- Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell
- Directed by: Lee Issac Chung
- Rated: PG 13
- Running time: 2 hrs 2 mins
- Universal/Warner Bros.
I always marvel when a bad storm hits here in the Midwest, both at the way the weather rapidly changes as well as at those that get in their cars and trucks and pursue it. Usually it’s the low man on the local news weather team, shouting over the wind and rain hitting their trucks while the senior weather person keeps saying, “stay safe out there, Bob!” Though there have been two major tornadoes within 100 miles of my house near Kansas City I am relieved that, while my neighbor recently lost a large section of his fence, and I once found my grill cover in my other neighbor’s yard, I have never experienced the level of disaster shown in the new film “Twisters.”
The film begins in a familiar way. A group of storm chasers tracking a funnel cloud, hoping to gather scientific data. However, they underestimate the strength of the storm and soon find themselves seeking cover from a true once in a lifetime storm. One that changes forever the lives of those that survive it.
Full of amazing visual effects and a likeable cast, “Twisters” is more of a comment on today’s social media footprint then on the weather. Kate (Edgar-Jones) has not forgotten the friends she lost five years earlier and now, instead of chasing storms, she tracks them for the National Weather Service. She is brough back out into the field by Javi (Anthony Ramos), her one-time partner in both storms and romance. Javi is now partnered with a mysterious company whose intentions may not be as honorable as presented. They find themselves pitted against Tyler (Powell), a self-proclaimed “tornado wrangler” who sells t-shirts and has his own popular Youtube channel. Will these two factions put aside their differences when it matters? Maybe.
While it’s obvious that the cast is having a lot of fun, the drawback to this film is the script. There are so many moments where an idea begins to show itself on screen, only to somehow be dismissed with the audience left wondering “whatever happened to….?” Oh, and – SPOILER ALERT – there are now flying cows! What could have been a Category F-5 of a film weakens to a slight breeze in the storytelling department. Which is a shame because, as I said, the characters are likable. You just wish they had an idea of what they’re doing.
On a scale of zero to five, “Twisters” receives ★★★