If you’re old enough you’ve seen the 1996 ‘Twister’ movie starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton. The updated version, now in cinemas and called ‘Twisters’ follows the same trajectory as the first, right down to the ending, but with a modernised storyline.
But is ‘Twister’ better than the first? Not really. And I’m shocked that the Evening Standard gave the film 5 stars, so not deserving! In ‘Twisters’ some of the special effects don’t look real at all (the tornados and the carnage).
In this new version Daisy Edgar Jones is Kate Carter who works at a weather forecasting agency after a life of longing and loving the weather, and more specifically tornados. But years ago she lost four of her best friends in an actual tornado, while she survived, but now somehow she gets talked into tagging along with storm chaser Javi (Anthony Ramos – totally miscast). Along the way they meet, and compete, with fellow tornado fetishist and social media star Tyler Owens (Glen Powell, of Top Gun Maverick, and who has Tom Cruise movie star looks).
Both groups chase, and compete, for tornado glory, but, amongst all the mayhem Kate finds time to go back home to be with mom to get her mojo back. Tyler suddenly shows up and we all know where the plot will take us.
‘Twisters’ is a very good popcorn movie, but don’t spill the popcorn when the gang gets trapped in a cinema (after the tornado threatens a small town while a baseball game is on, hot dogs on the grill, and an Americana style street party), or when they get trapped in a hotel. Jones sleepwalks through this movie, and the plot writes itself. But if it’s an afternoon or an evening where you want to see people get sucked into the air by a tornado with a plot not plausible and you haven’t seen the first film ever, then ‘Twisters’ is for you! Hours later you’ll realise just how dumb it was!
Review by Tim Baros
TWISTERS is now in UK cinemas