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Twisters Director: Lee Isaac Chung Writers: Mark l. Smith, Joseph Kosinski, Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane • Sam Hawksmoor review Thrills and Chills - definitely wear a helmet in Oklahoma

Well finally we have a genuine summer blockbuster. It’s a belated standalone sequel to the original Twister (1996) with far superior CGI and plotting.  This time the storm chasers really chase the storms and the force of these tornadoes really comes home to you.  The devastation they cause is vividly brought to life.

The plot concerns Kate Cooper who has been a storm chaser all her young life with an ambition to tame them. It’s during her degree studies she persuades follow students to help her do that which leads to three of them losing their lives.
           
Guilt over that tragic event meant Kate ends up working as a meterorologist for the Metropolitan Weather Office in a much safer New York.  One of her fellow survivors, Javi looks her up five years on and begs her to come back and help him with his new 3-D Storm Map project.  He still believes she has the gift of knowing exactly where the next tornado will be. Will she be tempted?  Of course she will.
           
Suffering from PTSD Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) lacks charisma in the early part of the movie but rival storm chaser Glen Powell as Tyler makes up for it in spades. We eventually warm to Kate as she gets back into her groove but luckily the antics of Sasha Lane and the rest of the rival cowboy crew keep us keen.
           
Anthony Ramos as Javi the entrepreneur is good as Kate’s sidekick but a little underused. I guess they wanted to emphasise the growing interest between Kate and Tyler. The scenes at the Rodeo alone are worth your ticket money. It was nice to see they allowed a little science into the process as well. Can tornadoes really be tamed? Kate certainly once thought so.
           
It was good to see Maura Tierney (ER) as Kate’s mom.  Leant a certain authenticity to the family background.
           
Twisters is a visual treat as we watch carnage unfold. The makers declined to mention climate change in case JD Vance watches it and denounces the movie, but this is all about climate change and how the storms are getting stronger and more frequent. It does make one wonder why people persist in living in Tornado Alley but it makes for great visuals.
           
Tyler’s live streaming and eccentric crew of Tornado Storm Wranglers are fun to watch and you can see why audiences warm to Glen Powell. The tension in this movie is always present and you never know when the next truck might fall on your head.
           
Take the kids. Go see it! Here's the trailer.

© Sam Hawksmoor 7.19.24
author of the award winning

Mission Longshot
2024: The Purple Dragonfly Awards

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