1996’s Twister was one of the best disaster movies on that decade, bolstered by ground breaking effects and fine performances by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Twisters is billed as a ‘standalone sequel’ which means that it does not share any characters from the original film, so the cynical might think it is just trying to cash on on the original movie’s success.
Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as ex-storm chaser Kate Cooper who is haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado. She gets lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) in order to test a new tracking system. They soon meet Tyler Owens, who is, inevitably, a reckless social media superstar who has gained fame by posting his storm-chasing adventures. Owens is played by one of the biggest stars of the moment, Glen Powell and he has the right amount of both cocky swagger, and charm for his part. Edgar-Jones, also one of the biggest rising stars right now, is excellent as the intuitive meteorologist who cannot escape her past.
Director, Lee Isaac Chung keeps the action coming in a series of thrilling and spectacular storm sequences, with just enough breathing time in between them. The supporting cast is impressive, with small roles for the likes of Katy O’Brian, Daryl McCormack, Sasha Lane and the brilliant Maura Tierney as Cathy, Kate’s mother. She is only appears for a short time but brings a real warmth to the screen.
There are a few clunky moments in the screenplay but otherwise this is a near perfect summer movie, in the same way as Twister was. It has been massively successful at the box office, so here’s hoping it starts a new cycle of natural disaster movies.
Rating: 8 out of 10