‘Twisters’ REVIEW: Storm chasing for dummies
‘Twisters’ REVIEW: Storm chasing for dummies
Haunted by traumatic encounters with a tornado from her past, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a former tornado-chaser and meteorologist, is lured back by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) to return to Oklahoma and test a tornado tracking system with new tech and a new team. She crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the “Tornado Wrangler” and social media celebrity. Soon they are in the fight of their lives as they try to survive dangerous tornadoes.
It was a gloomy Monday afternoon and I was on my way to the premiere of Twisters at SM North Edsa. I did my homework, checking out 1996’s Twister, starring Bill Paxton (Aliens) and Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets). It was your typical 90’s disaster flick that features dated visual effects. I wasn’t particularly invested in Paxton and Hunt’s chemistry and the tornado sequences that don’t add much weight to today’s standards. So heading into Twisters, I was curious what the standalone sequel from Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) had to offer.
Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in Twisters | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Philippines
Twisters is nothing but a pure popcorn blockbuster straight from the 90’s. It feels as if, in the past years, we’ve been starving for some disaster spectacle that demands to be seen in theaters. When the adrenaline-pumping sequences hit, they surely deliver.
Best seen on the widest screen possible, the film knows what the audience came in to see. Scientific accuracies aside, the film manages to feel real and immersive, making every tornado sequence grand and enthralling.
Having a natural disaster as the “antagonist” makes it all so real. Tornadoes are devastating and have destroyed so many people’s lives. The film doesn’t really glamorize the tragedy (well, most of the time) but adds realism and documents how these events occur in a cinematic landscape.
I had no reservations, and going into it, I was all-in seeing Daisy Edgar-Jones, who I adored from the masterpiece of a show that was Normal People, and Glen Powell, who’s been on a tear as of late flirting with Hollywood superstardom. Even with David Corenswet, who plays a minor character, as the new Man of Steel in James Gunn’s DC Universe.
Kate in Twisters | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Philippines
The film allows us to empathize with its characters, particularly Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate Cooper, who is brilliant at what she does but is held back by her fear and trauma from her days as a storm chaser alongside Javi. She is still reeling from the intense tornado that killed her close friends: Praveen (Nik Dodani, Atypical), Addy (Kiernan Shipka, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and boyfriend Jeb (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders).
Daisy’s performance is what you’d expect if you’d been following her filmography, a performance that feels warm and close to the heart. She never fails to portray a character you’d want to root for all the way through, which adds more layers of substance and characterization compared to the first film.
Five years later, Kate moved to New York as a meteorologist. But her home comes calling back when she gets an offer from Javi (Anthony Ramos, Hamilton), to test a new tornado scanning system for Storm PAR, a tornado radar company he works for.
Tyler in Twisters | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Philippines
Meanwhile, Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens is a stark contrast — a confident and reckless storm-chaser cowboy who believes he has everything figured out. Powell brings immense charisma and charm to the table, and his scenes with his fellow cast members bring so much life to the more-or-less doom-and-gloom Oklahoma.
Rounding out the Tornado Wranglers team are Boone (Brandon Perea, Nope), Lily (Sasha Lane, American Honey), Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe, Strange Planet), and Dani (Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding). Without heading into heavy spoilers, the film has a way of revealing that these characters aren’t just black-and-white. An example of not judging a book by its cover.
On another note, the score by composer Benjamin Wallfisch elevates the film even further. It feels like experiencing a Steven Spielberg flick, with how the score gracefully dances with the action set pieces. As films are audio-visual experiences, this one hits all the marks in making the dull and gray atmosphere feel vibrant and lively.
Javi (Anthony Ramos) in Twisters | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Philippines
Overall, the film feels like a hearty meal packed with romance, action, disaster, and friendship. Director Lee Isaac Chung effortlessly transitions from a low-budget family drama to a big-budget blockbuster. In the words of Tyler Owens, “If you feel it, chase it.” This sums up how the film felt like a good time after leaving the cinema and how I spent two hours seated for a thrilling ride.
Twisters is now showing in Philippine cinemas.
