What makes a good disaster film? A monstrous natural disaster that seems to have a life of its own, compelling characters you want to root for, and a race against time to save innocent lives.
The 1996 film “Twister,” starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, had all of those elements, making it one of the top disaster films of the 90s.
The film, which won a Bafta Award for Best Special Visual Effects, centred around Jo and Bill, who join forces to build a weather alert system by putting themselves in the paths of killer tornadoes in Oklahoma.
“Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung’s standalone sequel called “Twisters” seems to have the right ingredients to make a worthy follow-up.
And for the most part, Lee succeeds in sucking audiences into a heart-pounding vortex of tornado-chasing sequences, monster special effects, and several homages to the 1996 film.
However, poor acting choices, annoyingly cheesy lines, and a preoccupation with heartfelt human moments make “Twisters” a decent film with unfulfilled potential.
“Twisters” follows a team of storm chasers on a mission to intercept and study upcoming tornadoes. Haunted by a past encounter with a twister, meteorologist Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is lured back into the field by new tracking technology.
There, she crosses paths with the daring social media star Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his crew. As a historic storm system intensifies, both teams navigate dangerous weather patterns while their contrasting approaches to chasing twisters, clash.
Narratively, it seems to follow the same pattern set out in the first film but with updated storm-tracking gadgets, bigger tornadoes, and deadlier aftermaths.
Dorothy, the capsule-like device from “Twister” containing hundreds of weather sensors, makes an appearance in this film too, a huge homage to the original. Heck, the story is set in Oklahoma as well!
On the visual effects front, “Twisters” delivers a thrilling cinematic experience. The special effects are particularly noteworthy, creating a visceral sense of the power and destruction of tornadoes.
The use of practical effects and CGI is seamlessly blended to create realistic portrayals of these monstrous weather phenomena. You’ll feel the rush of the wind, the terrifying roar, and the sheer devastation tornadoes can cause.
However, just like 2014’s “Godzilla,” there weren’t enough tornadoes for a disaster film. Audiences see the deadly twisters in glimpses, and then there are some really great edge-of-your-seat moments.
But people go to the cinema to watch a disaster film for the disaster, not brooding characters.
Also, disaster movies only work when the natural disaster is a character of its own, behaving like it’s a living, breathing antagonist, bent on destroying humanity. In “Twisters,” the tornadoes were just, well, tornadoes.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the 1996 “Twister” film spent time on emotional moments, exploring the motivations of the characters and delving into their personal connections to storm chasing.
These moments added a layer of depth to the story, making the characters more relatable and allowing the audience to connect with them on a deeper level.
“Twisters” tried to do this but didn’t reach its peak. It also didn’t help that the lead was a poor actor. Not only does she resemble Dakota Johnson, but her acting prowess seems to imitate Johnson’s too: one note, deadpan, and annoying.
For some strange reason, she acts like an insufferable child in a particular scene, pressing all the buttons in Owens’ car, and after spending more than half the film brooding like a teenage Bruce Wayne, she suddenly bursts with joy going on a storm chase with Owens.
Glen Powell, on the other hand, puts up a noteworthy performance as the obnoxious country guy with a heart. He imbues the character with a likeability and shows a softness behind the veneer of arrogance.
In the end, “Twisters” spins a decent tale with a few thrilling gusts of excitement, but it fails to touch down as a truly great disaster film. If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s worth a watch, but don’t expect it to sweep you off your feet.
‘Twisters’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.