Twister (1996) is an all-time favorite film of mine growing up. The film’s visual effects were well executed for the technology of the time. The story was solid and its soundtrack still rocks today. The film also had an all-star cast that included Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cary Elwes. Don’t get me wrong; the original had flaws too, but it stands out as a classic summer blockbuster at its best and simplest formula. When I heard they were ‘remaking’ Twister, I was very concerned about where they would take this. So now we have Twisters, so just how did it turn out? Our review after the preview.

Haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado, Kate Cooper gets lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi, to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens, a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures. As storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.

Review

Twisters introduces the world of storm chasing to a new generation of moviegoers. From the marketing to the cast, to the soundtrack, everything was geared to appeal to a younger generation. The headline cast includes Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos. Overall the story formula for Twisters is the same basic format as the original film, following a group of storm chasers as they attempt to map how a tornado forms. With Twisters, the technology and settings are all modernized to match current times from the social media YouTube craze to the use of drones and cloud seeding. Yes, the basic premise uses the idea of cloud seeding as a method to dissipate a twister and the chasers attempt to prove this theory.

The visual effects for Twisters are a bit off-putting. You would think with our advancements in this space from 1996 that they could do better but they attempted to go Hollywood versus realistic. At many points, the twisters and storms are off-putting in their scenes and take you out of the moment. With all of the footage we have of twisters today, there are zero excuses for the purely CGI-driven storm scenes used.

The soundtrack for Twisters didn’t do anything for me. Lots of country artists as you would expect and more current but I am not a huge country fan myself so it wasn’t good or bad for me, it just didn’t excite me. For the cast, Glen Powell continues to be the Hollywood it man right now. With a string of recent films coming out, some have gotten a little tired of seeing his face. For his role alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones, the chemistry between the two is good and the progression of their interactions felt natural and had some funny and genuine moments.

Now let’s quickly discuss Twisters in relation to the original Twister (1996). Twisters comes into the start of its story with a blatant and direct homage to the original with the Dorothy device on full display with the young chasers team. Throughout the film, many of the film moments from the twin twisters, to the “flying animals”, to the outdoor gathering place (drive-in movie theater in the original versus rodeo in Twisters) all tie back in one form or another. There are also several lines in the film that page homage to Bill Paxton’s famous lines as well.

Still to categorize Twisters as a sequel or a remake is inaccurate. While this does appear to be in the same universe as Twister, there aren’t any direct connections to check the sequel box. On the remake side, the film didn’t try to directly remake any of the original scenes or plot points and instead branched out to be unique in its approach and end goals (get data on a twister in the original versus dissipate a storm in Twisters). Due to it falling outside of both, it is more of a stand-alone film that pays respect to the original without diminishing it and setting out its own story for a new generation.

I recommend seeing Twisters in the theatre on the biggest screen you can and if you can get 4DX I would recommend it. Twisters is the classic summer disaster film formula that doesn’t seek to be a billion-dollar tentpole but still provides fun for the audience. If you have never seen the original, I highly recommend it as an add-on to seeing Twisters, and don’t forget to check out the killer soundtrack for both on Spotify.

© Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment