Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) directs the not-really-a-sequel follow-on to Jan de Bont’s 1996 thriller “Twister,” with an evident reverence for Americana and disaster films. From the sprawling wheat fields to the pressure-locked eye of the storm, nature’s might gets ample screen time. The thoughtful direction, along with the sheer star magnetism of one of its leads, Glen Powell, is enough to anchor us to the film despite clunky dialogue and heavy-handed exposition. At its best moments, “Twisters” (gotta get that “S” in there) asks us to sit back and simply ride the wave of absurdity, and we do so because it’s a crowd-pleaser that understands the joy of spectacle.
“Twisters” has a critical failing that keeps it from being an unmissable hit, though. Despite how often we’re told by onlookers that our protagonist Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Where the Crawdads Sing”) is a genius, brilliant and “special,” we’re never convinced. “Twisters” begins with tragedy as Kate, while pursuing a project to earn herself a grant, loses three of her besties while tracking a tornado. Traumatized, she removes herself from the plains of Oklahoma, moves to New York City, goes blonde and starts over.
Brought back into the cyclone tracking fold by old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), who thinks they can do some good for their home state, she confronts her loss while putting to use her innate skills. It’s also where she meets hotshot YouTube-famous storm chaser Tyler (Glen Powell) and the film finally displays some energy. Kate’s story is anchored by loss, and so we get her motivations and hesitancy to jump back into the gig that killed the people she was closest to, literally tearing them out of her arms. That’s not enough to inject the character with personality. She’s a conduit to the plot, but there’s no life in the character or performance – especially true when standing next to her co-stars.
Powell amplifies any scene he’s in, possessing the charisma, strut and chemistry of a bonafide movie star. Ramos does his best with exposition-laden dialogue, implying depth even if it’s never fleshed out. And the supporting cast is a who’s-who of up-and-comers. From Sasha Lane to “Love Lies Bleeding” star Katy O’Brian and our upcoming Superman, David Corenswet.
This never detracts from the sweeping, breathless action scenes that would have afforded to extend in length. The opening disaster is appropriately tense and anxiety-inducing. A midmovie scene set in a drained pool is the film’s strongest sequence, dizzying and telling us all we need to know about these characters with little dialogue. Chung directs the hell out of a storm. He creates haunting visuals and an immersive setting that plants us directly in the path of disaster. While some of the effects come across as too hollow to lend weight to the moment – particularly a third-act storm set in a small town – the major moments sing.
Overall, “Twisters” is a serviceable, enjoyable time at the theaters. The script from Mark L. Smith is far from perfect, laden with cliched one-liners that often miss the mark. There’s a lot of plot packed into this two-hour runtime. The most successful elements are the sweeping romanticism and the fun found in the storm’s center. While it attempts to dig deeper into stories about oft-forgotten communities and big corporations profiting from rural tragedy, there’s simply not enough time. Especially when that time is better spent focused on the dynamics and characters.
“Twisters’’ separates itself from its predecessor and adopts its own charming, modernist spin. But it’s best when it allows its stars – Powell and the tornados – to pull us through their gravitational force.
- At Apple Cinemas Cambridge, 168 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge Highlands near Alewife and Fresh Pond.
Allyson Johnson is editor-in-chief of the entertainment website InBetweenDrafts.
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