A retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.
Chuck says:
ntent on being the one disaster movie for all viewers, Lee Isaac Chung’s “Twisters” attempts to provide thrills aplenty without alienating any of its viewers. For the most part it succeeds, following the template of the 1996 disaster classic to a tee. And while it might be lacking in originality, it succeeds in delivering thrills aplenty, exploiting every aspect of the cinematic experience, delivering a film that’s necessary viewing in the theater.
Echoing the opening of the Bill Paxton-Helen Hunt feature, things start with a tragedy. As a series of tornadoes rip through the Oklahoma panhandle, Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her research team are chasing down a twister in an effort to execute an experimental procedure she hopes will dissipate the tornado. Unfortunately, it’s a plan that looks good on paper but doesn’t play out well in reality. The death of two of her cohorts put her in a tailspin that caused her to walk away from her research.
However, five years later, she reluctantly reenters the field when a former colleague, Javi (Anthony Ramos), approaches her with a deal she cannot refuse. Backed by a mystery investor with deep pockets, she’ll be able to continue her research, provided she uses her preternatural twister detecting abilities to help a group of arrogant meteorologists with their work. They turn out to be almost pleasant compared to Tyler (Glen Powell), a YouTube sensation who satisfies his adrenaline addiction by driving into danger, live streaming as he goes.
The requisite action scenes are as thrilling as modern computer-generate effects can make them. Roofs are torn off, cars are tossed, and while no errant bovines are carried away, nothing stands in the way of these unstoppable juggernauts. The landscape has changed since 1996, the proliferation of wind turbines adding to the danger, while two set pieces are staged in an effort to outdo the famous drive-in sequence from the original. A rodeo is torn apart, while an old movie theater, showing James Whale’s “Frankenstein” is torn asunder, a monster of nature literally replacing the fictional one on the movie house screen.
Yet, it all leaves a bad taste, the increasingly frequent real-world disasters never far from the viewers’ minds. A few nods are given to victims of the storms and their respective communities, but these moments come off as a reluctantly executed commitment rather than a serious consideration of the disasters being used as narrative fodder. It’s obvious more consideration should be given to victims and their plight, but that’s meant for another sort of movie.
Equally dubious is the political tap dancing done in Mark L. Smith’s screenplay. It’s mentioned that tornadoes are occurring more frequently, and flooding has become more severe, yet the term “global warming” is never used. Hotshot Tyler is an obvious red state hero, consciously balanced by Kate’s elitist blue state knowhow, while the make-up of the tornado chasing crew is overtly diverse where race and gender is concerned. Smith toes the line throughout, his obvious intent not to alienate or insult any viewer, almost comical.
As a result, “Twisters” ends up being an exercise in duality, bending over to make sure it comes off as politically correct, while tiptoeing around any hot button issues that would generate any bad word of mouth. Because, in the end, what’s important to Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers is the bottom line. Any nod towards the truth regarding the plight of the victims or the cause of these storms just might keep potential viewers away. Now, that would be a disaster.
2 1/2 Stars
