It had been years since I had seen Jan de Bont’s 1996 summer blockbuster Twister.  While I remembered bits and pieces, the only moment that stood out was the flying cow, a sure sign that most of the Helen Hunt/Bill Paxton film had all but faded from my memory.  In preparation for the upcoming sequel, I chose a too-hot weekend day to rewatch it on its newly released 4K/UHD from Warner Bros.  I was amazed not only at how stunning the film looked (improved sound and picture approved by the director is just what the doctor ordered) but how ferociously entertaining it was from beginning to end.  Even now, the effects looked good, the performances were on the mark (a terrific Philip Seymour Hoffman is also on board in the starry supporting cast), and it generally held up incredibly well.  I can’t say the same for every movie released in that era.

Proving that lightning can indeed strike twice (even if it’s nearly three decades apart), the long-awaited sequel, Twisters, is roaring into theaters to save a mediocre summer box office that’s found little room for adults and been mainly for the kids.  With The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Fly Me to the Moon underperforming, only Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and A Quiet Place: Day One have shown lasting potential.  Whipping up a storm of nostalgia and fresh thrills, Twisters is a sequel that honors its predecessor and elevates the franchise to electrifying new heights.

Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Where the Crawdads Sing) is a former storm chaser from Oklahoma who is living in NYC after encountering a devastating tornado incident while doing her college research.  Now studying storm patterns from the safety of an office building instead of an open field, she’s approached by her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) to return home and test a potentially groundbreaking tracking system.  Lured by the hope of ridding herself of the nightmarish guilt she carries, Kate agrees and soon finds herself back in Tornado Alley just as things are getting in gear.

She immediately notices social media sensation Tyler Owens (Glen Powell, Everybody Wants Some!!), a self-proclaimed tornado wrangler who hunts storms while chasing clicks. His rag-tag crew of unassuming talent is the opposite of the stuffy group Kate joins, led by Javi and Scott (David Corenswet, Pearl). With numerous storm systems forming over the state and leaving massive amounts of destruction in their wake, the dueling teams find they’ll have to work together to survive the eye of an unprecedented tempest.

Oscar-nominated for his tender exploration of family dynamics in 2021’s Minari, director Lee Isaac Chung’s shift from that movie’s quiet beauty to the chaos of Twisters is as successful as it is surprising.  I was worried that Chung’s special skill in capturing intimate human (and humane) moments would be lost. However, he’s found a way to deliver a heart-pounding disaster epic and balance surprisingly nuanced character work, never losing sight of the human stories that form the center of mother nature’s wind-swept fury. 

Chung orchestrates scenes of breathtaking destruction (a scene near the end in a movie theater is spectacularly timed, cinematically) and genuine moments throughout the film, highlighting how hearty the human spirit is.  The special effects team is owed kudos for creating freakishly realistic tornados; you’ll grip your armrest to ensure your seat is securely fastened to the floor.  I also appreciated that more time is taken in the sequel to explain the science behind the weather and cover some unknowns scientists are still puzzled over.  This leads to a darker, more menacing tone that ratches up the tension almost from the start.  Emotional stakes are deadly serious as the film demonstrates repeatedly it won’t shy away from plucking out a character to suck up into the swirl.

The chemistry between Hunt and Paxton is a significant reason why the original film succeeds winningly during the non-tornado scenes, and it’s a chief reason why this sequel does so well as a follow-up.  Edgar-Jones is a worthy successor to Hunt, creating a terrific heroine that brings a mix of vulnerability and depth from past trauma to color her outlook on storm chasing five years after her last encounter.  Cranking up his charm meter way past 10, Powell has crackling chemistry with Edgar-Jones, but both he and screenwriter Mark L. Smith (The Boys in the Boat, the film gives story credit to Powell’s Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski) are wise enough not to make romance the order of the day.  Owens has some of his own hang-ups regarding tornadoes, making him the perfect foil to Kate’s caution in approaching these violent weather patterns.  Group scenes have a rhythmic energy, but get Edgar-Jones and Powell alone, and there’s a palpable jolt present.

Supporting player Ramos can’t quite find his way into this formula, and it doesn’t help that he’s paired for much of the film with Corenswet, who further demonstrates a lack of big-screen charisma.  This is terrible news for fans waiting for James Gunn’s reset of the Superman franchise, in which Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel.  Corenswet so often plays these loathsome jerks that changing course to take on everyone’s favorite superhero already feels jarring. The ensemble cast, including Brandon Perea (Nope), Sasha Lane (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Katy O’Brien (Love Lies Bleeding), Tunde Adebimpe (Ultrasound), Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Nik Dodani (Strange World), and Kiernan Shipka (Longlegs), each gets a moment to be singled out. Still, honestly, I was most excited to see Maura Tierney (The Iron Claw) show up late as Kate’s mom.  Tierney livens up any party and she’s very much welcome here.

While a tornado whooshes past you, you can’t help but key into Benjamin Wallfisch’s (Blade Runner 2049) score, with its hints of rousing old-school John Williams filtered through Wallfisch’s ear for excitement.  The effects masterfully showcase the destructive power of nature in the same intricate detail that production designer Patrick Sullivan’s (Música) sets recreate the rampage’s devastating wrath.  I was surprised at how aggressively frightening the movie was at times, but I loved the adrenaline rush I got while watching it.  I’d suggest seeing it on the most giant screen possible with an all-encompassing sound system.

A riveting entry in the disaster genre, Twisters is a force of nature.  A pulse-pounding, relentlessly thrilling ride that honors its roots (nods to the first film are gentle but appreciated) while finding new areas to explore proves that the power of a great story and compelling characters are still the bedrock of any true summer blockbuster.  This is a cinematic cyclone you don’t want to miss riding in theaters.