Every few years, Hollywood can surprise itself with a fresh-feeling blockbuster, a surprise the industry is then very good at turning into an infinitely repeatable algorithm. In the last decade or so, some of these ‘template’ films have been Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick, and Into the Spider-Verse and now, with the release of its first spiritual progeny, I think we can add Top Gun Maverick to the mix. Twisters, the bigger and louder follow up to the 1996 original, follows Maverick’s recipe to a T; legacy sequel, as many practical effects as possible, gung-ho American patriotism, and Glen Powell. It’s a mix that worked genuinely perfectly for Maverick and, while Twisters doesn’t come close to that film’s heights, as a first test case for a summer tentpole using Maverick’s blueprint, it’s mostly a success.
Though the tornadoes take the title role and Daisy Edgar-Jones gets top billing as measured, determined meteorologist/storm chaser Kate, it’s Powell, playing cocky-but-capable cowboy and viral YouTube ‘tornado wrangler’ Tyler Owens, who really fuels Twisters. From the moment he’s introduced driving into Oklahoma’s ‘tornado alley’ at the head of a rough-and-ready convoy of high-speed-winds enthusiasts, it’s a pure movie star performance – charming, charismatic, and sharing chemistry with everyone else on the cast list.
It’s vital that he’s so good, able to propel the pretty meh story (more giant tornadoes than ever are hitting Oklahoma, it’s up to Kate and Tyler to figure out a solution) through its slightly too common moments of downtime and distract from the fact that Edgar-Jones is not a very good lead, too bland and clean to front a humanity vs the elements tale like this. The supporting cast are more fun; Anthony Ramos does a fine line in sad resignation as Kate’s best friend who is desperately in love with her but can’t compete with rugged Tyler, while Brandon Perea and Sasha Lane are both having a great time as some key members of Tyler’s crew.
But enough about the people, who are (Powell aside) much less compelling than their 1996 equivalents – how’s the weather? The weather is very bad which, for us, is a very good thing. Director Lee Isaac Chung (previously best known for the quiet Korean-American indie Minari) really hurls the elements at his cast, packing an impressive sense of raw, unstoppable power behind his tornadoes, even if the sound design could have stood to be a little punchier.
Chung’s decision to shoot on film is an excellent one, and must have been something he fought hard for. It gives all these slices of Americana (prepare for a lot of American flags, country music, cowboy hats, and rodeos) real texture that makes it much more impactful when they’re ripped up and hurled skywards – no flying cows this time out, but the winds claim plenty of trucks, houses, and even a power plant. Though an additional big set-piece might have been welcomed (the one thing Twisters doesn’t really take from Maverick is *relentless* fun), this is a solid slice of old-school blockbuster filmmaking, dodging superheroes and lasers in favour of real people looking hot and facing down impossible odds with little more than a grin and a four-wheel-drive.
Jack Blackwell – Film Reviews 