Twisters movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Twisters

This exciting summer blockbuster released in theaters on July 19, 2024.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 57 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A

SPONSOR of Today’s movie review:

The Twister party game! Link: https://amzn.to/3SSB7Yz

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a retired tornado chaser/meteorologist who is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.

The fun disaster movie was directed by Oscar-nominated Lee Isaac Chung. Writing credits go to Mark L. Smith, Joseph Kosinski, and Michael Crichton.

Already, the trailer has been nominated for an award. This is the type of movie that must be seen on the biggest screen you can find.

This feels like a summer blockbuster. It’s hard to believe it’s been 28 years since we’ve had a big tornado disaster movie, right? I really enjoyed it, but my husband’s comment was “Eh. It was okay.” For what it’s worth, it takes a LOT to impress him.

THINGS I LIKED:

It has been 5 minutes, so that means it’s time for another Glen Powell movie, right? He has had quite a year so far! He’s claiming to be the next Tom Cruise. Maybe, but Tom is still out there making incredible movies so you can’t kick him off his pedestal yet! He definitely oozes star quality and has had some fantastic success on the Big Screen with Top Gun Maverick, Netflix’s Hitman, and HBO Max’s Anyone But You.
I adore Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos and was so excited to see him in this. He can do it all: sing, rap, dance, drama, comedy. He was fantastic in Hamilton and sooo charming in the film In The Heights. I was sad to see him in a dumb love triangle in this movie.
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where The Crawdads Sing), Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, and Brandon Perea also do a good job in their roles.
Daisy Edgar-Jones’ character really is the center of this film. (Of COURSE she is since almost every movie nowadays features a young woman as the heroine.)
This movie is extremely immersive.
As expected, the sound design is very good. It would have to be for this kind of movie.
My expectations were very high because I loved the original Twister movie from 1996. The good news is this film feels like it belongs to the 90s…in a good way.
The set pieces are really great.
You don’t have to know anything about the first Twister movie to enjoy this reboot thoroughly.
Great soundtrack!
Fun Fact #1: Well, it’s not really fun. About 80 people die every year from tornadoes!
Fun Fact #2: Despite movies focusing on Kansas or Oklahoma as the site of dangerous tornadoes, Texas actually leads the USA in the number of tornadoes.
Social media is illustrated in the film by showing tourists who use an app to chase tornadoes, making the movie feel updated. Glen Powell’s character is a YouTuber who shows people how to chase Tornado.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

In terms of realism, some critics are saying this film isn’t as good as the original Twister. What do YOU think?
Tons of cliches.
I don’t like cocky people, so it took me a little while to warm up to Glen Powell’s character.
There is no connection to the first Twister movie released in 1996. I would love to have seen some connection to the first Twister movie. They could have easily made Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton the parents of Daisy Edgar-Jones’ character. RIP Bill Paxton. Fans of the original movie would have loved it. The only callback is when they mention the name of the scientific device, which is Dorothy, the same device used in the original Twister movie.
The two leading men kind of became just sidekicks of Daisy Edgar-Jones’ character. Lame. Even though I’m a woman, I’m getting really tired of women being the smartest characters in every movie nowadays. As a mother of 4 sons, that drives me nuts. Why can’t men and women be celebrated for their unique qualities?
I loved that in the original movie, they used physical effects to add to the visual effects of tornadoes. This one really relies on CGI almost 100%

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Small children might be frightened by the tornadoes.
Some profanity
People are in dangerous situations
People actively put themselves in dangerous situations
People and animals are killed
Lots of destruction

THEMES:

Nature
Science
Fear
Tornadoes
Teamwork
Past trauma

LAME LINE:

“If you feel it, chase it.” – Tyler (Glen Powell)

INTERESTING LINES:

“It’s okay to be scared. Fear is the reason you do it. You don’t face your fears. You ride ‘em.” Tyler (Glen Powell)
Tyler: We don’t know how a tornado forms. We see the hook on the radar , but…
Kate: What are all the invisible factors coming together? I mean, every little detail has to be perfect. Tyler: And it’s a mix of what we know and everything we can’t understand. It’s part science, part religion.