Julia, I got to go, we got a brand new “Twister” re-boot to review!
As storm clouds gather over Hollywood, the highly anticipated sequel to the 1996 classic “Twister” takes us back into the eye of the storm. With a new generation of storm chasers and cutting-edge CGI, “Twisters” aims to reignite the thrill of tornado chasing, but does it spin a tale worth watching or just blow away in the wind?
First, let’s recap. The original opens with a harrowing scene with a young Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) surviving a devastating tornado on her family’s Oklahoma farm. She, her parents and her dog that oddly resembles Toto from “Wizard of Oz” encounter an F5 tornado that ultimately leads to her father being sucked in and killed.
This trauma inspires Harding to become an all-out storm chaser with the hopes of gathering scientific data to help predict tornadoes and warn people faster. She’s about to embark on a journey to chase a super cell of said twisters with her team (made up of an all-star cast including Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Alan Ruck) when her ex-husband Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) cruises up in a shiny red truck with his new bride to be, Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz).
Nearly 30 years since the first one premiered, “Twisters” provides viewers with a mirrored story of Bill and Jo, only this time with Tyler (Glen Powell) and Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones). Their heart-pounding romance is not as steamy but has the same trauma-bonding excitement as the first.
The tornadoes are just as gut-wrenching, too.
As a Midwesterner born-and-raised, I have heard the sirens one too many times to not get that sinking feeling every time I see stormy skies. The CGI and action look so real in “Twisters” that you feel like you are in the center of the vortex. A little queasy, to say the least.
None of the original cast returned for this version, but the characters, tornadoes and catchy lines are mimicked throughout. Like the first one, “Twisters” is jam-packed with stormy scenes and attractive actors that make you think “How can they possibly still look that good after just being inside a tornado?”
The plot was predictable due to its resemblance to the first, but it was still thrilling to watch.
As someone who has rewatched the first one several times, this was a refreshing new take. The background characters were less explored, as was the romance between Tyler and Kate. In lieu of these plot points, writers chose to focus on Kate and Tyler’s backgrounds, which added more emotion to the film and made their purpose for going inside a tornado at least slightly more understandable.
The film was modernized in a tasteful way, which deserves praise. Often with reboots, we see some cringy slang or a dated iPhone that is out of place. “Twisters” has some of this, but not a ton. The technology doesn’t seem real, but then again, it probably didn’t seem all that real in the first one, either.
Overall, the movie was a thrilling take on a timeless classic. Goofy and enjoyable, the cast is led by an emotional performance of Edgar-Jones and the bronzy charms of Powell. “Twisters” was not as good as the first, but the elements are the same: The warm air meets the cold, romance is rekindled and the farm animals go flying.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
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