The Film Buffa Reviews: 5 things to know about 'Twisters'

Does it play the hits and split, or is it something special like the 1996 original?

Sequels aren’t going away, and it’s because of films like Twisters. An easy to please reprint of the original model, oiled up with some Glen Powell and given some sophistication by Daisy Edgar Jones. The director of Minari gets to go big, and the opening weekend box office success proves it was a wise idea. Projected to make $40-50 million in its first few days, it got closer to $80 million in reality.

Universal Pictures

But how good is it, really? Worth seeing soon, later, or not at all? Before I give my final rating (we have ratings now), here are a few things to know/highlights from my viewing. Something to consider before pressing go on tickets and concessions.

1) Glen charm goes a long way

Unlike his dry performance in the beloved Netflix original, Hitman, Powell gets to turn on the charm again--something he’s been doing since enlivening the A.A.R.P-infused Expendables 3. As the YouTube storm-chasing sensation, Tyler Owens, he gets to bring the charismatic prom king jazz to someone whose name brandishes a shirt. Tyler is the kind of guy is scared of people with PhDs and a modern-day approach to doing something crazy.

Powell seems like he’s lived in the role for years, giving off that leading man versatility. Is he still taking too many classes at the Tom Cruise school of expressions and mannerisms? Yes, but he’s just getting warmed up so I’m fine with it.

2) Anthony Ramos can show up in every movie if he wants

Ever since he appeared on screen as the best friend of Lady Gaga’s Ally, I have been stuck inside Ramos’ spell. An easygoing smile and Leguizamo screen energy carries the initial impression, but he can go deep and change speeds on the fly. He gives more than the script offered to him, enhancing a role as Edgar-Jones’ tech friend who takes a big step of his own. Give me more Ramos action, and place him in the lead more often.

3) There is zero connection to Twister

It’s not a good or bad thing, but I kept thinking Edgar-Jones would turn out to be the daughter of Helen Hunt’s character, and it would all make beautiful sense. That’s not a spoiler at all, because I made it up in my head. The script-put together by Mark L. Smith, Michael Crichton, and Joseph Kosinski-is derivatively thin. There’s no callbacks to the original; only a cameo from the late Bill Paxton’s son connects any dots.

A trio of that writing order could have done better than this. Teenage flirting, a three act plot that could be glued together in 30 minutes or less, and expected thrills allow the film to only go so far. Outside of some farm friendly shots, I didn’t see much of a stamp from Lee Issac Chung in Twisters. Maybe that’s normal. Maybe not, though.

4) The special effects are the MVP

When the film is right, it plays the hits. As Dustin Hoffman once told Jon Favreau in a cinematic kitchen, sometimes you just need to play the hits. If people show up for tornado Jagger, you serve them tornado Jagger. The satisfaction comes when the plot sets the characters down in a seemingly calm and pretty town. A few minutes later, a CGI-beast mode tornado tears it to pieces.

I liked the parts of the film that paid attention to the post-storm moments in a town. How a block of stores turns into a box a few people can carry. Powell’s Tyler pointing out that the level tornado assigned to the storm is assessed mainly by the amount of damage it inflicts. That’s fascinating tidbits of info that come with the thrills.

5) The soundtrack is the closest thing to a tribute to the original

I remember the original’s soundtrack, song and score, providing a unique heartbeat to the film’s appeal. The tunes were all over the place and the score majorly borrowing from a Spielberg adventure flick, but it somehow synced with the things that the film was built on: the tornados.

If all we heard was wind each time these “wranglers” ride into a field of bad intentions, it would get very odd quite fast. So the country song and alternative blend of tunes serves what the film is trying to accomplish. Long story short, it works.

Overall rating. It’s nothing new. It’s not terrible, or something you’ll regret seeing. It’s derivative of the superior 1996 edition. The plot here is a repaint of that sexy ass original model, and as the great Jim Tudor would say after leaving a screening and being asked for his verdict: “it’s fine.”

So, where does it fall on the BRAND NEW film rating chart? Let’s go over the scale one more time. It’s either worth seeing now (a biggie for a theater only release like this one), later on, or never at all.

Twisters is… drum roll please… worth seeing in a theater relatively soon. First week? Nah. You can wait, and let the initial gangbuster rush takes fold and die down. However, seeing it with an audience boasts the fun factor of a theater ticket.

The Powell charm and action-packed outweigh the thin script and nothing new thrills. You won’t leave blown away and ready to buy a Powell protein shake, but you will be waiting for what he does next. Edgar-Jones isn’t necessarily bad here as our heroine Kate, but she doesn’t make a dent. All in all, go see it if you’re a big fan of the original with modest expectations about the end product.

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