Twisters is a new version of the 1996 movie
It’s not the first time tornadoes have conquered the silver screen. The first version of Twisters premiered in 1996 and featured Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was a box-office success, earning US$494 million worldwide, as well as gaining a legion of fans and several reruns on TV. But like any classic, the plot that could potentially be followed up has fallen by the wayside over the years.
In the original story, university professor Jo Harding and a team of under-resourced students prepare the prototype of Dorothy, an innovative device that collects tornado data, created by her ex-husband Bill. When Harding reveals to Bill that Dorothy is ready for testing and that his rival Jonas Miller has stolen his idea, Bill joins the team for one last mission in the search for tornadoes.
The retelling of the 2024 story is very different and promises to win over Generation Z, especially with Hollywood’s favorite and most coveted names in the cast. We now know the story of Kate Cooper (Edgar-Jones), a former storm chaser who after experiencing a traumatic episode with a tornado and losing her friends starts to work at NY Weather Forecast. But the past is not something that can be easily forgotten. And we’re counting on it!
One of her former colleagues, Javi (Anthony Ramos), invites the protagonist to embark on a venture to test a new tracking system that could prevent disasters and save lives. Back in Oklahoma, Kate has to face her greatest fear once again, as she puts herself in danger once more.
Glen Powell plays cowboy Tyler Owens, who has a peculiar team by his side and calls themselves “the tornado chasers”. With a charismatic personality (this is one of the production’s strengths), the character is a necessary counterpoint to Kate’s rigidity. On his YouTube show, the adventurer posts his dangerous exploits, encouraging other admirers of the phenomenon to join in the race. Tyler doesn’t run away from his fears, even when he should.
Twisters is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, which is enough to generate public interest in the production. Another highlight is the direction by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), who now in a high-budget movie manages to explore the beauty and complexity of tornadoes (after all, their destructive potential is still measured by their destruction). There are references here and there to global warming, as the phenomenon is becoming more and more frequent in the USA.
And even with a chaotic pace that mixes impactful scenes, special effects, chases, and romance, the audience can digest the plot easily. This is something that Spielberg manages to do with flying colors (you can’t forget his classics such as E.T. and Jurassic Park), presenting fantasy scenarios, anchored in our reality, with a lot of lightness, humor, and sympathy. Elements that make up the classic feature films that earned the title “afternoon session”.
Obviously, the plot can’t escape the clichés, even though Glen Powell and Edgar-Jones make an interesting couple in fiction, and without the need for grand romantic gestures. Twisters manages to be a good tribute to its predecessor while creating its legacy. It doesn’t aim to be more than it is, but it manages to leave the door open for a possible sequel. That is, of course, if the public approves.
Twisters opens in theaters on July 11.
