REVIEW: ‘Twisters’ has oodles of throwback charm

Twisters, which, as far as naming conventions go for reboots/sequels, is a lay-up, is a sequel to 1996’s Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton blockbuster cyclone-based action-thriller.

2024’s follow-up to that one-off film does something that more movies of its ilk should do. It doesn’t lean on its predecessor. Unlike other reboots, Twisters doesn’t assume the viewer’s comprehensive knowledge of or emotional ties to the original film. Instead, the movie plops us into the Twister universe, a world that is clearly the same one that Hunt and Paxton inhabited in the 90s, just nearly 30 years on. What results is a sequel in spirit and tone but a unique and independent story.

For the most part, this is a solid combination for filmgoers. The screenplay could be described as coherent and silly in the best of ways. Twisters really is a loving nod to the films that led to 1996’s Twister, in a way that might be refreshing to movie fans beleaguered with sequels, reboots, and never-ending franchises. Indeed, Twisters is a dumb, fun thriller, and that’s okay!

The film’s leads, portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, acquit themselves nicely. They bring to the table precisely what Twisters needs; a likable group of protagonists that we, as the audience, would prefer not to see sucked up into a deadly tornado. Powell, who continues his rise to superstar status, is strong here, as is Edgar-Jones, who seems primed for a breakout role.

It’s not a flawless adventure; somehow, the computer-generated tornados occasionally look worse than those created for its 30-year-old predecessor. There’s nothing in Twisters quite as iconic as Helen Hunt’s revelation that a cow was orbiting a cyclone (a cow after which a stuffed animal named Milkshake was modeled and sold at Universal Studios in the late ’90s – enjoy knowing that pointless fact.) While the facts and figures might have changed, the plot doesn’t stray too far from the original. Twisters may seem like “another cow,” but this is more or less the “same one.”

Still, there’s more than enough to enjoy. Between the charm of the up-and-coming cast and the comfy, nostalgic 90s-style thriller feel, Twisters has oodles of throwback charm, making it a good time at the movies for anyone looking for disposable fun.

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