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Twisters opens with Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People) – constantly dressed in shorts and white socks, like she’s just stepped out of a Matalan catalogue, Javi (Anthony Ramos – Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, Dumb Money) and… well, does it really matter?
Her friends are a geeky white girl, black boyfriend, plus an Indian and Mexican lad, all starting a game of Diversity Bingo, who quickly do the ‘tornado weather balls’ thing, as we saw at the end of the original movie, then… well, you’ll see.
Five years on, and Kate has moved on with a new job and life, far away from twistering. However, how come her work computer is all booted up and on the desktop before she’s even arrived in the office?! That was never explained.
Meanwhile, Javi now has a career in tornado-chasing and wants to ‘get the band back together’, while Tyler Owens (Glen Powell – Hit Man, Top Gun Maverick) turns up on the scene as a self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler”. Given that he’s the maverick who tries to get ahead of the others, putting his life at risk, rather than taking precautions, he’s clearly a massive arsehole, so she’s bound to fall in love with him.
Twisters is so-called because instead of them chasing just one, there’s several popping up in this film. In fact, there’s 5 action scenes in total, one of which features ‘twins’ (around 50 minutes in) – something which was made a meal out of in the trailer, yet they quickly separate and only one is the dominating one, so it’s a wasted opportunity.
And even when we get yet another twister scene, while they’re the best (or only, since there’s no plot to care about) part of the film, they still feel all ‘seen it all before’, because we have.
Also, how many tornadoes do they have to go through? How much data do they need? In the first film, they only had one big one to shoot their load, whereas this time round, there’s nothing better to do than go from one to the other, and with no invention like the original had, such as driving through a house.
Plus, this film starts off as a rivalry situation, like how Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt were up against Cary Elwes in the original film, but later, Kate just ends up hanging out with Tyler. Why?? Why not stay with her friends?
Still, at least when it comes to the inanimate objects flying around, they can act better than this cast of vapid oxygen thieves. The only exception is Maura Tierney (The Iron Claw), as Kate’s mum, Cathy. They both have a similar upturned nose, and Maura is still hot at 59.
As an aside, the ragtag team go and help a trashed town at one point. I don’t remember the original characters doing this, unless they’re trying to cram in some social commentary?
Of course, a Twisters sequel to this is being planned… Twist3rs? (patent pending!)
But are they going to have 10 next time? Or 20? Just non-stop Twisters? May as well, given how there’s nothing else going on.
Well, things could’ve been so much different for this film. I so expecting Helen Hunt to be confirmed as returning as Dr Jo Harding, but NO! Wikipedia confirms:
- “In June 2020, Universal Pictures announced it was meeting with writers to develop the reboot, with Frank Marshall attached as a producer and Kosinski in early negotiations as director. Around the same time, the studio rejected plans from Twister actress Helen Hunt to direct a sequel. That version, written by Hunt, Rafael Casal, and Daveed Diggs, who collaborated on the television series Blindspotting, would have followed “all black and brown storm chasers”, members of a rocket science club at a historically black college and university.”
I didn’t realise Helen Hunt had directed anything before, but IMDB confirms a number of TV series episodes, plus the 2014 movie, Ride, co-starring with Luke Wilson. So, why not? But then the studios didn’t go for her tale, and quite frankly, like the version why did get, why are Hollywood celebs so focused on ticking endless diversity boxes?! Just learn how to tell a good story, because they haven’t managed so far!
Later, during the late August National Cinema Day, I went to see this in 4DX at Cineworld Didsbury, and then posted on Reddit: “Is Twisters 4DX meant to VIOLENTLY throw you out of your seat, or was mine turned up to 11?!”
It went like this:
- I’ve heard of some faults occuring with 4DX, and not the likes of, say, the fog machine in my screening where only the left one was working (I was on the right, and I didn’t fancy the screen being filled with fog, anyway, but it looked odd), but I’ve seen a number of films before and only felt the need to make sure I’ve got one hand on my bag strap when there’s room to have it placed on the chair next to me.
However, on Saturday night, while it was fine with the rumblings and then with wind and rain being very effective, when the first storm kicked in, I found myself having to grab round the cupholder on my left side (I only had a 250ml energy drink can in there), but on the right, I had a large water bottle, so basically grabbed onto that, as it was wedged in the cupholder.
Hence, I missed being kicked in the back a lot because I had to slink in my seat, so I could keep one foot on the floor when it got close enough, since the alternative would’ve been to sit upright as usual, and the OTT, unexpected violent jerking would literally have thrown me forward!
I’ve never felt more like I actually needed a seatbelt for 4DX!
I figured I can’t have been the only one, since when that scene abruptly ends and we’re back to daylight for ‘five years later’, there was an outburst of laughter.
However, neither the young women to my right, or the overly-chatty kids to my left looked like they needed to grip the seats, unless something was up with my seat. I was in the left-hand seat of a row of four, and positioned right in the middle of the 4th row.
And in the morning, I could see that I now have a small bruise on the underside of my left arm, and I can feel one developing on my right leg, which I was using to stop myself flying out of my seat, plus my neck and right left also feel slightly stiff. Felt like being in a car crash AND going ten rounds with Mike Tyson!
FWIW, I was in D8 at Didsbury.
I complained to Cineworld and got this reply from the world’s stupidest bottom burp, Raj Khalid, supposed “Customer Experience Manager, Cineworld & Picturehouse Cinemas”:
- “Hi Dom,
Thank you for your feedback regarding your reported experience at Cineworld Didsbury 4DX.
We are not aware of any technical issue with the screen, chairs or effects so unable to account for your comments, nor have any other customers raised concerns as to the effects.
It does appear that you chose not sit correctly in a chair, electing to, by choice, place your foot out off the footrest. Full safety guidance for 4DX is available on our website, screens before each 4DX feature and warning notices around the cinema.
If any customer is uncomfortable with any aspect of their visit, they are more than welcome to inform a member of staff at any point during their visit and we will do our best to accommodate.
I hope your future visits are more in keeping with your expected standard and thank you for your time.”
I replied:
- “Raj, how DARE you twist my words and blame me! If I’d stayed sat upright, I would’ve been THROWN OUT THE CHAIR!!!
I’ve NEVER had such a problem before in 4DX! What a DISGUSTING RESPONSE!
And as I said, there was no-one outside when I left, but during the film, you can barely move outside of the chairs!
GET ME SOMEONE MORE SENIOR!!! AND GIVE ME AN EMAIL ADDRESS TO COMPLAIN TO, NOT A “NO REPLY”!
DO BETTER!”
Raj Khalid didn’t give a shit. When Cineworld goes to the wall, I hope all staff find new jobs somewhere… except him. He can rot in a ditch. Twat.
Finally, there’s no post-credit scene, but a sort-of mid-credits thing, as the characters’ story is continued through the main part of the closing credits.
Twisters is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date TBA.
You can also pre-order the Twister 4K Steelbook, due for release on October 14th 2024.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 122 minutes
Release date: June 17th 2024
Studio: Sony Pictures Releasing
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 (Anamorphic Panavision, Super 35)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 4.5/10
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Producers: Patrick Crowley, Frank Marshall
Screenplay: Mark L Smith
Music: Benjamin Wallfisch
Cast:
Kate: Daisy Edgar-Jones
Tyler: Glen Powell
Javi: Anthony Ramos
Boone: Brandon Perea
Cathy: Maura Tierney
Ben: Harry Hadden-Paton
Lily: Sasha Lane
Jeb: Daryl McCormack
Addy: Kiernan Shipka
Praveen: Nik Dodani
Scott: David Corenswet
Dexter: Tunde Adebimpe
Dani: Katy O’Brian
Riggs: David Born
Debra: Laura Poe
Manny: Austin Bullock
Mike: Stephen Oyoung
Peter: Alex Kingi
Andy: Chris Adrien
Cody: James Paxton
Kayleigh: Lily Smith
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.