Twisters is more than just an action film about weather chasers in Oklahoma. It's a love letter to the American heartland. ‘Tornado Alley', located in Oklahoma, is where big city folk are shunned, a British man is the receiving end of jokes and big business is the enemy. It's also a place where Glen Powell's Tyler walks around in cowboy hats (to cheers in movie theater audiences) with his rag-tag team of storm chasers.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we are first introduced to Daisy Edgar-Jones' ‘Kate', who is a storm chaser herself. She's got big ideas and is yearning to create a way to dissolve tornados. Her initial experiment goes terribly awry, and she decamps from her small town to New York, working for the National Weather Service.
It isn't long before her past comes calling for her, in the form of Anthony Ramos' Javi. He urges her to return to Oklahoma, where he could use her scientific mind on his team for a week. After some mild rebuttals, she joins the team and is surprised at seeing all the ‘storm chasers' onsite.
Javi's team, funded by the corrupt businessman Riggs (David Born), are in sleek SUV's with high-tech equipment. His crew have matching uniforms and serious expressions. Meanwhile Tyler's crew are a ragtag tootin' shootin' team of storm aficionados. They come across as a modern day team of cowboys, traversing the plains in pickup trucks instead of horses.
What follows is a story about the modern day American dream. Where the individualism and ruggedness of America is rewarded. Where community is key. It's not surprising when you know that the film is directed by Lee Isaac Chung. A man who grew up primarily in Lincoln, Arkansas, a mere 12 miles from the Oklahoma border. His background clearly comes into play here as he has an eye for local detail.
The film doesn't lack in facts. It makes for a fun science lesson and you'll walk out of the theater knowing what to do and not to do in case you find yourself struck by a twister. That being said, it might not end up in primary school classrooms anytime soon. As one seatmate said, “People kept getting blown away until the very end.” An accurate but succinct observation. Could one part of the world have this many tornadoes? Apparently, yes.
In terms of acting, the stars are all magnetic. Glen Powell is in his element. In every frame, he looks like he is having the time of his life, even when he's supposed to be sad. He has Tom Cruise levels of intensity, and one can't help if that will be his natural career progression. Daisy Edgar-Jones makes the most of what she can with the script, but at times seems a bit vacant behind her large eyes. Anthony Ramos has enormous presence. One wishes he had more screentime, or at least more bromance between Tyler and Javi.
All in all Twisters is a great summer blockbuster and worth seeing in a movie theater rather than a small screen at home.
Twisters is out in theaters now.
