Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) heads to Oklahoma for Twisters, a sequel to the 1996 blockbuster. Does he bring cinephile purpose to the IG? No. Is it this summer's rollercoaster ride at the movies? Yeehaw!
The Universal Studios franchise, which literally has a theme park ride, is in solid hands here. What Chung delivers is beautifully shot scenes of small-town Oklahoma, "His Girl Friday" energy to the leads and attention to intimate details —all paired with the unrelenting momentum of Oklahoma-sized tornados.
A potentially miscast Daisy Edgar-Jones (SO good Normal People) leads this film as Katy, with a quiet performance that eventually pays off. She's paired with an unusually sparkless Anthony Ramos (In The Heights) as Javi, a fellow storm tracker in what initially seemed destined to be a bland disaster movie.
Enter the outsized charisma of Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man) as Tyler Owens, a reckless media influencer tornado wrangler, famed for his storm-chasing adventures. Powell may be McConaughey-lite, but the camera loves him, and this whole thing quickly becomes his movie.
Ultimately, Twisters packs in one too many tornadoes, diluting the overall impact at the end but I was thrilled to ride along for the action film of the summer — and super glad that this year it's not some flashy franchise hero movie.
In a nutshell: Three things. Tornados thrill more than superheroes. Glen Powell is a star. You can take the whole family.
Where to watch: In theaters. Go IMAX for this.
Would it be better with Olivia Colman: For sure.
Award potential: None,
The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.
