Let’s go back to 1996. The year that Twister hit the screens. A big, loud, visually impressive blockbuster that could easily be placed in the disaster movie category but seemed more to be out to amaze the audience with its effects, including the flying cow. Now we have Twisters, a stand-alone sequel that takes moments from the original film and hits us with even more effects and tornados. You instantly feel you are back in the cinema of the 90s. While everything here is the same as back then, apart from effects that have moved on, it feels like the same movie; it also seems to lack something that the other film had.

Kate is a storm chaser who tries to find a way of disposing of tornados using a secret formula she has created. While entering a colossal storm, tragedy hits, and Kate moves away from risking her life to a job in New York behind a desk. That is until old friend Javi tracks her down and persuades her to work with him on a project that creates 3D images of tornados. Unsure, she heads to Oklahoma, where bad weather hits the state. While there, she meets Tyler, a YouTube star full of arrogance and bravado, yet she seems to connect with Kate as they head to the heart of the storms.

Originally a movie for Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, it has been passed on, surprisingly, to Lee Isaac Chung, the man behind the critically favoured Minari, the story of a family of Korean immigrants starting a new life farming. This means that the film is impressive to look at. One of Minari’s high points is his cinematography; Chung does not disappoint here. Capturing the open plains of Oklahoma and the life of small-town America, it has a sense of style.

What is even more surprising is that for a director who has only dealt with small, independent filmmaking and character-driven storylines, he handles the action sequences incredibly well. There are many of them, and they often go on for quite some time, whether as the rival group heads out to face the storms full-on or in a rodeo stadium or the big finale in a small town. They are full of impressive moments where the tension is almost unbearable as the strength of each storm seems to get worse as the film progresses.

Where the film’s struggles are two-fold. Firstly, as impressive as the storm scenes are, they become a little repetitive. A cloud forms that may or may not be something dangerous and away we go, heading into the centre without any real thought for safety. This happens a lot throughout the 2-hour running time. The second issue is how little we care about the characters to care what happens to them. Something you definitely didn’t get with the original Twister.

The problem is these are almost one-dimensional creations. We understand Kate’s plight, suffering from a tragic event that leaves her not wanting anything to do with storm chasing until her friend arrives. Almost without hesitation, she says yes but complains that she doesn’t want to do this anymore. The friend Javi seems bright and excited to have such a talent as Kate, who can read storms before they arrive yet has a hidden agenda for his team of chasers. Finally, there’s Tyler, a cowboy with a knowing smile and a pile of merchandise who does it for the fans of his social media channel, yet underneath, you know there’s a nice guy.

This is all good but fails to have the same chemistry as Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in the original film. You seem to care about them, and when they find themselves trapped in a near-death experience, you want them to survive. I’m not saying we don’t with the new cast, but they had something special that this new team doesn’t.

Daisy Edgar-Jones, from Normal People, does an excellent job as Kate, with a flawless American accent, although to look at her, it’s hard to imagine that she would throw herself into a tornado at any time. Anthony Ramos, as Javi, flashes his blue eyes but is given very little to actually do apart from the drive and shout a lot over the thunderous soundtrack. Leaving Glen Powell as Tyler to win the audience over. This new big star already has hits like Top Gun: Maverick and the romantic comedy Anyone But You behind him. This should put him on the map as the next big thing as he struts around the film with that twinkle and shiny white teeth.

Twisters isn’t terrible, and it isn’t amazing either. It’s a film to enjoy on the big screen with a loud sound to get the full effect, but you leave feeling slightly empty. It is a crowd-pleaser that won’t have the same affection as the original.

3 out of 5

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack

Written by: Mark L. Smith, (story) Joseph Kosinski, (based on the characters created) Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin

Running Time: 122 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 18th July 2024