Twisters Double Feature: Retrospective & Review
INTRO
Recently my family and I spent a day celebrating the release of Twisters by getting together, watching the original, eating our version of Aunt Meg's cookin' and then seeing the new film in IMAX, We had a wonderful day and I'd like to share my thoughts on the films and the experience as it was truly a day that reminded me why Film means so much to me.
TWISTER
The Experience: Mine has always been a movie family growing up which I am very grateful for. The 90's were a great time to be a kid/pre-teen with the kinds of films we were getting. They were all entertaining as hell and fun for the whole family. Twister is a great example of this. We went opening weekend back in 1996 and we've been watching it ever since. We aren't usually together when we watch anymore but I still think we all manage to watch it annually in our own separate lives.
It also became a staple in our house because it was one of the two films we used to test out any new sound system my dad just bought, which was rather often. The other film was Top Gun. Watching Twister again with the family was great, like no time had passed as they say. The comfort and joy of experience a favorite together is special and we don't get the opportunity to do it much anymore. It also helped that it was accompanied by another family staple, my dad's cooking.
As further celebration of the films my dad made us his version of the meal Aunt Meg serves the team in the first film. Eggs, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and instead of Steak we did Hamburger Steaks with cheese. It was of course, delicious.
The Film: Twister is still great! Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt are just fantastic, and they work with and bounce off each other so well, it's so fun. Helen Hunt especially delivers a more emotionally nuanced performance as someone who is almost dangerously obsessed with something as a result of childhood trauma. All that could easily go to a much darker place, but the Film and Hunt maintain the lightness of the tone while still delivering effective emotional beats. Her delivery of the line "You've never seen it miss this and miss that house and come after you" really sells her obsession and slight delusion that drives her, and it really got to me on a rewatch. Also, I HAVE to mention the late great Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty. He injects so much energy and fun into the film it makes you want to know a dude like that in real life.
I think the effects and action sequences totally hold up. There are some wonky moments here and there but that's common in big blockbusters these days, including Twisters. But like Twisters it's never enough to take you out of the experience. Before we watched it, I looked up the original trailer for Twister and if that dropped these days, I'd still be there opening day. I wish it had been an option to see it in a theater again.
Great Characters, Great Action, Great Film. As good as it was 26 years ago.
TWISTERS
The Experience: The Family and I had to see it on the biggest screen we could, so we went for the IMAX and I'm glad we did. Some of us wanted to do it the 4DX but not everyone wanted to be thrown around for two hours. After my first viewing I decided I will be seeing it in the 4DX for my second.
Been a while since the whole family went to a movie together and it was really nice. No one fell asleep, no one had to go to the restroom in the middle of it. We were all glued to our seats and having a great time. And as a bonus they all got to experience their favorite part of going to the theater with me, watching me absolutely weep at a movie trailer. This time it was Alien Romulus.
The Film: Do you remember when Disaster movies were full of heart, humor, good characters, as well as exciting spectacle? Twisters remembers.
Let's start with the Direction by Lee Isaac Chung. I loved it. One element of this film I especially appreciated were the scene transitions. There was an early one that used a seamless as hell sky transition and I thought to myself "oooh that's nice" and we got a few more later that were just as smooth and tasty. One tornado sequence is done in a one off and its fantastically intense. And I got to give some credit to the writing as well because there's a lot of exposition in this movie, there kind of has to be, but it is consistently delivered in a natural or entertaining ways. It made us feel like we're learning but not actually being taught. And of course, the tornado action is awesome! There's a higher body count than the first but that's to be expected in a modern film. It never gets too bleak or gratuitous, but it does ratchet up the tension when an established character is in mortal danger. It helps that most of the characters are very like-able.
Let's start with Main two, Kate played by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Tyler played by Glen Powell. They're both great and have really good chemistry that is completely believable. I won't compare them to Paxton and Hunt because the movie really doesn't. If anything, Kate is a combination of both those characters with the sense for storms and being out of the game but also the tragic backstory and Edgar-Jones carries all that wonderfully. Then there's Tyler. Tyler is the kind of southern truck cowboy douche I should hate, but Glen Powell is too damn charming. He's a natural born movie star, no wonder he's exploding lately. (Side Note: Super excited to see him in Edgar Wright's 'Running Man')
The supporting cast in this is also very strong. The new team of scrappy chasers is full of fun and interesting folks. But notably less members than the original film which lets each individual member shine a bit more and there's not a weak link amongst them. But I will highlight Katy O'Brien as Dani, she was very good in 'Love Lies Bleeding' and it was cool to see her also nail a much more lighthearted and fun role, she was probably my favorite. Brandon Perea as Boone is about the closest we get to the new Dusty, and he lives up to it. He's also a loud Youtuber, another kind of person I should hate but he's too damn fun. Finally, Kieran Shipka as Addy really just to mention that I felt she was actually the highlight of the recent film 'Longlegs" which had Nicholas Cage and so many others doing great work, so it was good to see Shipka make her mark in Twisters as well. She deserves more and bigger parts in movies, says I.
When it comes to comparing this one to the original, I just rather not. One doesn't have to be better than the other. Twisters is worthy to stand beside Twister and they make a hell of a double feature. There's really only one thing cementing this film as a sequel, and it was enough for me. I also think it makes sense that we got a sequel so many years after the original. In the first film they were experiencing an unprecedented Tornado streak. (They have to in order to get all the Tornado action in a span of two days.) So, it makes sense that it would take 26 years for something like that to happen again.
Okay, things I didn't like. There's only 2 and they really don't have any huge effect on the quality of the film. They are more personal gripes than anything.
1. No Helen Hunt. There is a character in there that could've been and I think maybe was supposed to be Helen Hunt at some point but they decided against it. Probably because it would fall into a big Legacy Sequel troupe that audiences are really tired of but it would've been nice to see Helen in there somewhere.
2. The title reveal. This is a very specific gripe, but the title reveal at the beginning is just a bit boring which is a shame because there is a perfect place for it a little later. After the exciting prologue while we're still holding our breath, they could've just hit us with it like a "Hell Yeah welcome to Twisters BABY!" As it stands, I think it's a little too subtle to muster up the proper excitement.
Homages: This film has a lot of little call backs to the original film but none of them ever stop the movie dead or feel unnatural. Here's the ones I spotted. (Very Minor Spoilers)
1. A theater is destroyed during a Tornado
2. Kate wears both of Helen Hunts exact outfits from the original film.
3. Chickens instead of Cows but different context.
4. During a home-cooked meal someone tells a story of a main character going out in a storm naked.
5. "Nice to have you back" "I'm not back"
6. They still use Dorothy from the first film.
7. This isn't specific to the just the first film, but both make Wizard of Oz references for obvious reasons but at one point a character says something about having Brains just as some straw blows right into his face. I absolutely Loved that.
I'm sure there are more references and call backs that I missed. I'll have to see if I can spot more while I'm being tossed around in my 4DX viewing.
CONCLUSION
Quite Honestly Twisters Day with the family went as good as I could've hoped. Good Food, Good Movies, Good Company, Great Day! I highly Recommend Twisters. See it on the biggest loudest screen possible. And if you have special group of folks to join in I recommend the full Twisters Day experience. It's a Blast!
"If you Feel it. Chase it!"
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