In a summer full of action movies, I wondered if “Twisters” would have what it took to stand out. A sequel to the 1996 Twister, I also was curious how it compared with the original film. But I was pleasantly surprised with a film that is exciting and emotional, with a cast of colorful characters, with standout performances by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell.

“Twisters” is a disaster film directed by Lee Isaac Chung with a screenplay by Mark L. Smith from a story by Joseph Kosinski. Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a former storm-chaser who is haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado. She is lured back to Oklahoma by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to help test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She and Javi soon cross paths with charismatic Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) , a charming but reckless social media superstar who posts his storm chasing adventures. He and his team, Boone (Brandon Perea) videographer, Lily (Sasha Lane) drone operator, Dani (Katy O’Brian) mechanic, and Dexter (Tundi Adebimpe) scientist,  soon find themselves along with Kate, in the fight for their lives as multiple storms converge over central Oklahoma. Maura Tierney also stars as Kate’s mother Cathy and Harry Hadden-Paton as Ben, a journalist profiling Tyler.

One of the reasons this film was so emotional is the focus on Kate and her story. The film introduces us by showing us her devastating encounter with a tornado and the loss she experiences. When we next meet up with Kate, she refuses even to go home to Oklahoma to see her mother and works from a desk helping track storms. The film does a great job of showing the progress of Kate delving into her trauma and facing her fears in order to help others who have been hurt by tornadoes. Daisy Edgar-Jones does a fantastic job of showing the viewers both how smart Kate is but also her motivations in what she does. The story stays focused on Kate and it is exciting to see such a strong female protagonist, one that can be afraid but still tackle difficult tasks like chasing a devastating storm in order to help others. 

What is clever about “Twisters” is that while there is a romantic subplot between Kate and Tyler, it never causes the film to lose its focus on Kate and her journey. The romance is all flirting, humor and friendship as Tyler helps Kate see how to face her fears and helps her bring back her passion for helping other people. The repartee between the two is charming, funny, and helps make both characters very likable. I also like that humor between Kate and her mother. Maura Tierney adds flair to the role and is the highlight of the second act of the film. Between the humor and the understated romantic elements, the film’s pacing is solid, keeping the action flowing and building to an exciting third act. 

While I am certainly not a scientist, I also found that the scientific elements were well explained, definitely believable and with the way it is delivered by Kate and Tyler, almost riveting. The solution Kate has for the storm makes sense and never makes me lose my suspension of disbelief. While there are moments I wonder if the person in the path of the storm would survive under the circumstances presented in the movie, the action does a solid job of keeping me from focusing on those elements. 

The cast is colorful and the acting does a lot of the heavy lifting of making this movie so entertaining. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Kate as smart but also emotionally scarred and her scenes as she confronts her fears are powerful. She is as charming as her co-star Glen Powell and their dynamic, snarky and competitive, really sells the flirtatious scenes between the two. Glen Powell is magnetic as reckless Tyler Owens and manages to straddle the line between a fool and a caring individual. Powell infuses his character with just the right blend to be believable as a good guy. Anthony Ramos as Javi is equally endearing, with a conflicted and complex past with Kate and with a great character arc that leaves him vying with Tyler and his team. The actors that play Tyler’s crew, Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, and Tundi Adebimpe are all colorful, fun and add a lot of heart to the story. Maura Tierney is scene stealer of the film, with a ton of humor and flair that she infuses into her part.

While a solid film with tons of heart, emotion and excitement, there are some predictable beats to the movie. The beginning sequence is completely easy to figure out what is going to happen. The flirtation between Kate and Tyler is also a predictable beat. I do like that romance is subverted to focus on Kate’s science, her progress and her journey. Even though there are a lot of predictable moments in the movie, I still enjoyed the action, the depiction of the tornadoes and the way the team comes together to fight the final storm. 

If you like disaster films, enjoyed the original Twister, and like exciting and emotional narratives, then I do recommend this movie. It was much more fun that I had anticipated and is a great addition to the slate of summer blockbusters. It is all about facing your fears and taming storms. It doesn’t get more adventurous than that. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 storms. 

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