Lots of special effects, lots of destruction and a group of mere mortals who declare war on misery: “Twisters” is pure popcorn cinema and one of the biggest hits of the year. Now the blockbuster is available in home cinema.
In the 1990s, the disaster genre experienced a high – thanks, among other things, to the never-ending blockbuster “Twister”. There has been speculation about a sequel for years, and this summer the time has come. With “Twisters”, however, no direct retelling or generational passing of the baton stormed into cinemas. Instead, “Twisters” is a sequel that follows the old-school motto: “Similar but greater dangers befall new characters!”
It received a good 3.5 stars from FILMSTARTS critic Oliver Kube and is one of the biggest box office hits of the year, grossing $371 million. “Twisters” will be released on October 24, 2024 on DVD, Blu-ray as well as as a 4K disc and in the limited steelbook!
“Twisters” on Amazon*
“Twisters”: A film that touches an American nerve
Former storm chaser Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) has left the US grain belt behind after a stroke of fate. Now she resides at a desk in New York City. But then her former companion Javi (Anthony Ramos) persuades her to test a new type of tracking system in her old homeland. Barely back in rural Oklahoma, Kate meets social media superstar Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). His posturing annoys Kate, but he proves to be a valuable partner when researching increasingly violent weather phenomena…
Contrary to today’s everyday blockbuster routine, “Twisters” is clearly an American box office affair: The film grossed more than $267 million in the United States and Canada, accounting for 72.2 percent of its global box office. For comparison: “Deadpool & Wolverine” made 47.6 percent of its worldwide box office revenue there and “Inside Out 2” only generated 38.5 percent of its revenue in the USA and Canada. “Twister,” meanwhile, split its $494.58 million gross almost 50/50 between the U.S./Canada and the rest of the world.
Calm region, horrible weather
Maybe it has something to do with cultural shifts that happened between “Twister” and “Twisters”: A disaster film about the part of the USA called the Grain Belt or Bible Belt once promised easy-to-digest American romance full of Small town coziness and cohesion. However, the United States has since dismantled this magic most effectively. It is therefore quite conceivable that international film fans simply felt unwelcome when they saw the “Twisters” trailer.
However, it would be a shame if “Twisters” suffered from the massive (and understandable) image problems of the USA. With his $155 million production, “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung has managed to create an entertaining, yet integrity-filled fusion of 90s-style popcorn fun and his own directorial sensibilities.
The director, who grew up on a farm in Arkansas, lovingly and exaggeratedly captures the duality of living in tornado territory: He stages the small towns and huge areas of fields, forests and trails in a comfortable and comfortable way. But it also illustrates the helplessness of the population when a tornado is heading towards them: As much as the weather phenomena in “Twister” offer amusing thrills, in “Twisters” they have something of unstoppable horror. And the destruction they leave behind, under Chung’s direction, isn’t just devastation pomp – it hurts.
Nevertheless, Chung does not lose sight of the tradition in which he stands: the characters are exaggerated, the dialogues are silly and light-hearted and every now and then, far from possible victims, he captures the tornadoes as booming, roaring special effects madness.
In tandem with an unintentionally comic excess of country pop and country rock as well as Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell staring at each other in love, the result is a pleasurable, old-fashioned blockbuster that effortlessly brings together pathos and show value. Even if fans could argue about the ending of “Twisters”:
“I take this very personally!”: “Twisters” star Glen Powell reacts to audience anger
This is a revised republication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
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