Lee Isaac Chung's Twisters, the semi-sequel to 1996’s flying-cow spectacle, Twister, is an adrenaline-pumping, big-screen thrill ride that combines the beauty of meteorological science with the chaos of nature. But at its core, Twisters is a story about people. In fact, Chung has succeeded where so many other disaster movie filmmakers fail miserably: he populates his film with characters we love and love to hate, but most importantly, characters we care about.

The story follows former storm chaser Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Where the Crawdads Sing) who, after a traumatic tornado encounter in her early days as a storm chaser, now studies storm patterns from the safety of her New York City office. Her passion for adventure is rekindled when old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos, Hamilton) lures her back into the game with his revolutionary new tornado tracking system. Together they hit the road with hopes of capturing nature’s fury in its rawest form.

But once back in the heart of “Tornado Alley,” Kate, Javi, and crew cross paths with something far more vivacious than a silly F5 tornado. They Meet Tyler Owens (Glen Powell, Top Gun: Maverick), a reckless and charming social media star – with his own merch line – who wrangles tornadoes for online fame.

Tyler leads a raucous band of “extreme meteorologists,” whose only ambition is to get close enough to a twister to light it up with fireworks while live streaming. Because… ‘Merica. Their adventures in chasing dangerous weather have made them Internet famous.

As storm season begins to intensify, so do the terrifying meteorological phenomena as Kate, Tyler, Javi and their crews find themselves not only facing nature's fury and their own fears, but also the conundrum of doing what’s right for the sake of humanity.

The film's score is nothing short of fantastic, heightening the tension and drama throughout. What makes Twisters particularly unique is its rootedness in reality; the screenplay is steeped in accurate and authentic meteorological science, which adds a layer of credibility often missing in disaster films. Anyone remember the original?

Let’s talk about Glen Powell, who not only steals every scene he’s in, but whose on-screen charisma and pizzazz rival the intensity of the film's tornadoes. Why is he not Hollywood’s go-to leading man? His portrayal adds a much-needed layer of youthful exuberance and recklessness which balances well against Edgar-Jones' softer, intelligent, and courageous Kate. She holds her own, however, as the chemistry between the two is always dynamic, heartfelt, and entertaining. The film is always better when they are on the screen together.

As expected, Ramos also impresses as the once shabby, oft-hungover party animal, who re-enters Kate’s life as an ambitious, straight-edged entrepreneur.

While Twisters may not break any new ground in the disaster/adventure genre, it is just successful enough to be a worthwhile watch as a popcorn-munching summertime diversion that provides a much-needed escape from the scorching outdoor temperatures. Chung and screenwriter Mark L. Smith’s love and attention to their characters sets it apart from most other adventure films.

Equally important to Twisters’ success are its top-notch special effects which do most of the heavy lifting in this spectacular man vs. nature tale. Though about twenty minutes too long, it is worth catching on the big screen if you can.

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD

Home Video Distributor: Universal
Available on Blu-ray - October 22, 2024
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH; French; Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Twisters blows onto hi-def with a very nice 4K UltraHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code Collector's Edition. The two-disc set comes in a black eco-case wrapped in a cardboard slip cover with identical artwork.

VIDEO

There's a lot going in the movie and Universal's Native 2160p picture with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is more than up to the task of bringing the full wrath of Mother Nature into your living room with a snappy presentation that will, ahem, blow you away. Sorry.

As expected, there is a lot of darkness throughout the movie with dark, angry clouds, and swirling dust and debris everywhere. But the shot-on-film 4K 2.39:1 transfer to disc is a beautiful one with perfectly rendered details throughout and a nicely handled grain texture that perfectly complements the gritty subject matter.

With loads of CGI-generated content, one might think the flaws of the process would come to our attention frequently, however, that's not the case. The graphics blend perfectly with the live action and put us right in the middle of the action. Very well done!

AUDIO

Here's where this release really sings. Pop in the disc and let the Dolby Atmos track eat! The sounds of Mother Nature are the predominant feature and swirl around the room as storm after storm beats a path through the countryside.

The true miracle here is that dialogue always remains clear, crisp, and perfectly audible even as all hell is breaking loose. Want to impress your friends and family with your home video setup? Then pop in Twisters, strap in and hold one. You're in for one helluva ride!

Supplements:

No skimping on details here. This release comes with several action-packed bonus pieces, an audio commentary track, gag reel, deleted scenes, and more.

Commentary:

• With director Lee Isaac Chung

Special Features:

• Tracking the Fronts: The Path of Twisters
• Into the Eye of the Storm
• Glen Powell: All Access
• Front Seat to a Chase
• Voice of a Villain
• Tricked Out Trucks

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 121 mins
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Writer: Mark l. Smith
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones; Glen Powell; Anthony Ramos
Genre: Disaster | Adventure
Tagline: In Theaters July 19.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Guys, whatever is in the is big and it's movie fast."
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/twistersmovie
Release Date: July 19, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 22, 2024
Synopsis: A retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.