New in cinema - Once again, something is changing: The "Twister" successor
It was in late summer 1996, when a cow flew over the screen. And seconds later, another one. "Another cow!", actress Helen Hunt remarked irritably, as the cattle grazed past her. "No", her colleague Bill Paxton corrected, who sat next to her. "I think that was the same one." Hunt and Paxton were the charismatic leads of the disaster film "Twister" - a blockbuster about tornados that swept up everything and everyone in their path.
Rumors of a sequel to the film had circulated among fans of '90s cinema, some of whom might have forgotten it. Now, 28 years later, it's happening: In the sequel "Twisters," tornados rage through the USA once again. With new leading actors, but some striking similarities to the original. A blessing and a curse.
Back in the Eye of the Storm
Instead of Helen Hunt, with her often disheveled, wind-tossed hair in the 1996 version, Daisy Edgar-Jones ("The Song of the Jade Lizard") now plays the lead role. The fates of the two women are similar. Both are fascinated by Tornados and have a kind of gift for sensing them. They've also experienced in the past how natural disasters have taken loved ones away from them. Edgar-Jones plays the scientist Kate, who moved to New York after a traumatic experience, keeping a safe distance from the most terrifying weather phenomena.
The return to the storms happens quickly. An old friend appears and tries to convince Kate to test a new tracking system. She goes back to her hometown in Oklahoma, to the "Tornado Alley" of the USA. Unfortunately, the new technology needs to be placed very close to the wind monsters for it to work, so Kate becomes a storm chaser once again. She meets Tyler, a storm guru and cowboy, who follows the winds for his social media channel with a charming smirk. He is played by Glen Powell ("Top Gun: Maverick").
"Twisters" is meant to be a "current chapter"
The makers describe the new film as a "current chapter" of the old blockbuster - leaving it open whether it's supposed to be a direct sequel. Much of it feels more like an update, as the character constellations and themes (Man vs. Nature, Fear vs. Fascination) are similar.
Additionally, there are visual references. Heavy cars plow through fields, the mud is constantly splattered, and someone is always shouting. Daisy Edgar-Jones is not quite as completely engulfed by the famous mud of Helen Hunt, but she resembles her in type and hairstyle. In one scene, she even wears a khaki-colored outfit, intended as a tribute to Hunt's wardrobe. A device also appears that reminds one of the apparatus with which Hunt and Paxton (who died in 2017) tried to embrace the tornados ("Dorothy").
Duel between Man and Storm
One wonders if, in the year 2024 and with some climate research results, we shouldn't tell stories about natural disasters differently than we did in 1996. Director Jan De Bont ("Speed") depicted the tornados back then as wild animals that hunted humans. It was the time of the dinosaur blockbuster "Jurassic Park" - and the mythical "F5" tornado, the worst of all, was the equivalent of the T-Rex.
In "Twisters," it's not all that different. To reveal too much: Towards the end, a direct confrontation between Human and Storm is looming, where things get radically personalized once again. Overpowering natural forces remains the task of a fearless lone fighter, who will already have solved the problem. "Twisters" is a kind of "Twister" with better technology. However, one can object that American hero cinema works just as well and is just as captivating. A beautiful summer disaster film, when was the last time we had one of those? The film has that naivety that we so fondly remember - just like in the 90s.
In Cologne, Germany, Duchess Catherine attended a special screening of "Twisters," expressing her admiration for the movie's portrayal of women in the face of natural disasters, specifically referencing Daisy Edgar-Jones' performance. The modern-day sequel, set in the USA, features a new cast, including Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, as they battle against powerful tornados, drawing comparisons to the original featuring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Despite the advancements in technology, the weather remains unpredictable and dangerous, clearly illustrated during a storm scene in Berlin.
