Cinema Critique - Why 'Twisters' don't just make houses spin
On a day when a heavy thunderstorm moves over Hamburg and forms a tornado over the Elbe at Glückstadt, it's a good idea to relax in the cinema in the evening and really let yourself be blown away. For the past week, "Twisters" have been sweeping through German cinemas, a Hollywood disaster film following a tried-and-true pattern.
The title itself hints that it is the logical sequel to "Twister" from 1996. Both films were produced by Steven Spielberg.
In the 28 years since then, a lot has visibly changed. Where oil pumps once dominated the flat landscape, there are now wind turbines. But even these cannot withstand the forces of a film tornado. Whole freight trains (unrealistically) no longer swirl through the air. Instead, it's mostly cars, which are almost wagon-sized in America.
The film is full of meteorologically correct technical terms, such as "Cape" (Convective Available Potential Energy – approximately the energy contained in rising air masses), "Squall Line" (which causes the air masses to rotate), and "Hookecho" (a tornado-typical pattern on the monitor of a precipitation radar). Tornado fans can certainly recite these terms in their sleep, but German cinema-goers are likely to be left bewildered. In the US (the country with the so-called Tornado Alley), these terms are probably known to more people, and the blockbuster earned nearly 100 million dollars there.
Tornado: Can a Tornado be Held Back?
Spoiler Alert: Here's a brief summary of the plot. Five young "Stormchasers" chase tornados. Not just out of fascination, but with a self-appointed mission. Using a powder in jars on the back of a car, they want to bind the storm monsters. The plan goes (of course) wrong!
Five years later, two of the now grown-up Stormchasers (Kate and Javi) meet again and try it once more – with better measuring technology and presumably improved storm-stopping substance. The two have different motives, which should not be revealed here. Third in their group is Tyler, a self-proclaimed Tornado Wrangler (another name for cattle herders, i.e. cowboys), who markets his wild, untamed storm chasing on Instagram.
So the perfect two-man-courtship-of-a-woman constellation. All that's missing is the corresponding cowboy romance with lasso throwing and rodeo riding. No, that's not missing either! The Tornado Cowboy Tyler wants to impress the supposed city girl Kate. A nosy, panicky reporter from England as a sidekick can't be missing, either – also produced by Steven Spielberg, like "Jurassic Park".
Then a tornado after tornado rages over the screen, up to the highest category EF 5 (Enhanced Fujita Scale). Victims are, as in reality, simple people whose light wooden houses cannot withstand the forces. The storm helpers help the storm victims with concerned faces.
Final chord: When a monster tornado approaches a defenseless small town, the protagonist stands alone against it with her magic powder...
It turns out as expected: The monster is tamed, the town is saved, and the Stormchaser romance rides off into the sunset. However, without a kiss – allegedly on Spielberg's wish.
I'm already looking forward to the sequel "Twister, the Baby", maybe soon in our cinemas.
Despite the advanced storm-stopping substance and technology used by the Stormchasers, even they struggle to contain the destructive force of a tornado in Germany, reminiscent of the movie "Twister" produced by Steven Spielberg. The film's protagonist attempts to use the magic powder to tame a monster tornado, harking back to the iconic scenes of Spielberg's earlier work.
Inspired by the disaster film "Twister" and its sequel, a group of German film enthusiasts decided to rewatch the movies on a stormy evening, eager to be blown away by the thrilling tales of tornado chasing and heroism.
