We all know what you're thinking, so let's get it out of the way first: there are no flying cows in Twisters. There's a herd of cows, but they don't get off the ground.
But don't worry as Twisters is still good.
28 years after the '90s classic Twister blew us all away, storm chasers are back on the big screen in this standalone sequel. A lack of a flying cow might be a disappointment, but the movie has still clearly been made with care and affection for the original.
Whether or not it lives up to it might depend on your personal connection to – and nostalgia for – the original movie. But Twisters still delivers where it counts with thrilling huge-scale set pieces which are very wet and very windy.
After a devastating opening sequence, we pick up with Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) five years after a life-changing event. She's given up storm chasing for a simple life in New York City when her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) pops by.
He needs Kate's intuition with storm patterns to test out a groundbreaking tornado tracking system which could help save lives. Reluctantly, Kate gets back in the game and crosses paths with storm-chasing social-media superstar Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) who's as charming as he is reckless.
Tyler's gang thrive on making storm-chasing as dangerous as it can be, all for those sweet YouTube views. It's not long though before Kate, Tyler and their teams find themselves in the paths of dangerous multiple storm systems.
Because, you know, it's called Twisters, not Twister. There's got to be more than one.
If you're worried that Twisters would just try to amp up everything to be a bigger sequel, there's no need to be. There are multiple tornado sequences with varying degrees of peril, but director Lee Isaac Chung and writer Mark L Smith don't forget the human element that made the original a success.
Without a connection to the original, the movie has to take its time establishing its lead duo. Neither Glen Powell or Daisy Edgar-Jones are stepping outside of their comfort zone – he's an all-American cowboy with a heart; she's got past trauma to get over – but they're talented enough to make their rivals-to-friends/romance arc endearing.
In timely fashion, given the tragic recent real-life events in the US with Hurricane Beryl, Twisters also doesn't ignore the impact of the tornadoes. The movie explores the aftermath and impact on local communities and, while it doesn't go into depth, it portrays these themes in a thoughtful way, more so than the original did.
If anything, it's this aspect that you wish the movie spent more time over as the story is generic elsewhere. Bar one smart development over who the 'heroes' really are, everything plays out as you'd expect and also takes a bit too long to get to the destination.
But, of course, you aren't coming to Twisters for an in-depth and twisty plot. It's all just connective tissue to the real star of the show: the set pieces, which absolutely deliver on the promised spectacle.
In keeping with the original, Chung and his team employ practical effects with digital effects to enhance the realism. You're in no doubt that its characters are in a storm and it heightens the tension and thrills, especially during its intense finale set in a cinema in one of many nods to the original movie.
There's a traditional, old-school vibe to the set pieces which extends to the impressive cinematography by Dan Mindel. Mindel captures the destruction of Twisters in all its widescreen glory and while there might be carnage on screen, it's cleanly shot to ensure you know exactly what's going on.
If you were being picky, you could argue that given the danger they put themselves in, you're never in doubt that the main characters are going to survive. You do at least worry for some of the supporting cast, including Brandon Perea's scene-stealing Boone.
It adds to the feeling that, as entertaining as Twisters often is, it doesn't really contain anything to elevate it beyond being a well-made, effective summer blockbuster. There are elements that could have, but they're only paid lip service as there's another tornado to get to.
You won't be disappointed with the spectacle on offer with Twisters though and if you're a fan of the original, there are plenty of nods to be found. It's just that you probably won't be swept up fully by what's on offer.
Twisters is released in UK cinemas on July 17 and in US cinemas on July 19.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
