Twisters

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, Twisters follows several storm chasers, including Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens and Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate Carter, as they set out to reduce the intensity of tornadoes with a chemical compound. Filmmaker Chung, armed with Mark L. Smith’s screenplay, does a terrific job of immediately capturing the viewer’s interest and attention, as Twisters opens with an engaging, gripping sequence that effectively introduces Edgar-Jones’ character and the deadly nature of her tornado-focused exploits – with the movie, past that point, seguing into an entertaining first half that boasts a handful of engrossing digressions and a magnetic, star-making turn from Powell. It’s disappointing to note, then, that Twisters‘ overall impact is dulled significantly by a sluggish, meandering midsection, with the bloated 122 minute runtime resulting in long, action-free stretches that are hardly as compelling or involving as Chung has presumably intended (eg there’s a protracted interlude detailing Kate’s less-than-enthralling visit with her mother, Maura Tierney’s Cathy). The arms-length vibe is, finally, alleviated by an exciting, satisfying third act that ensures the whole thing concludes on a relatively positive note, which does, in the end, confirm Twisters‘ place as a decent blockbuster that probably should’ve topped out at 100 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****