Along with its own museum in Wakita Oklahoma, the 1996 movie Twister has inspired a follow-up film more than a quarter of a century later, adding an “s” to the title plus many special effects upgrades with Twisters. Director Lee Isaac Chung moves easily from the independent, personal world he showed in Minari to big budget effects when trucks, people, buildings--and chickens rather than a cow--get sucked up by the title’s tornadoes. Heavily influenced by the first film with its concept of competitive storm chasers, Joseph Kosinski’s story benefits from screenwriter Mark L. Smith’s breezy dialogue, delivered with engaging ease by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Acting like they believe everything happening, the cast helps the plot blow right past any questionable scientific issues contributing to an enjoyable—perhaps uplifting—disaster movie romp. Using rodeos and movie theaters rather than oceans and sharks, Twisters builds suspense in much the same way as Jaws, with people grimly hanging on to nearby objects, hoping to avoid getting pulled from sight into a dark demise, ocean in one case, the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma in another. Keeping the first film’s Oklahoma connection adds visual fun to the mix with the aforementioned rodeo and provides a catchy soundtrack layering including Luke Combs singing “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” or Lainey Wilson’s “Out of Oklahoma.” Even before this year’s Twisters, the state rides movie tailwinds. Besides a place called Twister the Movie Museum, Oklahoma visitors (and set-jetters) find stores selling souvenirs like the “Pet Tornado,” a liquid-filled cylinder that creates a funnel when shaken…or…twisted.
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