Twisters

 For the new generation who did not have the pleasure of experiencing the first film in theaters, Twisters will presumably be delightful. It offers a lot of action, and Powell's Tornado wrangling truck is unique and built for the occasion. But once again, in comparison, it was, at most, mediocre.

Is it fair to compare something to the original?  It may not be fair, but it is natural.  We constantly compare people (i.e., First girlfriends, first boyfriends, or first husbands and first wives), which may be detrimental to the second one, especially if the first one was sensational.   The merits of the second should hold their own.  But what if the second is a close copy of the previous?  It looks the same; the name is the same (it has an extra letter), and essentially has the same plot and circumstance.  If all the above is true, some things must stay consistent.  For example, the second must be a better chef in the kitchen and the bedroom, but often, the meal is bland, and the bedroom calisthenics is second-rate.  Twisters is a summer disaster movie trying to capture the feel of category 5 tornadoes with many special effects in IMAX 4D. Still, it fails to depict the humanity of chaos of its predecessor and is far less endearing.

Daisey Edgar-Jones portrays Kate Cooper, a retired meteorologist, and Tyler Owens portrays Glen Powel, a YouTube sensation and self-proclaimed "tornado wrangler." Circumstances put them together chasing twisters in central Oklahoma in the sequel 28 years in the making. Persuaded to test out a revolutionary tornado tracking system, a rare phenomenon puts them and their teams in dire circumstances, forcing Kate to face and cope with a devastating accident from her past.

While there are numerous references to the original film, its only connection to the original is its name.  The plot lines are similar.  Two groups of teams chase tornadoes.  One team's technology is superior or more sophisticated than the other.  There is romance brewing from the two perspective leads ("I hate you, but I think I am falling in love with you") of the two opposite teams.  And, of course, there is Dorothy.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Tyler Owens (Hollywood's new "Brad Pitt) do an acceptable job in the movie's lead roles.  Both are believable as adversaries turn romantic interest and add substance to the film.  Unfortunately, Edgar-Jones and Owens do not compare to Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton of the first film.  Hunt and Paxton's constant riff and on-screen chemistry significantly drove the 1996 juggernaut.  Their relationship was just as disastrous as the tornadoes they were chasing.  Not to mention the comedic talents of Jami Gertz as Paxton's fiancée, who seemed like she had just landed on another planet even though she was only in Oklahoma. Last but certainly not least, the extraordinary talents of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman "put the icing on the cake." Twister is a film classic, and because of its popularity, it became a sought-after park attraction at Universal Studios until its closing in 2015.

Is it fair to compare or not?  Director Lee Isaac Chung meant this film to be a stand-alone sequel without mentioning the previous.  However, with the assortment of similarities, it is difficult not to examine them in contrast.  For the new generation who did not have the pleasure of experiencing the first film in theaters, Twisters will presumably be delightful. It offers a lot of action, and Powell's Tornado wrangling truck is and added surprise. But once again, in comparison, it was, at most, mediocre.