When I learned there was to be a sequel to the beloved 90s disaster film Twister, I was actually pretty jazzed about the news. Not because I’m a big fan of that movie, but because we hadn’t had a good ol’ disaster flick in a long while and this could scratch that itch if done right. So many in the 2010s were forgettable and bland and my hope was Twisters would be a return to form for the genre. And while it won’t be winning any Best Picture awards, Twisters was a really fun time at the movies.

Twisters is a sequel in name only; you do not need to be familiar with the original 1996 film to appreciate this movie. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate, a former storm chaser from Oklahoma turned meteorologist in New York City. She had a theory about being able to “tame” a tornado by using sodium polyacrylate, but the science was off.

Flash forward a few years and her friend from her storm-chasing days, Javi (Anthony Ramos) comes knocking one day. He says that he’s got a way to get a 3D scan of the tornadoes thanks to his time in the military and investors who’ve backed his new company, Storm Par, as a precaution to protect new developments. He just needs Kate to help chase the storms down, as she has a “sixth sense” for knowing when a storm will break and where. Reluctantly, she agrees and ends up witnessing the craziest weather week Oklahoma probably has ever had weather-wise.

While getting her bearings in Oklahoma, she meets Tyler Owens, the yee-hawing cowboy storm chaser with a YouTube channel and a team equally wild as he is. Tyler really could’ve derailed this movie by being too cocky, annoying, or douchy. Thankfully, he’s played by Glen Powell and he strikes that balance of being outrageous but likeable at the same time. While Kate realizes she still carries some fear and guilt thanks to her past, Owen grabs the storms by the proverbial horns and dives straight into them, sometimes literally, all for those sweet likes and subscribes (on that note, did you hear about our podcast?).

You’ve probably noticed already thanks to some plot details I’ve mentioned, like being able to sense a storm and taming tornadoes, that Twisters actually seems really dumb. And on paper, yeah, it does. But the movie is directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), with Top Gun: Maverick‘s Joseph Kosinski getting a story credit, which gives Twisters a surprising level of pedigree. Some of the plot points may appear dumb, but the movie never treats itself as such, with the science being presented in such a way that it’s easy to just roll with it, even as you question how valid it is. But it’s the characters that really sell the movie. They’re likeable, layered, well acted, and well-written. And when you end up caring about the characters and their plight, you get invested in the story and the action far more than if the story was generic and the characters forgettable.

But this is a tornado disaster movie, how is the storm mayhem? Happy to say also really entertaining! VFX have come a long way since 1996 and many of the shots of the storms actually just look like real storm footage, courtesy once again by ILM. More impressive though is the aftermath of the storms, with towns being torn to rubble. Those really stood out due to the scope of the destruction. There’s a surprising amount of practical work too, from giant fans, water machines, and in-camera stunts that make the movie feel more tangible than you may think it would be based on the trailer footage and preconceived expectations of disaster movies from the last fifteen years or so.

Speaking of which, Twisters is shot on 35mm and it shows. They could’ve easily shot this on digital, but there’s a subtle texture to the film thanks to the grain that lends itself to feeling like an older movie and a richer one at that. Hell, take out the cellphones and this could’ve been set in the 90s. The score also feels ripped from this decade, offering a surprisingly whimsical sound, while a whole slew of original country tunes play throughout the movie.

In all honesty, Twisters should not be as good as it is. But it is. It strikes the perfect balance of thrills and likeable characters, creating an all-around fun viewing experience. I’d need to watch both movies back to back, but my knee-jerk is that I think I like Twisters more, thanks largely in part to the two leads. This is a fun movie and one that feels like it was ripped from a different era of filmmaking. Solid recommendation from me!