By John Corrado

Please note that this is a review of the Blu-ray release of Twisters. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my theatrical review right here.

Twisters, the legacy sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Twister, is getting a physical media release this week, following its run in theatres over the summer.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), the film follows a new group of storm-chasers led by meteorologist Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who clashes with internet celebrity and “tornado wrangler” Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). The two butt heads at first, but also must find ways to work together.

As I wrote in my original review, “Chung effortlessly crafts what feels like a proper, made-for-the-big-screen summer blockbuster in the tradition of the 1996 film, but grounds it in the interplay between the characters.”

The visual effects here are solid, and the film delivers the exciting disaster movie set-pieces. But it’s the cast that makes it all come alive; Powell brings his usual mega-wattage charm to the role, and the enjoyable chemistry between him and Edgar-Jones is a big part of what makes Twisters so much fun to watch. It was made for the “bigness” of a theatre (I almost wish that I had seen this in 4DX), but is still fully enjoyable at home.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (Blu-ray):

The Blu-ray includes over an hour of bonus features, ranging from a gag reel and deleted scenes, to several featurettes. It’s a pretty solid array of material overall.

• Deleted Scenes (2 minutes, 4 seconds): A collection of mostly brief moments trimmed from the film.

• Gag Reel (3 minutes, 57 seconds): Footage of the actors flubbing lines and having fun on set.

• Tracking the Fronts: The Path of Twisters (14 minutes, 53 seconds): Cast and crew talk about the realities of shooting in Oklahoma, some of the real science and technology behind the film, and the interplay between the actors.

• Into the Eye of the Storm (24 minutes, 7 seconds): A deep dive into crafting the tornado sequences in the film, through a mix of visual effects and on-set practical work, including collecting debris from the aftermath of a real tornado to repurpose as set dressing, and blasting the actors with industrial fans and water cannons.

• Glen Powell: All Access (3 minutes, 12 seconds): Powell takes us into his world as he prepares for the role of Tyler, and brings his parents on-set for a cameo (with appearances from Powell’s adorable dog Brisket).

• Front Seat to a Chase (5 minutes, 16 seconds): A group of actual storm chasers take the cast members on a real life tornado hunt.

• Voice of a Villain (6 minutes, 16 seconds): A look at the sound design behind the tornadoes in the film, which was done by the artists at Skywalker Sound through a mix of foley and actual sound effects.

• Tricked-Out Trucks (4 minutes, 31 seconds): A closer look at the “tricked out” trucks that characters drive in the film, modelled after actual storm chaser vehicles.

• Feature Commentary with Director Lee Isaac Chung

Twisters is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 123 minutes and rated PG.

Street Date: October 22nd, 2024