6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As storm season intensifies, the paths of former storm chaser Kate Cooper, lured back to the open plains after a devastating encounter years prior, and reckless social-media superstar Tyler Owens collide when terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. The pair and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura TierneyAdventure | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung ('Minari (2020)', the season 3 Mandalorian episode 'The Convert (2023)'), the action-packed 'Twisters' arrives on
4K
UHD disc courtesy of Universal. A sequel to 1996's 'Twister' which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, the latest chapter focuses on a new
generation of storm-chasers led by Daisy Edgar-Jones ('Where the Crawdads Sing') and Glen Powell ('Anyone But You'). Filled with eye-popping
visual effects and set to a country music soundtrack, the film follows two teams with differing agendas as they chase tornados during a particularly
stormy week in rural Oklahoma. Technical merits are strong and supplemental material is rich and varied. A slipcover, Blu-ray disc, and Digital Code
redeemable through Movies Anywhere are also included.
As Twisters opens, an enthusiastic and excited Kate is out with her team, all of whom are obviously her friends, chasing a tornado. She's
leading them on an experiment where, by positioning barrels of a highly absorbent chemical compound in a tornado's path, she hopes to diminish
the amount of
moisture in a tornado and cause it to collapse. Things do not go as planned and after a harrowing encounter with a twister, Kate narrowly escapes
with her life. Flashing forward five years to the present day, Kate is out of the field, in New York City, and tracking and monitoring storms from
behind a desk. Javi (Anthony Ramos, Hamilton, In the Heights), a person from her storm-chasing past meets her at work one
morning, and after a brief conversation is able to recruit her into helping him and Storm Par, his well-funded team, for just one week to track
tornados and gather enough groundbreaking data to save lives. Once with him back in her native Oklahoma, Kate immediately finds herself in the
carnival-like storm-chasing community, the undisputed celebrity of which is YouTube sensation Tyler (Powell) - a crass, self-absorbed adrenaline
junkie who relishes the spotlight and attention. As Kate gets her sea legs about her, chases storms, deals with their aftermath, and learns more
about herself and the people around her, she reconnects with her past to try and survive a week of unprecedented storm and tornado activity.
Twisters 4K was shot on film by Dan Mindel (The Skeleton Key (2005), Amazing Spider-Man II (2014), Star Wars: Episode
IX -
The Rise of Skywalker (2019)) who used a mix of Arri Alexa and Panavision cameras, and it possesses a wonderfully natural grain structure,
excellent
colors, and significant fine detail. The film features some truly breathtaking shots of Oklahoma which capture the vastness and beauty of the film's
setting. Given the busy and stormy nature of much of the film, such moments are obviously rare, but when they arise, it's a treat that the film gives the
viewers a chance to catch their breath with the primary characters in these intimate and peaceful moments. The image is universally richly detailed.
Close-ups yield the kind of facial and set particulars viewers expect, with the age-worn, dirty, and damaged vehicles in Tyler's fleet offering every dent,
scrape, and mud splatter for our perusal. But it's the mid-range shots that document the storms' destruction that will be the most appealing for disaster
film fans as every bit of damage and debris is discernable and open for inspection as Kate, Tyler, and Javi make their way through decimated towns and
structures. Skin tones are spot on and colors are realistic, though there are few opportunities for colors to pop in the dusty, muddy, debris-strewn
landscapes under the often grey and stormy skies. A notable exception is the rodeo, with the red, white, and blue-clad rider, in particular, affording a
chance to enjoy some vivid primaries. Black levels are deep and inky but never rob scenes of detail, which is important as there are a great many night-
time shots. It's a wonderful transfer.
(Please note: all screen shots are sourced from the included 1080p disc.)
If, as one character shares during the course of the film, tornados are rated in terms of their destructiveness, then it is only fair to rate Twisters 4K's Dolby Atmos track on how well it handles that destruction. In keeping with the metaphor, it's an F5. Surround involvement is excellently leveraged, placing viewers inside the action of every storm as wind, thunder, rain, hail, debris, vehicles, and occasionally characters swirl about in the soundscape. Walls shake around the viewer and roofs and ceilings rattle and threaten to fly skyward. Directionality is excellent and objects, often either speeding cars or debris, move fluidly and realistically through the sound field. Through it all, the powerful bass presence is felt, giving each tornado a palpable and primal power, and every crash a weighty thud. This translates into the musical elements as well as every bombastic moment where the music dominates is possessed with a big bottom end. Just as Van Halen and other classic rock tracks and artists populated the soundtrack of the first film, modern country artists like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, and Jelly Roll are found here, and fittingly so given its setting. Every note is crisp and precise. Given as noisy as the film often is, nary a word of dialogue is lost as the track prioritizes and handles dialogue very well, keeping it typically front and center focused. But it's truly the sounds of the storms that are the highlights here, and I found myself rewinding several of the storm sequences simply to close my eyes and listen.
Twisters 4K is geared up with a variety of supplemental features. Some are undeniably lighter fare, but the majority, regardless of their length, provide interesting insights into the film, how it was shot, and the science behind it.
As summer blockbusters go, Twisters 4K should have audiences happily eating up mountains of popcorn as the numerous tornados that populate the film eat up the Oklahoma landscape. While not breaking new ground, it does exactly what the best disaster movies do - provide numerous scenes of mayhem and destruction while following characters with whom we can identify that struggle believably against the odds to win the day. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and the effects team (along with some gorgeous cinematography) enable the film to succeed on its own merits, and it should stand up to repeat viewings just as easily as the original. Supported by a brilliant Dolby Atmos track and stellar transfer, Twisters 4K comes strongly recommended.
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