Twisters (2024)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Twisters (2024) 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Length: 2h 2min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Writers: Mark L. Smith, Joseph Kosinski, Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin

Actors: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O'Brian, David Born, Laura Poe, Austin Bullock, Stephen Oyoung, Alex Kingi, Chris Adrien, James Paxton, Lily Smith, Capri O'Neill, Chris Zurcher

 

Metacritic Blurb: Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Ramos) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler, Javi and their crews find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I had about a billion reasons I wanted to watch Twisters ASAP when it released. I'm going to do my best not to re-hash every point I made in my Top20 for July 2024 article. Let's just say that I was very passionate about my choice to list this stand-alone sequel as my #1 pick.

 

My daughter and I settled into our Cinemark seats for a midday show on Saturday, and were pleased to see that even an early show had great attendance. I'm rooting for this film to do well at the box office.

 

The important question is clearly: Did Twisters live up to the media hype, and – more importantly – my expectations?

 

Hell yes.

 

 

One important facet of Twisters that I had been looking forward to was immersiveness. I remember so vividly how something so small as an adjustment of bass frequency in the audio mixing for the original Twister (1996) brought the rumble of the terrifying storms alive. I had high hopes that today's technology would offer a further enhanced experience to bring these destructive wind-columns of doom to life on the screen (and in my nightmares). I was not disappointed. The effects were realistic and mesmerizing – much like real-world tornado footage. The familiar seat rumbling was there, but taken up to the next level. If there had been wind machines and misters spraying water on the audience, I might've had a panic attack in my seat, thinking I was really in a storm. Thank goodness the Digital XD screen experience wasn't THAT real.

 

Twisters was so much more than the fancy effects on screen.

 

I feel like this sequel successfully took the next logical step in the story without re-hashing the original film with new characters. There are plenty parallels to the original narrative and film nuances, but they're all either logically driven by the nature of what storm-chasing is at the nuts-and-bolts level or clearly homage to what had come before.

 

 

Twisters was clearly a love-letter to its predecessor, as well as paying tribute to the fallen. Bill Paxton (Aliens, Twister, Edge of Tomorrow), who we lost in 2017 was a huge part of the 1996 movie's success, and some of its most quotable moments. His son, James Paxton (The Cleaner, How I met Your Father, The Uncanny), actually had a small role in this movie. Twisters also offers a subtle in memoriam to the TWISTEX team, led by veteran storm-chaser Tim Samaras, who tragically died in the 2.6 mile-wide 2013 El Reno, OK tornado.

 

While there were elements of Twisters that were amped up and a little over-the-top for the sake of creative license and adventurous fun for the cinematic experience, I was happy to see that – as with its predecessor – the story generally kept the science side based in reality. In fact, Twisters earned a 10/10 stamp of approval from well known real-life “extreme meteorologist” Reed Timmer, PhD (Tornado Chasers, Storm Chasing: The Anthology, Storm Rising). I've been following Timmer's career since his involvement in the Storm Chasers (2007-2011) Discovery show, which followed various teams throughout chase season. Timmer's team, an IMAX documentary crew, and the TWISTEX team were the primary groups shown as they sought out the storms for the sake of important life-saving data. As it turns out, Timmer was also one of the scientific consultants for this film. It's also entirely probable that elements of Glen Powell's (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Hit Man, Anyone But You) “Tornado Wrangler” character were based on or inspired by Timmer.

 

 

It wasn't all spinny wind and screaming, though. There was a really good balance of humor with thrills, much like Twister also had. One minute, my daughter had my hand in a vice-grip and the next we were both laughing. It wasn't in any sort of jarring transition, either. It all felt natural. I was also really excited that Twisters “flipped the script” with some of the elements of this new story in order to offer a different perspective than we'd been presented before.

 

The cast wrangled these roles as well as I hoped they would. I even felt a greater connection to Daisy Edgar-Jones's (Fresh, Where the Crawdads Sing, War of the Worlds) character than I did her counterpart in the original movie (if we were to make direct comparisons). Powell's performance was as wild and layered as I had hoped. Ahead of taking up the reigns of the Superman mantle for DC, David Corenswet (Look Both Ways, Pearl, Lady in the Lake) did a great job playing a character as likable as Jonas was in the original. I could keep going, but you get the idea.

 

 

The only note about Twisters that I have that could even remotely be considered a negative is a warning to any audience members that might get motion-sick easily. There was a bit more shaky-cam than I would have liked, but it wasn't as bad as some found-footage films. It was reasonable for the scenes it happened in. The real culprit of the disorientation, however, came from the visuals of the spinning wind in some scenes and the fast-moving flying debris within the rotation. There were moments I felt like I was on an old merry-go-round that had been set spinning out of control. I don't say this to dissuade anyone from watching, though. Twisters was amazing on the big-screen, but for those that have their equilibrium jangled easily, the Digital XD or IMAX screen experiences might not be an ideal choice.

 

I look forward to watching Twisters again many more times in the future, much as I have its predecessor. I'd even be on board if the powers that be chose to make another sequel, as long as they took the same care they did this time.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 78%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 92%

Metascore – 65%

Metacritic User Score – 5.0/10

IMDB Score – 7.1/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

 

P.S. - If you're interested in a little comparison of the science side of storm chasing vs. the movie magic, Reed Timmer put out a video on YouTube with a quick list. Caution, Timmer's video contains SPOILERS so watch it after you enjoy the movie first! 

 

A Little Lagniappe ("something extra") -  The3 official term for a fear of tornadoes and hurricanes is "Lilapsophobia."

Movie Trailer:

Blue Beetle (2023)

 

 

Streaming Service: MAX

Movie Name/Year: Blue Beetle (2023)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Length:  2h 7min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Angel Manuel Soto

Writer: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Actors: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damián Alcázar, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, Jorge Jimenez, Eyra Aguero Joubert, Gabriella Ortiz, Modesto Lacen, Oshún Ramirez, Isabella Aparicio, Ayden Rivera, Xol Gonzalez

 

IMDb Blurb: An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I remember when Blue Beetle was about to hit theaters in August, and I was so frustrated because of my level of excitement for this movie. We couldn’t write about our anticipation for it in our usual Top 20 article for that month because the strike was still in full swing. If we had been able to give it a signal boost then, based on the trailer, it would have easily landed in my Top 10.

 

Blue Beetle offered an amazing origin story for this DC character. This was one superhero movie that I felt that they got absolutely right. It’s often hard to say that – especially about DC live action productions. There’s always just something a little off about them as the studio has tried so hard to emulate others and losing itself along the way. While they’ve excelled with their animated films, they just have had a hard time hitting their stride with parts played by people rather than pixels. Even now, they’re in the midst of rebooting the whole thing again with their new boss-man. I have lamented the loss of some of the players of these roles in the process… but the flip-side is that the ones that had no business returning will also be off the future projects as well. (We can hope, at least.) I digress…

 

 

 

Back to Blue Beetle!

 

I loved the path of character development for Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña (Parenthood, Cleopatra in Space, Cobra Kai). As an aside, I was already a fan of Maridueña based on his previous work; but when he was on the screen as Jaime, I only saw that character and even forgot for a moment I recognized him.

 

The family dynamic was great and really gave a great foundation for the events of the story to spring from. Blue Beetle never lost sight of how human Jaime was under this new hero persona and how his newfound role had “real-world” stakes for those close to him. 

 

 

I have to circle back around to the cast again. George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez, Fool's Paradise, How the Gringo Stole Christmas) was on a roll this past year with some great parts that both showcased his range but also his comedic ability very well. His character of the “crazy uncle” was one of my favorites of the whole movie.

 

Blue Beetle had a little bit of everything – drama, action, family connection, a greedy villain and the powerful strings they could pull, comedy, cool tech, and even perhaps budding romance.

 

We can only hope that DC will do better by its superhero stories and their actors in the future – but for now we still have some real gems like Blue Beetle to enjoy. 

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score –  78%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 91%

Metascore – 61%

Metacritic User Score – 5.1/10

IMDB Score – 6.0/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

The Meg (2018)

 

 

Streaming Service: MAX

Movie Name/Year: The Meg (2018) 

Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi 

Length:  1h 53min 

Rating: PG-13

Director: Jon Turteltaub 

Writers: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Steve Alten 

Actors: Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, Jessica McNamee, Rainn Wilson, Bingbing Li, Robert Taylor, Cliff Curtis, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Masi Oka, Page Kennedy, Vithaya Pansringarm, Shuya Sophia Cai, Rob Kipa-Williams, Winston Chao 

 

IMDb Blurb: A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed - the Megalodon.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

The Meg was one of those movies that I just HAD to watch the minute I was able to. I was practically bouncing up and down with eager anticipation. I’d been watching the media releases for this production ever since I stumbled upon the article that inspired my But I Digress…My What Big Teeth You Have article back in 2017. Selina and I both love creature features. Pair that with my love of sharks and shark movies, and it had become my automatic #1 on the Top 20 article the month it was released in 2018. (Selina had listed it as her #9 pick.)

 

At this point, I have actually watched The Meg many times over. It has become one of those familiar “comfort” movies that I will even watch from the middle if I come across it while flipping channels. Sometimes if I’m bored and just want something in the background it’s a good go-to.

 

 

I’m very disappointed in the negative reviews out there, really. I was actually shocked when I looked up the review rating scores on the various sites we use for comparisons. I am positive that I’m not just watching this movie through rose-colored glasses just because it involves megalodons and Jason Statham (Mechanic: Resurrection, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Expend4bles). Those are 2 sizeable reasons I was drawn to the film in the first place, but not why I have enjoyed re-experiencing this movie over and over.

 

The Meg was a generally well-executed creature feature. Everything was streamlined well enough that it wasn’t too terribly hard to suspend disbelief about this allegedly extinct mammoth shark. (Seriously though, there are whole teams of real-world scientists studying to see if this giant scary creature of the deep may not be as extinct as we thought so we’re not really coloring that far outside the lines here.)

 

 

The effects were dazzlingly rendered, the underwater scenes were stunning, and the action was on point. There were moments of levity that broke up what otherwise would have been a non-stop thrill ride. While I see some critics slamming that, keep in mind that even Jaws (1975) had some comic-relief in it. The family aspect involved as well as the interconnected history of the characters coming into play was also interesting. Further, the individuals that went on to continue their story in the sequel The Meg 2: The Trench (2023) had a good foundation in this first film to grow from. (We’ll talk about the sequel another day, though.) I was also seriously impressed with Sophia Cai (Somewhere Only We Know, Mr. Corman, Meg 2: The Trench) in her role as Meiying. Sometimes you just don’t get as much depth from very young actors and she really stole most of the scenes she was involved in.

 

 

The Meg delivered everything it promised in its trailer. Was it perfect? No, but it didn't need to be. The Meg was a great popcorn movie. It was, however, a little less gruesome than it could have been had it not had the PG-13 rating. Sometimes those decisions are in the hands of the studios. In spite of that, both movies have done really well – igniting much hope for an extended franchise. At this time there’s no official word as to whether or not a 3^rd installment will be made. There’s plenty of the source material to pull from still, however. The Meg was an adaptation from a popular series of novels, after all. (I also still need to get off the stick to read them.) Cross your fingers for me that we can visit the world of these mammoth megs in a 3^rd installment, will you? I know I am.

 

If you enjoy shark movies and action with crazy stunts and a slice of comedy, The Meg will be right up your alley and there are multiple ways to stream it via subscription services as of the time of this review.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 47% 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 44%

Metascore –  46% 

Metacritic User Score – 5.5/10 

IMDB Score – 5.7/10 

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Unwelcome (2022)

  

 

Streaming Service: Shudder

Movie Name/Year: Unwelcome (2022)

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Length: 1h 44min

Rating: R

Production/Distribution: Tempo Productions Limited, Ingenious Media, Rococo Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Well Go USA Entertainment, Shudder

Director: Jon Wright

Writers: Mark Stay, Jon Wright

Actors: Hannah John-Kamen, Colm Meaney, Douglas Booth, Jon Wright, Kristian Nairn, Niamh Cusack, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Finbar Lynch, Rick Warden, Lalor Roddy, Paul Blackwell, Caskey Brown, Mark Desvaux, Sarah Madigan, Ania Marson, Bradley Turner, Paul Warren, Richard Cave, Duncan Moyse

 

IMDb Blurb: Married couple Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent and murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I’ve been looking forward to watching Unwelcome ever since its limited theater run in March 2023 brought it up for contention for our Top 20 article for that month. It was, in fact, my #9 pick. 

Unwelcome had several things going for it including an infrequently explored creature from Celtic mythology, the gorgeous setting of Ireland, a recognizable cast, and an intriguing story exploring the titular theme from dual fronts. 

 

Let’s start with the familiar faces among the cast. Colm Meaney (Pixie, Save the Cinema, Marlowe) just excels at playing a villainous curmudgeon. He’s one of the best-known Irish actors and you can always count on him for a solid performance. Unwanted was no exception. His character just made me uncomfortable. Kristian Nairn (Mythica: The Godslayer, Robin Hood: The Rebellion, Our Flag Means Death) added his own creepy element to the story, and thankfully got more lines than playing poor Hodor in Game of Thrones (2011-2019). Well…whole sentences at least. 

Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Killjoys, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) and Douglas Booth (The Limehouse Golem, Loving Vincent, The Dirt) worked well as an on-screen couple. I believed their chemistry and found it easy to empathize with their story. 

 

I was also generally impressed by how Unwelcome brought the redcaps to life on the screen. I was surprised to learn that the effects were primarily practical with the only CGI elements focused on motion-captured facial movements. I think they did a decent job bringing the little goblin-like critters to life. My only nitpicking note was that their well-known titular red caps weren’t always shown. 

The redcaps mythology originated in Scotland, lurking in castle ruins and preying on the wayward traveler. They’re not unheard of in Ireland, however, so their appearance in an Irish horror based on faerie folklore was still within the realm of belief, at least. 

Unwelcome could have benefited from a little tighter editing to streamline the story. There was at least one scene that could have been cut entirely or at least heavily modified. It felt like it was added to either toss in a political point or at the very least give John-Kamen’s character something controversial in her background. Other than that, the story was fine and generally delivered what was promised - with a little twist. 

 

The only other element that took away from my overall experience was the ending. On one hand, I get it. At least, I think I understand what the story was going for. I just felt like it didn’t quite gel with the rest so the ending feeling was a little disjointed. By that point, however, I’d already been on the pulse-pounding rollercoaster ride that led up to those final moments and I enjoyed everything else the narrative had to offer. 

If you enjoy horror based on folklore, Unwelcome is a decent offering in that category. There’s even a little levity worked in here and there, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s a horror-comedy. 

Unwelcome lands on Shudder starting Friday, June 23rd, 2023.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 64%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 41%

Metascore – 64%

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 5.1/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

 

Movie Trailer: