The disaster laden follow-up to the classic film Twister arrives on 4K Ultra HD this week; managing to hold up upon multiple viewings.
The long (long) gestating sequel/follow-up to Twister finally arrived over the Summer, bringing with it an all new story and plenty of tornado action. After a bigger than expected success at the box office, the physical 4K Ultra HD is here…which is where the film’s real test comes about.
Twisters 4K Ultra HD
Directed By: Lee Isaac Chung
Written By: Mark L. Smith
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos
Release Date: October 22, 2024
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I’m a gigantic sucker for disaster films. In fact, the original Twister is a major reason for this life-long fascination. As such, I was always excited for Twisters and when it hit the big screen, I was hooting and hollering throughout. Here’s the thing about disaster movies; many of them can be enjoyable the first time through. Hell, in the decades I’ve watched/covered them, I’ve found that these kind of genre films have to be egregiously bad in order to not find some fun in watching them the first time (I’ll never forgive you Into the Storm).
By and large, the re-watch is where things either fall apart or rise above. The original Twister, despite all its flaws, manages to be one of the most re-watchable movies ever. It feels just as fun watching it for the 50th time as it was the first. So I was curious to see how the follow-up would manage. I wasn’t able to hit it up again in theaters, but when the 4K arrived on my doorstep, I was thrilled to give it a spin.
While I can’t say Twisters manages to reach the same level as the previous film, it definitely holds up on multiple viewings. I daresay it may have been better the second time around, with some of the issues I had upon my initial viewing being less of a problem.
The action sequences retain their “holy crap” factor, and the crisp detail of the 4K transfer makes the destruction pop in every frame. The amount of work the VFX teams put into these behemoth tornadoes becomes even more evident as I was able to make out the tiniest of debris swirling around. It helped hammer home the power these are capable of, keeping the tension high, even as I knew what was coming next.
The sound on the 4K release helps this effect quite a bit as well. The surround sound makes it so you can practically feel the roar of the storms. Almost as if you’re right there in the middle of it. Even as powerful as those storms get, however, I was thrilled to see how prioritized the dialog remained, making it easy to hear everything when things get crazy.
Glen Powell’s insane charisma and chemistry with Daisy Edgar-Jones throughout the film manages to keep you invested enough in the film’s rather thin story to overlook how fast and loose it plays with the science aspect (much like the first film). These elements combine to offer a thrilling experience regardless whether you’ve already seen it or not.
As for the bonus features included on the disc, there are some fun featurettes to check out:
GAG REEL
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TRACKING THE FRONTS: THE PATH OF TWISTERS – Trace the trajectory of TWISTERS from its earliest inception to production and get to know the cast as they lead this look into creating their characters, using science to add authenticity, and working through extreme weather wreaking havoc on set.
INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM – Discover how TWISTERS blends practical and visual effects to turn nature’s most destructive forces into entertaining thrills.
GLEN POWELL: ALL ACCESS – Glen Powell provides a private tour of a day in his life on the TWISTERS set.
FRONT SEAT TO A CHASE – Strap in with the cast and professional storm chasers as they brave the elements to track tornados in Oklahoma.
VOICE OF A VILLAIN – Hear the creation of the film’s deafening howls with a seat in the studio where the audio team mixes unexpected sounds to give the storms a new dimension of depth.
TRICKED-OUT TRUCKS – Buckle up for a wild ride in the film’s custom vehicles fitted with unique features ranging from rocket launchers to advanced radar tech.
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR LEE ISAAC CHUNG
Personally, the feature commentary with the director is the standout of it all. There are some fun nuggets of info about how he approached this sequel. Beyond that, “Voice of a Villain” is a neat look into crafting the sound design of the tornadoes. Overall, these are some solid behind the scenes glimpses that certainly add some bang for your buck.
Overall, whether you skipped out on seeing Twisters in theaters or have been concerned about it holding up, there’s no reason to miss the 4K Ultra HD release. The movie itself manages to be a lot fun, bringing the right amount of heart/charm to keep the disaster elements engaging.
