4K Review | Twisters (Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray)

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Plot: What’s it about?Video: How’s it look?Audio: How’s it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?The Bottom Line

Plot: What’s it about?

It still amazes me that it has taken nearly three to get another Twister installment. Not that I think the film deserved another chapter, but in Hollywood, money talks and it seemed like the studio would get right on it. Anyway, here we are in 2024 with Twisters, a film that has its own merits, but will ultimately always live in the shadow of the original film. While I enjoyed the 1996 original, it was never something that I held in as high regard as a lot of folks do. Having seen this version and revisited the original quite recently, I can say that I will always return to it before I rewatch this version. I will delve more into this in a bit, but it can help but overcome that hurdle. That isn’t to say that the case isn’t at least decent, and the effects aren’t well done. They are. It’s just that it fails to truly justify its existence.

We meet our female lead in the form of Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who is a grad student who also has a tragic backstory. Kate chases storms, and we see an event early in the film that ends in tragedy, and this causes her to rethink her storm chasing career. We flash forward to five years where we meet Javi (Anthony Ramos) who knows Kate and asks her to assist in conducting research. She agrees and then we’re introduced to the cocky Tyler (Glen Powell) who does anything he can to attract attention. This comes in the form of his own social media channel in which he has a good chunk of followers. He and Kate eventually help each other out, and one can likely guess where all this ultimately leads.

Twisters seems to know its target audience and gives them exactly what they want. Whether you consider this film a remake or sequel or reboot, its does seem to be a carbon copy of the original film. Albeit one with a much more diverse cast. That is something that seems to be a priority for Hollywood these days. With that being said, the cast seems capable here. You won’t find the nice chemistry like you had between Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, but they’re decent enough. Though I am still not sure about Glen Powell. Something about the guy just hasn’t clicked with me yet. This all leads to the inevitable climax inside a movie theater, which is exciting in its own way. It just doesn’t stack up to the excitement found in the original film. There are also some pacing issues here. Still, I suppose there’s enough here to attract a newer audience, maybe even many of whom weren’t born yet or were too young to remember the original film.

Video: How’s it look?

Much like its predecessor, the film finds itself steeped in darker, earthy tones. For every movie that’s got crystal blue skies, this one serves as their antithesis with dark, brooding clouds and giving us. The 4K HEVC 2.39:1 image delivers giving us more detail, increased color depth and a more cinematic appearance. It’s a new-to-the-format release and, as such, we know what to expect. And, as we should all know – it delivers on all levels.

Audio: How’s it sound?

During the early days of the 5.1 “home theater revolution” Twister was the epitome of a reference-quality disc. Truthfully, if you’re going to try and impress your friends with how good your system sounds, put this disc in. Any scene. It doesn’t matter. They’ll be, wait for it…blown away. In this installment we find the sounds that the “Mother Nature” is capable of in this movie is enough to heighten the mood. There’s an almost organic feel to some of the scenes. Vocals, as expected, are sharp and crisp. This might also be the movie that uses the LFE to their best extent. Let’s face it, I can prattle on about how good this sounds or just know that when watching this one – it’s worth its weight in gold.

Supplements: What are the extras?

Audio Commentary – Director Lee Isaac Chung offers his comments on the film with references to the original, casting, the setup (and destruction) of things and so forth. It’s a good track, but not mandatory by any stretch.
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes
Tracking the Fronts: The Path of Twisters – Trace the trajectory of the film 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 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.

The Bottom Line

There’s a part of me that will always gravitate towards the original of any movie. Rarely is a sequel better. While Twisters certainly hits the right notes, I found myself longing for Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. But alas…’twas not meant to be. For fans of the “nature is a beast” genre, this one fits the bill.