"Twister" was not as good as people remember.
This one is thus a good sequel to that first film. Its characters are perfunctory, the screenplay is honestly a good exercise in dissecting screenplays: you can time each beat and moment and turning point to the very second and page, ala "Save the Cat", and you're here for some tornado silliness. It ticks along nicely, and you remember the characters because they've cast quirky actors and rising stars in these perfunctory parts: the team who die at the start are played by Kiernan Shipka (wearing glasses, and you know she's the quirky smart one); Nik Dodani (so you know he's the nervous one); and Daryl "I Don't Actually Sleep with an Older Actor This Time" McCormack (so you know he's the charming, likable one). That trend continues into the present day setting: we've got Sasha Lane as the drone pilot (fun side note: every time we see a film with her in at our local cinema, it's in the same screen. Henceforth it shall be the "Sasha Lane" screen); Brandon Perea from "Nope" is the right hand man of our lead; Katy O'Brien plays a mechanic with about 6 lines, but you know - it's the lady from "Love Lies Bleeding" so I let it pass; Future "Superman" and star of "Pearl" David Corenswet turns up as the "douchebag corporate" character you enjoy seeing get splattered in mud; and there's honestly a nice little bit with a reporter played by Harry Haddon-Paton, where he goes to take photographs of people in danger but instead places it down and goes to help.
Powell and Edgar-Jones are the stars here, and the former is lovable and engaging, and Edgar-Jones holds the ship steady with a less flashy part. It's a servicable, trundling along disaster movie. Everybody can sit down and watch it, it's fine. And thus, it is a perfect sequel to the mediocre "Twister". Hell, I was more interested in seeing this than "Ryan Reynolds and Wolverine".
I do kind of want that gadget drill gimmick truck Tyler drives though, that's stupidly fun.
