Twisters: A New Spin on a 1996 Action Film
I don’t know about you guys, but over the last few months, I haven’t been able to open social media without seeing a picture of Glen Powell from the “Twisters” movie.
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the movie, but the whole time, I couldn’t help but compare it to the original film.
Before I went to the theater and saw it for myself, I read so many posts of people complaining about, “why do we have to remake every movie” and “it’ll never be the same without Bill Paxton!” But the thing is, “Twisters” wasn’t supposed to be a remake. It’s a “current-day chapter” of the 1996 film, as described by Universal Pictures.
The two movies are incredibly popular, regardless of the relationship between them. Sadly, many people had no idea that there was an inspiration for the 2024 release. “Twister,” released in 1996 by Warner Bros., still remains in the list of 100 movies that have the largest 9th consecutive domestic release weekend without being adjusted for inflation, seen on The Numbers website.
On the same site, the amount grossed over the opening weekend for both movies are listed. For the 1996 release, the total was $41,059,405. As for the 2024 release, the total was $81,251,415. At first glance, you may be thinking, “Whoa, that’s almost double!” Which, yes, is true, but using the CPI Inflation Calculator, it turns out that the total for “Twister” in 1996 equals $82,312,461.75 in 2024.
Now that had me impressed.
First of all, I apparently had no idea how much the rate of inflation was. Second of all, that’s a LOT of money. And, it turns out to be more than “Twisters” opening weekend.
Both movies remain on the All-Time Domestic Box Office ranking, with the 1996 film at rank 158 and the 2024 release at rank 138, as well as holding International and Worldwide records. Of course, with “Twisters” only releasing in June, there is still so much time for the sequel to further surpass the 1996 release. Overall reviews of both movies are positive, with “Twister” receiving a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes and “Twisters” receiving a 75%.
It’s hard to say which movie is better than the other. Both had outstanding casts and chemistry between characters, along with engaging dialogue, but the action sequences differ due to the times. The 1996 film is heavy with special effects, but the huge budget allowed them to do pretty much anything they wanted. Especially for the timing of the movie, the editing helped to further immerse audiences in the extreme weather conditions depicted. In 2024, the filmmakers had the advantage of advanced CGI, allowing them to do things the 1996 cast may never have thought of (which could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it).
The way I see it, both movies are incredible and almost incomparable. Although it is a sequel, I view “Twisters” as its own movie, a stand-alone. The film included references to the original, which were very heartwarming, and the cast members also talked about their love for the 1996 movie. Glen Powell even posted a tweet about Bill Paxton, saying, “As we release Twisters into the world today, I just wanted to look up and tip my hat to the legend that is Bill Paxton. A great friend of mine who saw poetry in the natural world. His boots are impossible to fill, but this life is all about chasing the greats.”
I think this movie did just that, chasing the great legacy that was “Twister.” Remake, sequel, stand-alone, whatever you want to call it, you can’t deny that the 2024 film “Twisters” was a very well-made movie and pays tribute in all the right ways.
In the wise words of Tyler Owens, “If you feel it, chase it!”