The Tornadoes may be the only thing to suck you in!
After seeing her father sucked out of the cellar by a tornado, Jo (Helen Hunt) grew up with a fascination of
just what made tornadoes tick. Jo and a group of eclectic storm
chasers set out in search of nature’s fury in hopes to learn more about
tornadoes and create more warning time for people. Even a disaster
film sneaks in a love story, between Jo and Bill (Bill Paxton) her soon to be
ex-husband who has since given up storm chasing but finds himself lured back
into the love of the chase and just maybe Jo too.
Tornadoes, tornadoes oh my! Keep your ears
alert for a few Wizard of Oz references. The special effects still stand up 16
years later but I don’t remember it being quite so cheesy the first time around.
I must admit I do find most disaster movies annoying due to the
impossible always seeming to happen. Get used to many scenes where
you just can’t believe they were able to outrun and outsmart the tornado; all of
this while the tornado is like 50 feet away and their hair and clothes aren’t
even blowing in the wind…sigh. I overlooked that for the pure fact
that I am one of those people that loves storms and the action is from start to
finish. Paxton and Hunt are likeable despite only okay acting but
I prefer the group of quirky storm chasers on their team that really add
personality to the film. Set your plot expectations low but if you
are looking for some silly entertainment then pop some popcorn and grab some
snacks and give it a go!
Motherly Advice: Set your filters
to “Most Filtering” to eliminate considerable profanity and some blasphemy along
with a few deaths and gory injuries caused by the tornadoes. Jo at
a young age sees her father ripped from the cellar by a violent tornado to his
death in the opening scene. Jo is seen showering for a few seconds but you only
see her shoulders and up, so not very risqué there. Bill and Jo
are still married but Bill brings along his new fiancé while pursuing a divorce
from Jo. Tornadoes leave their aftermath of destruction, and
animals and humans are in peril; Jo’s Aunt is in her home when it starts
collapsing on her but she is pulled to safety. I would suggest
ages 12 and up and just beware the tornadoes are pretty realistic if you have a
youngster scared of storms.
Hannah – ClearPlay guide through Tornado Alley
Posts
