Into the Storm / Rated PG-13 for Mother Nature delivering violent and sudden death and some language whenever she does so.
ITS is the perfect summer entertainment. ITS lasts less than 90 minutes and delivers the goods. The goods include spectacular Tornado scenes. Better than The Wizard of Oz (1939). Better than Twister (1996). As a disaster movie ITS is as good as it gets. No big stars to steal the scene. No lengthy character development. Just enough to get things going. At 20 minutes into the film the storm arrives and the action never stops.
The film is centered around a storm chasing group in two vehicles one loaded with computer and on line info and the other a virtual tank ready to drive right into the heart of the tornado and lock itself down while the cameras roll. There are also a couple of amateur rednecks who drink beer and film the disaster using cell phones and a pick up truck. They add the humor. They are really funny.
The film also centers around a fictional High School called Silverton. It’s graduation day. The rain starts right in the middle of the speech making. Then they run indoors and hide in the halls of the school. Until the real wind shows up. Classes are cancelled.
The movie is shot from the viewpoint of the people with camera’s and phone camera’s. A lot of shaky cam is involved but it all fits in with the story. There is also footage from security cams edited into the story. The director also knows when to use real cams to make sure we are able to see clearly what we need to see.
The twisters, and there are a bunch of them, touch down in and around the town near Silverton Oklahoma. The actual locations were all done in Michigan. The twisters are so powerful and horrifying that I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire population of the State decides to move out. Those that see this film will never ever buy a home and move to Oklahoma. Not after this film.
The special EFX that take up the last 60 minutes are incredible. As good or better than any disaster film ever made. It is almost like an “E” ticket thrill ride. With a running time of less than 80 minutes when you remove the end titles this film contains almost perfect editing and adds nothing extraneous. The pace moves like the twisters themselves. I still feel the whooshing.
While I went to ITS expecting little it surprised me by providing a whole gaggle of excitement and entertainment. On the way home the 60’s channel on the satellite radio played Chubby Checkers hit “Lets Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer”. I strongly recommend you see ITS. And you will Twist. I guarantee it.
Rated 3.9 out of 4.0 reasons to say “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore”