Twisters – 4K UHD Review
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Universal Studios | 2024
PG13 | 2hrs 3mins | Adventure | Thriller
Native 4K | 2160P | HDR10 | Dolby Vision | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Staring: Daisy Edgar-Jones | Glen Powell | Anthony Ramos | Brandon Perea | Maura Tierney | Harry Hadden-Paton
Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung
Ratings & Reviews
Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.
My ratings are simple being marked out of a maximum of 5+. My reviews are biased towards the technical production aspects of the film with brief comments about the story line. Extras, sorry, that’s just not my ‘bag’.
So what did the 4K HDR10 video look like? Reference, and the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack? Also reference.
Entertainment: 5-
Video: 5
Audio: 5
Technical Review – 4K HDR 10
Twisters was shot on 35mm photochemical film by cinematographer Dan Mindel using a mix of Arriflex 235, 435 ES, and 535B cameras, as well as Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras, with Panavision Primo, Retro C-, E-, G-, T-Series, ATZ, AWZ2 and Angenieux Type EZ anamorphic lenses. It was finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate at the mostly 2.39:1 aspect ratio and graded for HDR for this 4K release in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. This triple-layer BD100 disc has been well authored and shows no use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts or significant noise, exhibiting a wonderfully naturally cinematic grain structure. The package also contains an HD BD50 disc and a redeemable digital code.
With the movie shot on film this 4K release has excellent overall image clarity with a good display of crisp, sharp detail, with refined texturing throughout. Objects, clothing, threads and facial close-ups provide excellent detail and definition, from the uniforms and costumes stitching, the scrapes and dents in vehicles, and all the various damage and debris from the decimated towns and structures. Facial pores, stubble, wrinkles, eyelashes, hair strands and features are all accurately rendered without any undue exaggerations. CGI and special effects integration are very good, having realistic textures, blending well with the real action shots and rarely looking soft. Effects like explosions, flying objects and debris are well integrated into the live action with few distractions.
The film’s palette is muted but natural looking, with contrast balance looking excellent throughout. From the brilliant uncompressed whites of the daylight exterior shots and the dazzling specular highlights to the deep and noise free inky blacks that showed excellent low level and shadow detail. With clouds, night time shots, general lighting, vehicle lights, metallic finishes and power line flashes all sparkling with a true-to-live impact generating a very good dynamic contrast range, enhancing visibility of objects in both exterior and interior shots and creating an good depth of image.
The color palette is generally muted but contains a solid array of vibrant colors. Color fidelity is very good throughout with some vivid and well saturated primaries and secondary’s, all having good color depth and density, hues are bold and vibrant. Reds, blues, and yellows really pop nicely, from the rodeo with the red, white and blue-clad rider, yellow bins, lush greens of the grass and trees, the orange capes and powder blue skies, to bright red, orange and yellow explosions and the dusty, muddy, debris-strewn landscapes under the often grey and stormy skies. Skin tones and facial complexions throughout looking very natural throughout.
This video is very good on all fronts, providing a reference HDR10 image.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Twisters spins and roars into home theaters with a reference F5, Dolby Atmos mix that defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 in my system. The soundtrack was engaging and occasionally aggressive, whether during an emotional drama or an action scene having extended bass, clarity and dynamics.
The overall sound presentation is dynamic, with very good sub involvement and plenty of surround action. The soundstage is wide, and surrounds are constantly active with ambience, directional cues and movement, delivering an active environment that places the listener into both calm environments and inside the action of every storm. Effects placement are accurate and natural, with plenty of movement in both the rear and side surrounds, together with the general environmental and room acoustics effects consistently pulling you into the many locals and environments, like the inside of vehicles and buildings, the of shaking walls, ceilings and floorboards and the creepy silence of the pending arrival of a tornado. From those quieter and almost silent sequences to the wind, thunder, rain, hail, debris, vehicles, and occasionally characters that swirl and fly about in the soundscape, all fill the surrounds pulling you into the scene and keeping you “in the mix”.
Sub action is solid, having the low-end extension that this movie deserves. Fully supporting the tornados growls and shrieks, crashing debris and fireworks. Imaging continuously feels broad and expansive following the action as it moves on and off-screen. Dialogue is always crystal clear and well detailed with a good mid-range and solid front-center imaging and prioritization, providing good clarity and detail no matter how loud and aggressive the action.
Flushing out the soundscape and supporting the movie throughout its entire length, the films score, composed by Benjamin Wallfisch together with fitting country hits by the likes of Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Megan Moroney, and Jelly Roll offering a good supportive mix, being perfectly clear, and presenting with good bass. Hitting a good balance between the dialogue and effects the score provides a light spill into the surrounds and very good integration within the soundstage.
A very good audio track that makes its way to reference levels.
Story Overview
A couple of years after Kate’s (Daisy Edgar-Jones) devastating encounter with the first movies tornado she gave up chasing storms across the Oklahoma prairie and settled down to study them instead. Researching a means to reduce the intensity of tornados using chemicals in order to get a scholarship, she and her boyfriend Jeb (Daryl McCormack), plus a few friends; Addy (Kiernan Shipka), Praveen (Nik Dodani) and Javi (Anthony Ramos) chase a tornado to try out her research. The experiment fails and Praveen, Addy and Jeb are all killed by the tornado. Several years pass and Javi is now working for Storm Par, a private company that scans tornados in 3D , but he needs Kate for her expertise to locate tornados. He approaches Kate who is now working at the office of an environmental agency in New York City monitoring the weather, and asks her to join him for just a week to help out. Reluctantly Kate accepts and travels with Javi to Oklahoma to meet up with the rest of his team. Once there she bumps into an Arkansas native and YouTube celebrity storm chaser Tyler (Glen Powell) and his team of crazed storm chasers called The Tornado Wranglers who have brought the British journalist Ben (Harry Hadden-Paton) along to document their activities. Friction and mistrust between Kate and Tyler is obvious, but after Kate learns about the objectives of Storm Par’s owner, she is eventually forced to team up and work with Tyler as they learn that a series of large and destructive tornadoes are heading toward the plains.
My 2 cents
Twisters brings back the blockbuster disaster epic with a whirlwind of action and thrills as numerous impactful tornados that populate the film eat up the Oklahoma landscape. No, it doesn’t break new ground but as a disaster movie it provides plenty of mayhem and destruction with the characters playing their part. All supported by a reference transfer and soundtrack.
Highly recommended for all fans.
Purchase from Amazon here.
