Storm Hunters

My family is a big movie-watching family. That's our thing. We watch a lot of different types of movies and we watch movies all the time. So I feel confident in saying I know quite a bit about movies--about what makes a good movie, how to tell a good movie from a bad movie, etc.

My mom really wanted to see "Into the Storm" because she's on kind of a Richard Armitage kick since "The Hobbit". We talked about going to the theaters to see it, but I decided to check the IMDb reviews, and they told me it was a terrible movie.

So we didn't see it. Tonight I was picking up a couple Redbox movies on my way home, and decided to get this one because why not. I wasn't expecting anything, but we were still curious about it.

So we watched it, and I LITERALLY DON'T GET all the negative reviews!! The main strike against this movie (according to the reviews) was the acting. What?! I thought the acting was really good! I thought the characters were all believable! I was able to understand and emotionally connect to all the characters--there were two scenes that made me cry a bit, and I am NOT a crier. I NEVER cry during movies. The acting and the documentary-style filming actually made me feel like I was ACTUALLY THERE (although this could probably have been even more palpable if I had seen it in theaters...that's what you get for basing a decision on IMDb reviews?), which was very stressful, but made the movie so much more enjoyable.

I have seen A LOT of bad movies in my time; "Into the Storm" doesn't even come close to making that list.

There are bad movies that are just intolerable to sit through. And then there's "Into the Storm".

Jan de Bont's 1996 "Twister" came into cinemas like – and excuse the pun – a blast of fresh air. Whilst "Into the Storm" is not exactly a remake (there are no cows present at all for example!), it shares many of the key characteristics that made Twister such a fun popcorn movie: a truly terrible script, some pretty awful acting in places, a predictable plot, and the occasional mind-bogglingly improbable scene, but all redeemed by some slam-dunk fantastic visual effects.

Firstly, the script. Sneak a shot glass and a flask into the cinema and play the new drinking game: a shot for every time anyone says "Are you alright?". You'll be legless before the first hour is up.

Secondly the acting. This is a cast where the most well-known faces are Richard Armitage (Thorin in the Hobbit films) and Matt Walsh (Mike McLintock in the excellent "Veep"). And I don't like to be harsh on a young cast of actors in the early dawn of their careers, but let's say that some of the cast were probably cast more for their looks than their acting talent. I also struggled with Armitage's single dad/school principal character who in certain scenes (particularly one in the front of the stormchaser's van) looks the spitting image of Leslie Nielsen's Dr Rumack from "Airplane". I almost expected him to go off into that character at any moment – – "No, the school won't be safe. And don't call me Shirley".

One of the youngsters that I think did make an impact was Nathan Kress in his movie debut as the younger son Trey.

The predictable plot. No spoilers, but there's a small town and lots of tornadoes: "bigger than any storm that's ever been" (since "Twister" anyway). The plot, as it is, centres around a failing documentary film crew trying to capture good footage before the tornado season is up: with backer's funding drying up, the pressure is on. Walsh plays the hard-pressed producer/director sparking off the Helen Hunt character Allison, played by the fetching Sarah Wayne Callies, a data-besotted scientist for who, it seems, science only works for when good luck is in her favour. Aside from the film crew, the remainder of the cast are the residents and schoolkids of the backwater Oklahoma town of Silverton, with the usual disaster movie will they/won't they (die) tensions as the tornadoes wreak their havoc. Humour is injected through a couple of rednecks intent on making their fortune through Jackass-style video clips on Youtube.

The improbable scenes. Again no spoilers, but one of the characters meets an end that is massively improbable, poetic, beautifully shot and ironic…. but also snort-worthily funny. And why suddenly does sleepy old Silverton suddenly reveal itself to have a MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT with dozens of Jumbo jets waiting to be lifted into the skies? Whilst a memorable special effects scene, it makes absolutely no sense at all. It's almost as if the filmmakers got to the end of the film and found a million dollars of contingency funding they hadn't used: "What can we do with this? Oh, I know!". Bizarre.

And those effects! This is no "Sharknado"! The special effects are all top notch, including a spectacular scene where a twister gobbles up a petrol station and all of its burning fuel which is a masterclass in CGI. I have no idea where you would even start in developing that.

The director is James Cameron protégé Steven Quale (2nd unit on "Avatar" and "Titanic" and director of the passable "Final Destination V"). And all in all, I think he does a pretty good job. The film is massively helped by a sensible 90 minute running time, which is all the light plot could really sustain anyway. And it is a good decision to adopt (in part) a "Cloverfield" type of video blog format (part documentary footage; part high school 'video time capsule' interviews) that holds the interest well.

So, in summary, this is a terribly good bad film and well deserving of your summer popcorn money. Just about everyone came out of the cinema with a silly grin on their face. Nuff said.

(If you enjoyed this review, please see my other reviews at bob-the-movie-man.com and sign up to follow the blog. Thanks!)

I picked this up for a quid second hand and thought may be worth a watch. Never heard of it before. I was really surprised by how good it was. Especially the special effects. I expected an 'Asylum studios' level film but this was amazing. Great cast.....including the beautiful woman from Fear the Walking Dead. Good story and stunning special effecta. Kept me gripped throughout.

One of the best tornado disaster films I have seen.

Unsure why woany negative reviews.

Saying worst ever!? Are they insane!? Far far worse than this hidden gem.

Best pound I have spent.

Yes pun intended. Also I thought the movie was not as bad as I thought going into it. And while I do like watching movies in 3D, I think it works best that way, especially considering this is all found footage. And yes there is a reason why some people try to do what the title says. But it's not all the people, some do try to get away from it too, you know! Just saying.

Back to the pun(s), you could also call this a "Thrill ride", "merry go round" and a few other fun names. But the movie itself takes itself seriously most of the time. Some light moments aside of course, which are needed. It might not always make the most sense, but it's suspenseful from start to finish and very well shot at that

'Into the Storm' is purely a guilty pleasure, that works as a good fun flick. Its not something remotely phenomenal, but its entertaining & visually rich, nonetheless.

'Into the Storm' Synopsis: Storm trackers, thrill-seekers, and everyday townspeople document an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes touching down in the town of Silverton.

'Into the Storm' is visually brilliant, with the tornado bits leaving you awe-struck. The visual effects are definitely the high-point of the enterprise. John Swetnam's Screenplay, on the other-hand, never takes itself too seriously & hence it works. Steven Quale's Direction is crisp, he's handled the film well. Brian Pearson's Cinematography is eye-filling. Eric A. Sears's Editing is sharp.

Performance-Wise: Richard Armitage is a fine actor & he expectedly performs well. Sarah Wayne Callies has her moments. Matt Walsh is first-rate. Nathan Kress is excellent. Max Deacon lends good support.

On the whole, 'Into the Storm' is best enjoyed with a huge tub of popcorn!