Tornado

The plot is not all that special but it still kept my attention from start to finish. The way Tornado's father died really shocked me and I did not see that coming at all, I will not give any spoilers but it was one of those moments that makes you pause for a second. I would rate it a 5.7 but rounding to the nearest without a decimal gives it a 6 so lets keep it there. The pacing had its slow spots but it still managed to build a certain mood that made me want to see what would happen next. Some scenes were very beautifuly shot, with lighting and scenery that made them stand out. The characters could have been a bit deeper but they still felt believable enough to carry the story. It is not a movie I would call a masterpiece but it is quite entertaning and worth a watch if you are in the mood for something different.

On paper, Tornado has everything going for it-an intriguing concept, a strong cast (including Koki, Tim Roth, and Jack Lowden), and a visually striking trailer that promised a bold fusion of samurai and Western genres. But in execution, the film doesn't deliver on its potential.

As with some Wes Anderson films, Tornado feels more like a fable than a grounded story but without inviting the audience from the beginning to suspend disbelief and accept stylisation over realism and lacks the emotional depth or imaginative clarity to fully pull this off. Combined with a theatrical tone that echoes Quentin Tarantino-particularly in its monologues and character staging-the film hovers awkwardly between stylised myth and serious drama, without fully committing to either.

The result is disorienting: pacing feels both slow and rushed, the world-building is vague, and the narrative often leaps forward without enough context. Viewers are left grappling with plot holes and underdeveloped motivations, which breaks immersion.

Most surprisingly-given its dual heritage in samurai and Western genres-the film features almost no action. There's no dramatic showdown, no cathartic swordfight, no "duel at dawn" moment to anchor the stakes. The final act, while atmospheric, lacks the payoff many expect from stories built on vengeance.

Loved it. A simple story set in 1790 that could have easily been ser in the 20th century because the bulk of the film takes place in a forest or the area surrounding a small lake. Other than the "1790" indicator, only the costumes made the time clear. This struck me as universally applicable. Many scenes throughout were emotionally strong and superbly acted. "Tornado", the main character's name, was compelling and intriguing. I was surprised by the way she talked, as something about it felt too modern to me. The cinematography was beautiful and the soundtrack fit perfectly. A small budget film showing a period of transformation in Tornado's life. In order to move my 8 rating to a 9 or 10, I'd have wanted to know more about the characters lives before the events of the film started and to have had deeper, more specific emotions shared between some characters. I'd see it again.

To be honest, I was really quite disappointed with this. It all centres around the search for some stolen gold that has been re-stolen and hidden by "Tornado", the partner in a father/daughter Japanese puppetry show that is touring the shires of late 18th century Britain. The gold was originally acquired by "Sugar" (Tim Roth) and his gang but as they stopped to watch the show, it was re-acquired by an opportunist urchin (Nathan Malone) whilst he was being watched by "Tornado" (Kôki). When the gang discover it's missing, all hell breaks loose and so she hides the loot and the boy in their wagon and off they go. It doesn't take long for the men to put two and two together and they set after the slow-moving visitors and a rather dishonourable encounter ensues. Meantime, "Little Sugar" (Jack Lowden) is tired of taking orders from his old man and has plans of his own to secure the cash - and that's bound to lead to a conflict with his no-nonsense father. So now we have a brute chasing his money, a son looking for change and a samurai-trained woman out for revenge. It has the ingredients of a good adventure. Sadly, though, she is just not a very convincing actor, there is far too much meandering around the countryside setting and re-setting the scenario and there is a real paucity of pace here. It can't have had an huge budget, but that needn't have mattered if the the story had taken a little longer to develop a little more depth to the characters. It's all too episodic and though it does mix the timelines a little to break up the narrative, there are too many characters who appear then add little before we move on. It does create an overall sense of a fairly poverty-stricken and lawless rural life, but once we hit the home straight it all just takes a predictable path to it's conclusion. Nobody is really used to full effect here and though the bleakness is conveyed well enough, the story doesn't really deliver.

Being a fan of Slow West, I was really looking forward to this movie. You can tell right away it is the same director as Slow West, John Maclean. His style is a very subtle, cool, relaxing form. Unfortunately, it means not really a good fit for a thriller.

The movie is almost same as Slow West in the element, a slow burn with a big finish. Unfortunately unlike Slow West, the ending was somewhat anti-climatic. This is very disappointing as the rest of the film, the story, was actually quite intriguing and keeps you engaged but the ending didn't quite satisfy.

Overall, I thought this is an average film, watch it once, you probably won't think about it again. The ending leaves many questions, but then you realize it is a western, it's not suppose to have a realistic ending.

5/10.