Tornado: Joplin em Ruínas

Your enjoyment of this documentary of the historic tornado in Joplin will largely depend on whether you prefer more personal stories with amateur shaky footage or if you would rather see a glossy production with lots of expert talking heads and raw data. I tend to prefer the former because it takes a massive event and scales it down to the personal level which to me is much more powerful. I can relate much more to individual experiences compared to boring discussions of weather patterns and historic precedent

I'm not sure why they picked these individual stories to tell. Almost all the accounts are from people that were teenagers at the time, but I think it was a good choice. When you are that age big events like this can completely alter your outlook on life and the future. I wasn't equally interested in all the accounts, but it gave the story a decidedly emotional element that would be missing from many documentaries

The footage is chaotic and a lot of it is just cameras pointing at the sky with no particular focus on the tornado, but it highlights the chaotic nature of the event and helps build tension. You won't see a lot of footage of the tornado ripping through houses or CGI reenactments of its path, but it goes along with the personal nature of this story as a lot of the footage was taken by those being interviewed or camera footage from the areas they were at

However, it could have used a little more context information. It really didn't accurately portray the sheer devastation and destruction of the town. Most of the time is spent building up to the tornado and the moments during with very little time spent on the aftermath. There are no maps showing its path or any overhead shots of the whole town with the line cut through it, so it's a little hard to put the whole thing in perspective for someone not familiar with the area

Ultimately, I got unusually emotional watching it which is my sign that it worked. Many documentaries explain everything in a clinical way with lots of facts and talking heads, which can be good, but I tend to prefer these more intimate stories that I can connect to on a personal level.

This documentary details the utter devastation caused by a tornado in Joplin back in 2011.

Unfortunately for some viewers who left reviews complaining about how awful the footage was, the awful people that were interviewed the religious aspect and whatever else they could find to moan about. It's indicative of the damage social media has on weak minds, zero attention span chasing that dopamine hit because they were bored by the survivors stories of being trapped inside a tornado with footage to boot. Evidently it's not enough to satiate the next generation of people that will find something to complain or be offended by. Not one of them stopped to think of the 114 people dead, the inpact on the survivors some with life changing injuries and let's not forget the entire community of Joplin that was basically erased of the map. Family homes local businesses. None of that was considered, they just moaned about the lack of entertainment and the 'grainy' 'YouTube quality footage' Why are so many people so selfish and lacking in empathy nowadays? This is a documentary about lives and a community devastated by a REAL tornado. You do not have the right to criticize and refer to the interviewees as 'yokels'.

Look at your own lives before criticizing others for sharing their story! Shame on you.

The community of Joplin is hit by a rare force of nature, a devastating EF-5 tornado, a natural event that has catastrophic consequences.

First off, the negative reviews, are you guys serious? You must have watched something different to me.

161 people dead, this was a horrendous occurrence, but aside from that, how many lives, properties, businesses, structures etc were impacted and ruined by the damage.

It's very raw, very gritty, but very heartfelt and very human, don't expect the glass and nonsense of the recent Twister film, most of the footage is strictly audible only, but would you expect otherwise?

It's not glossy, it takes a bit of time to open up, and for us Brits, it's worth remembering that The US is a bit more religious than us lot over here.

One thing I will never understand though, storm chasing, I just don't get it, don't mess with Mother Nature.

7/10.

There is no doubt that what these people experienced was life-changing. These were stories of survival against all odds or rather against a seemingly unsurvivable monster tornado. I don't think I've ever read, heard, or seen an eyewitness account of anyone who survived being drawn into a tornado and survived flesh-eating bacteria. Those who complain about too much focus on religion are probably not complaining about the clips at the end with then President Obama visiting and talking to the residents of Joplin. That survivor is gay, religious, and happy to have had the President there to acknowledge their suffering and their community. Cecil is someone who unites people. He did his best to help keep others safe. He is a decent person. His beliefs and lifestyle might not align with yours but only God will judge us in the end. Until then, leave your prejudice behind and try your best to imagine what these people endured on that day.

Someone committed how they were disappointed about premise being about people, not the tornado. They even said the characters were annoying. What's wrong with you?! This wasn't doesn't done for your entertainment. These people were not actors. This was incredible first accounts about people who experienced one of the worst tornadoes in history. The fact that they LIVED to tell it was amazing enough.

I felt this documentary was well done! My heart was racing through most of this documentary. I was emotional and driven to tears. This was shown 13 years after the event. The way they pulled together cell phone footage and actual sound. They were able to create the experience intertwined and was so descriptive, your mind could fill in the rest.

I can't believe society is so jaded by Hollywood, they are unable to feel the real.

WATCH THIS!!

Be prepared. If you live in the Midwest, you will NEVER ignore those warning sirens again!

Hope this documentary wins an Oscar!