"Into The Storm" Review

Let me get the question on everyone's minds out of the way: yes, this movie IS "Twister". In "Into The Storm", a tornado, the biggest on record, rips through a small town, documented through the vantage points of a professional team of storm chasers, a high school vice principal (Richard Armitage), his sons (Max Deacon and Nathan Kress), and two thrill-seeking rednecks (Kyle Davis and Jon Reep).

I've finally lost my patience for 'found footage.' The genre exists to establish confidence that what you're watching is real, whether it be a monster, ghost, or tornado. When this is the goal, detail and logic are everything. So how convenient is it that not only do the storm chasers have cameras, the sons have them, the rednecks have them, and they all just happen to get within a yard of the tornado, body and camera completely unscathed by the debris? God forbid these people flee the area; they hold the footage with more reverence than their lives! No human behaves like this, so when the logic is flawed, the illusion is broken, and the only thing left from the 'found footage' style is inept cinematography.

For the most part, the cast goes on autopilot. Occasionally Armitage will pull out his Thorin Oakenshield voice when barking orders or searching for the eldest son, but throughout the movie, he looks bored. Sarah Callies of "Prison Break" and "The Walking Dead" fame plays a meteorologist whose work keeps her from her daughter, and while Callies is a strong actress, she's given barely anything to work with. Not all the performances are lifeless: Nathan Kress delivers some chuckles as a mischievous wisecracker, and the Davis/Reep duo delight with their antics. They bring much needed relief, carrying me through the glazed looks and affected monologues.

While the movie gets shots showing off the scope and power of the tornadoes, the majority of effects look like YouTube editing jobs or the virtual reality roller coasters at Chuck E. Cheese. What disappoints me is the same trick used in "Godzilla" where when the tornado hits, the movie teases the chaos, but then cuts to black. After the third blackout, I wonder if the studio just ran out of money to shoot more action.

"Into The Storm" can get close to crossing the border between "idiotic" and "B-movie fun" (what tornado movie isn't complete without a flying cow, after all?). However, the unrealistic dialogue, wooden acting, and irritating use of the 'found footage' style keeps it from being a full guilty pleasure. I do enjoy the climax, which gets equal parts ridiculous and entertaining, but outside of a few gasp-worthy moments, this is cinematic fluff. If you're a fan of tornado movies, I say wait until DVD, at least. Thank you for reading; I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.

"Into The Storm" releases in theaters on August 8th.

                                                                           "Into The Storm" trailer:

Author's note: This was the best thing to come out of the early screening. Completely free, super comfy.