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The United States disaster movie "Tornado" (Twisters) was released worldwide on the 19th local time. The film is a remake of the 1996 film of the same name, "Tornado", which tells the story of a group of meteorologists who are obsessed with studying the mysteries of tornadoes, chase the storm but are unfortunately caught in it, and finally overcome the storm and escape. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new version of "Tornado" topped the North American single-day box office after its release, and topped the weekend box office charts with a weekend box office of about $80.5 million, receiving a 78% expert rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Compared to the North American market, the film's overseas performance was slightly lower than expected, earning a total of $27.1 million after its release in 76 countries and regions, and in China, the first-day box office was only 4.272 million yuan. Netizens ridiculed Hollywood disaster blockbusters for once again becoming a "North American special". In terms of content, the New York Times commented that the new version of the film has more distinct contemporaneity in plot presentation and camera shooting compared with the old version in 1996, which is partly due to the Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung. But he has said that "cinema should not be oriented", a phrase that was also commented by The Guardian as "a missed opportunity to raise awareness of the climate crisis".
A remake 18 years later
When the old version of "Tornado" was released in 1996, it received only moderate reviews, with some critics criticizing the storyline and characterization as bland. But over time, the film has gradually been recognized by critics as one of the best disaster films with a tornado theme. Therefore, when the new version of "Tornado" is released, comparisons are unavoidable. Film critic Aaron ·B. Peterson wrote on the film review blog Hollywood Outsider: "Disastrous, the great special effects bring the storm to life, bringing the audience directly into the storm and creating an unusually tense sense of anxiety. "No fan of disaster can't miss this movie. If you love the original Tornado, get ready to experience the limit once again. ”
On the other hand, critics argue that the profundity of the original is not at all reflected in the new version of Tornado. Film critic Emma · Badame believes that the new version has no connection to the original at all. "If you're looking for a connection to the 1996 original, you'll probably have to look for a while. The film mentions the scientific sensors developed by Joan and Bill · Harting (the hero and heroine in the 1996 version); Paxton's son (the actor who plays Bill · Harding) also makes a cameo in the film, but that's about it. "This catastrophe epic tried desperately to replicate the magic of the original, but failed miserably. This is mainly because the script is so rudimentary, leaving little room for talented actors to play. Another film critic, William · Mullally, thought the film was funny, but the casting lost some of its charm. Lead actor Daisy · Edgar-Jones couldn't carry the box office flag, in large part because she couldn't attract audiences. "In all fairness, it could have been a script and director problem, making what should have been a heart-wrenching moment an understatement — Jones was too bland when the characters in the film died." The New York Times commented that compared with Powell (the male lead), Jones appeared lifeless, with empty eyes and no personality. "It's hard to believe that there is chemistry between the couple."
Some experts also said that some of the plots in the movie are detached from reality and present an "outrageous" meaning. Netizens pointed out that the Tornado EF5 is very powerful in the movie and can destroy everything. The two protagonists, however, are tied to the pipe with a belt to prevent it from being blown away by the wind, which does not correspond to the actual situation. Meteorologist, author and storm chaser · Arnold said that tornadoes can be classified according to the "Modified Fujita Scale" (EF Scale), a total of six grades from EF0 to EF5. EF5 is the highest level of tornadoes, with winds reaching speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour. "They can't hold out on the belts alone, they won't survive because they're hit by a lot of debris or even the roofs of the houses."
"Missed a great opportunity"
While some reviews focused on the differences between the new version and the old version, some critics found the new version to be distinctively characteristic of the times. The New York Times believes that film director Cheng Lee Shuo played a very important role in it. Jung Lee Suo is a Korean-American director. In 2007, his first feature film, Munyurangabo, was selected as an official part of the 60th Festival de Cannes and was the first feature film to be filmed in the Rwandan language. In 2020, directed by Lee Sung Cheng's semi-autobiographical film Minari, won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards. "Minari" tells the family story of a Korean-American United States, and while it is completely different from the "Tornado" genre, what they all have in common is an understanding of the Midwest of the United States, especially Jeong's experience of living in a terrible tornado.
Despite this experience, Cheng told CNN that the purpose of the movie is to entertain the audience, not to preach to them. That's why the new Tornado doesn't mention anything about "climate change." "I don't want to give the audience the impression that I'm promoting a certain idea, and I don't think that's definitely what a movie should be, it's a reflection of the world."
For some meteorologists and environmentalists, it seems unacceptable that a climate disaster film does not mention the word "climate change". "In the face of a mysterious tornado, we need a hero to fight it. Science has predicted the path of the tornado, and all that remains is to weaken it and defeat it. If we can't solve climate change, can we tackle it? If so, who benefits? Who will take advantage of our weather in the future, and who will be the victim? The New York Times wrote.
The Guardian commented that while such statements are not surprising, Hollywood has therefore missed a golden opportunity to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Good Energy, a nonprofit consulting firm, and Colby College's Climate and Environment Buck Lab have published a study analyzing whether the 250 highest-grossing films between 2013 and 2022 addressed the climate crisis. The results show that only 32 (12.8%) of them explicitly stated that the climate crisis exists, and only 24 films (9.6%) have protagonists who explicitly say that they are aware of the existence of climate change. The most recent film to deal with the climate crisis is 2021's Don't Look Up, starring Leonardo and Jenni·fer Lawrence, about a comet about to hit Earth, but the indifference of the ruling top brass to the advice has irreparable consequences. Adam McKay, the film's writer and ·director, said: "About five or six years ago, I started paying attention to specific scientific knowledge and the risks of a rapidly warming climate, and it wasn't long before I had sleep problems. I can't believe that the big news media and the government downplay or don't say a word about something so massive and threatening. I felt like I was and still am living in a farce, but it turned out to be very real and terrifying. ”
But one question persists: Why is the climate crisis so reluctant to be mentioned? According to the Guardian, part of the reason may be that directors and screenwriters are reluctant to mix too much political orientation in films. Alice ·Hill, a senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington, said: "Climate change affects everything, but it can also trigger anxiety and depression in people. "I'm not surprised that there aren't a lot of movies about climate change in Hollywood. They want to sell movies, people want to escape reality and be entertained in movies, and climate change is hard to sell. I can tell you that there are some editors who do want to write scripts about climate change, but the key now is that there are very few producers and directors who are interested in the subject. ”
News and picture sources: The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, The Guardian, Rotten Tomatoes, Forbes News, some pictures from the Internet
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