Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Twisters (2024)!
Summary
Twistersmanaged to put a fun spin on the original movie’s most iconic tornado scene, helping the sequel stand out independently from its predecessor.The original Twister is a classic disaster moviewith a multitude of tense, well-remembered scenes that make it stand out from other films in the genre. While thestory inTwistersis similar, following characters who are storm chasers observing tornadoes through a scientific lens, both movies stand apart thanks to their different themes and character dynamics.
In addition to these unique attributes,reviews forTwistershave pointed out how a lack of references to the original has helped this latest installment stand on its own. This has allowed for the action andcharacters inTwistersto become its focal points,without the need for references that wouldn’t help in developing the sequel.However, there is one subtle reference to an iconic scene in the original, with the sequel putting a new spin on the moment to keep it from copying its predecessor too much.
Twisters' 8 Easter Eggs, References, & Connections To The 1996 Original
A summer blockbuster, Twisters boasts several exciting easter eggs that reference the original 1996 movie, Twister, which is great fun for viewers.
The Sequel Avoids Repeating Classic Scenes
During a major scene inTwisters, Kate and Javi get trapped in the path of a tornado, forced to try escaping by driving backwards, away from the approaching storm. When they do,they end up hitting a chicken coop, feathers flying everywhere as the tornado passes over them.A chicken even lands on the hood of their car at the very end, signifying the action scene is over. This scene inTwisterscompared toTwisteris a subtle reflection of the original’s iconic scene of a cow floating inside a tornado, only with chickens instead.
By having chickens floating in a tornado instead of cows,Twistersis able to further differentiate itself from the original moviewithout making a direct reference to one of its most iconic scenes. Instead, the chickens make for the perfect change, giving the sequel its own identity in terms of how animals are impacted by its tornadoes. While it’s clearly a scene inspired by the first movie, it’s also one that stands out because of the use of a different farm animal in a unique way.
Why It’s Good Twisters Didn’t Try To Replicate Twister’s Cow Scene
The Scene Is Too Iconic To Recreate
WhileTwistershas enthralling tornado scenesthroughout its runtime, the film was better off not having directly replicated the cow scene from the original. The scene is too iconic to have been redone in the sequel,as it would have been an Easter egg that didn’t further the new story.By omitting the cow and replacing it with chickens,Twistersmanaged to stand out by not being overly reliant on nostalgia, even in places where references could have easily happened.
While it would have been interesting to see a modern day iteration of the cow scene fromTwister, the sequel using chickens for its own major disaster scene helped keep the movies from overlapping too much. It also shows just how muchTwisterswanted to avoid copying the first movie too much, ensuring it had enough originality to stand on its own. By putting a fun spin on an iconic scene, the sequel managed to be a strong follow-up, even in its smallest parts.
As of writing,Twistershas earned $123.2 million at the worldwide box office.
Twisters
Cast
A follow-up to the 1996 original film Twister, Twisters is a sequel set years after the original, said to be fast-tracked by Steven Spielberg and Mark L. Smith, with Frank Marshal as producer. Little details exist about the film, but Helen Hunt is expected to reprise her role as Jo, with the film likely to pay homage to the late Bill Paxton.
