When the Cheshire emerges...

NATURAL phenomena have intriguingly, but to devastating effect, become more commonplace in recent years than anyone could have anticipated. This film, which tries to portray the effects of such happenings on small-town America, acknowledges that directly. Thousands of lives and homes have been lost by nature's force when Mother Nature has chosen not to be so kind.

A path of destruction no one can stop is a terrifying notion, and topical in cinema with the likes of The Impossible most recently portraying natural disasters. Twister will come to mind for many as tornadoes form the focal point of this outing from director Steven Quale.

Storm chaser/documentary maker Pete (Matt Walsh) and meteorologist Allison (Sarah Wayne Callies) find themselves in Silverton, a town unaware of the harm to soon hit it. Their group is at a crossroads, unable to agree with deciding where to go in finding the next twister. Brothers Donnie (Max Deacon) and Trey (Nathan Kress) are among the local high school's students filming a time capsule for a school project. With this and the storm chasers documenting their travels, found-footage style-filming is used throughout the 89-minute run time.

The disaster was always going to be the star of the film when the plot included a mega-twister with speeds of 300 miles per hour. But it is let down by some of the special effects we come to expect as nothing short of perfect. It falls in line with a cheesy script by John Swetnam, which is fine to some degree if you go in expecting as much. Characters are largely not given time to develop with the story at hand, Richard Armitage particularly having a difficult time exploring Gary. Performances by all are fine, Armitage included, but not serviced by who they portray.

There are hints at potential sub-plots, while an actual inclusion centring on two drunks who try to make a hit YouTube clip lands firmly in the *shake my head* file. It shows a concerted effort to mix a number of genres to appeal to the action fan, crass comedy appreciator and general suspense anticipator, but doesn't manage to come off.

Quale, whose only other feature directing credit is Final Destination 5, has not completely fluffed his take on the disaster genre though. Hollywood has not had a film of this sort – without heavier undertones – in some time, and audiences will appreciate it on its spectacle alone. Without expectation of serious heroism and cheesy acceptances about family and love, it's a terse look at how disaster strikes.

Rating: 2.5/5

Published in the Darwin Sun on Wednesday 10/9/2014.
MISSED THIS WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of The Maze Runner.