If it’s at all possible, “Into the Storm” manages to out silly “Twister” by miles. It features a giant hurricane, absolutely valiant attempts to comment on global warming, and a fire tornado! A fire tornado trumps a flying cow any day of the week, sad to say. “Into the Storm” is a silly movie without a single compelling character, but when it stops trying to create drama it’s actually a lot of fun to sit through. From the great special effects, to the absolutely tense carnage inflicted by nature, “Into the Storm” is that kind of movie you could see Paul Newman and Red Buttons co-starring in 1979.
It has almost no star power save for Sarah Wayne Callies of “The Walking Dead,” and she barely gets any focus. And she’s supposed to be playing an intelligent weather expert who helps track the massive storm approaching her small town. “Into the Storm” isn’t particularly special in the narrative department. It’s merely a whole day set during the entrance of a massive super storm that is set to drop down on a town within a matter of hours. As the writers build up to the carnage, we’re introduced to a slew of characters, all of whom have fairly dull sub-plots. Probably the most compelling is single dad vice-principal, Gary Fuller. He’s a widower constantly at odds with his two sons, both of whom doubt his love and commitment to them. There’s older son Trey, who is tasked with filming a time capsule and constantly bickers with his dad.
And there’s younger son Donnie goes off with a girl he’s in love with, helping her film an environmental documentary about a closed down plant. As you can guess by the clunky foreshadowing by every character, bonds, relationships, and love is put to the test. Richard Armitage pulls off his character well, portraying a bookish principal who becomes an inadvertent hero, hell bent on finding his sons and ensuring their safety. Beyond that sub-plot, most of the fun of the movie involves the tornadoes, and the way they inflict havoc on the small town. There’s even a special tank built to battle the tornadoes that sets the stage for a great finale involving the tornado tossing it in to the clouds. Though “Into the Storm” is lacking in interesting characters, it makes up for it with fun disaster movie fodder and great effects.
The Blu-Ray features “Into the Storm: Tornado Files,” a ten minute discussion of actual storm chasers, real tornadoes, the types of tornadoes, and garners interviews with Director Steven Quale, Storm Chaser Reed Timmer, Producer Todd Garner, and Hydraulx VFX Supervisor Colin Strause respectively. “Titus: The Ultimate Storm Chasing Vehicle” is a fun eight minute look at the bitchin’ six ton tank used to battle the tornadoes in the movie, as well as actual armored trucks used for tornado chasing. “Fake Storms: Real Conditions” is a five minute look at the practical effects and stunts used during the movie, and how the effects crew simulated actual storms. The cast also discuss filming under such rough conditions, however simulated they are. The final feature is the only extra featured on the Standard DVD carried over from the Blu-Ray.