I went into the screening of Into the Storm wanting to hate the film, given Hollywood’s tendency to butcher atmospheric science topics in favor of dazzling special effects, as occurred in The Day After Tomorrow. And sure, this new film has a flimsy plot, offers little to no character development and pays only cursory attention to the actual science of tornadoes and safety directives from the National Weather Service.
But let’s forget all that, because this movie won me over — to a degree. It did it with tornadoes. Lots and lots of tornadoes. As a climate reporter and weather geek, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the special effects in this film. The tornadoes are the stars, and all the actors are relegated to supporting roles, as is the story.
The first tornado strikes before the opening credits roll, establishing the heart-pounding pace early on, without letting up. I lost count at 12 twisters that hit the hapless town of Silverton in one day, including the largest tornado on record, a beastly EF-5 that looked to be about 15 miles wide.
