We all have movies that just work for us. For me, one is Twister. I remember seeing the film in theaters when I was in high school, and I’ve seen it dozens of times in the nearly 30 years since. I loved the story and the execution. It’s one of my favorite films of all time.

So, when I heard there was going to be a sequel—or at least another film sharing the name and cinematic space—I was nervous. The original was never a film I thought needed a sequel and I was skeptical it could live up to my affection for the original. And yet, this new film from director Lee Isaac Chung manages to charm and thrill, just as you’d hope from this type of film.

In the new film, we begin with Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young meteorology student who has a theory that she can stop a tornado in its tracks. She’s on the cusp of testing it out with her best friends (Anthony Ramos, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, and Nik Dodani). They head into the heart of the storm to test her theory and it doesn’t go as planned.

Five years later, Kate is now plying her skills in a weather service office in New York. When her old pal Javi (Ramos) shows up with a plan to better map tornados and save lives, he cajoles her back to Oklahoma. As they prepare to head into the field for data, they come across scores of storm chasers and storm enthusiasts. Chief among them is Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a YouTube star who has made a reputation with his brash chases.

Kate is put off by Tyler at first, but it turns out they have more in common then she first realized, while Javi has been less than forthcoming about his new venture. Can Kate overcome her past and finally realize her dream?

If you’ve seen films like this, you know how this is going to go. A film like Twisters isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. And the journey here is at times thrilling at times fun, and always interesting. That’s a credit to Chung and writer Mark L. Smith, who delivers a script that captures on the idea, in ways pays tribute to the original, but makes it clear this is a film that wants to do its own thing.

In the years since Twister, we’ve seen plenty of films about big storms. They rise and fall based on the story, the characters, and the production. This film succeeds because it puts those things first. The technology has come a long way since 1996, so as expected the storms and spectacle here are bigger. But this film doesn’t rely on its special effects, it focuses on the characters and the emotional resonance in the story.

Ramos, Edgar-Jones, and Powell are great as the leads. Each has their moments, and their back-and-forth throughout the film is fascinating. In fact, based on where this goes and how it wraps up, I wouldn’t even mind a return to this world, which is something I didn’t expect heading in.

This film knows what it is and doesn’t try to do too much. If you enjoyed the original or enjoy disaster films, you’ll have fun here. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised by the way this film comes together. This is the kind of ride we want during the summer, and this is well worth checking out on the big screen.

Twisters is now playing nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.