When a movie becomes a blockbuster, odds are great that it will soon be followed up by a sequel. 1996’s Twister made almost $250 million in the U.S. alone, so the fact that it’s taken almost 30 years for someone to try to expand upon the world it created is surprising. Even more surprising is that the spiritual sequel, Twisters, doesn’t just go the easy route and play on nostalgia for the original.

The star of the film is Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who has the belief that she can stop a tornado in its tracks via a special compound designed to be sucked up into the storm’s core. An early tragedy puts those plans on hold for a while, but when a member of her crew, Javi (Anthony Ramos), approaches her for help with a new venture, she’s soon headed back to Oklahoma to put her skills to the test again.

Javi, whose group is backed by a big-money donor whose ultimate goals might be less than honorable, and Kate butt up against a ragtag rival group led by Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), who seems more interested in views for his YouTube channel than anything else. But as the two groups chase down tornado after tornado, Kate and Tyler start to earn each other’s respect, banding together to try to help people who find themselves in the paths of the twisters.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung and written by Mark L. Smith, the film is a hell of a ride, about as good as anyone could reasonably expect from an attempt to turn a one-off film into a franchise. Notably, the filmmakers actually put an effort into making connections with the characters. Kate and Tyler are fully three-dimensional, Javi is given more depth than a third-wheel usually gets, and Tyler’s crew is made up of many interesting personas, including Boone (Brandon Perea), Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe), and Dani (Katy O’Brian).

This storytelling is appreciated since the biggest thing most moviegoers will be interested in are the tornados. Chung and his team deliver mightily in this respect, marrying CGI technology with practical special effects to construct scenes that are alternately exhilarating and terrifying. The set pieces never feel repetitive, and each one seems more spectacular than the one before. But the film is about more than just thrills, as it has a social conscience about the impact the storms have on the towns they devastate and what its characters can do other than just chase twisters.

Instead of direct nostalgia, the film makes do with allusions to aspects of the original. An early scene has Kate’s group using the same technology as the first film, and Kate herself has a preternatural ability to sense the movement of storms, much like Bill Paxton’s character. The rivalry between Tyler’s loose, free-wheeling group and Javi’s rigid, moneyed one emulates the first film. And both films feature a tornado tearing through a movie theater as a horror movie plays, an ironic touch given the horror playing out in real life for the characters.

After Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man, and now this, there is no doubt that Powell is a full-on movie star. But the Austin native feels like a down-to-earth person, and he makes Tyler into a relatable character despite his cockiness. Edgar-Jones is not as big a star yet, but more roles like this one that showcase her likability and acting skills could make her into one. The supporting cast members never feel out of place and make the story feel interesting throughout.

Twisters is a fantastic blockbuster movie, giving fans moments that will blow them back in their seats and make them hold their collective breath. But it also never loses its humanity in the chaos, allowing its characters to show they understand the impact the storms have on the world around them and the work they are doing.

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Twisters opens in theaters on July 19.