For newcomers to the craze of pursuing deadly weather events conjured by Mother Nature, Sean Casey’s Imax short Tornado Alley will be a tasty bite-size introduction to the nutty passion that drives certain motivated scientists and the meteorologically inclined through the central southern states of America for a few months each year. However, anyone familiar with the program Storm Chasers may feel a little aggrieved at how pedestrian this 3D makeover turns out to be.

All the bells and whistles of the bloated 3D experience are welcome but acting as director, Casey, one of the focal points of Storm Chasers, panders to the presumably less knowledgeable masses. A large chunk of the 43 minute run time is devoted to a perfunctory background check on tornado mechanics. Then comes an initial charge with his impressive beast, the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle), to seek direct contact with an expanding system; this, however, bears little fruit for a wrong turn is taken and the storm cell spins out of range.

The TIV is decked out with all manner of sophisticated, armoured defences and the capacity to deploy within 25 seconds; effectively it roots itself to the earth, enabling the vehicle to survive the ferocity of even the most herculean, intimidating tornado.

Bill Paxton, star of Twister (1996), the film that first utilised a level of CGI able to render tornadoes realistically, does a decent job as narrator. But Casey definitely reins in his manic persona somewhat for this big screen projection of the endeavour that has consumed over eight years of his life. A concurrent sketch profile of another crew of dedicated chasers fills out the film, but more frenetic confrontations rather than back-stories might have been advisable to maximise the adrenalin rush that these Man vs. Nature encounters inspire.

Casey’s ultimate prize is getting ‘inside’ a tornado so that every possible type of data can be acquired for scientific analysis. This footage, the first recorded by any storm chaser, is the film’s high point, but as impressive as it is, it can’t prevent a slight sense of dissatisfaction from settling over proceedings. There are no flying cows being tossed through the air like plastic markers, for example, a real disappointment if I say so myself. The effect, as captured on film, is like being flayed about by winds channelled through a train tunnel. Tornado Alley, then, delivers but only on a limited scale.



I say: A decent, visually compelling introduction to the world of storm chasers, but hardcore devotees of Storm Chasers know that many small screen episodes are just as good, if not far superior to this.

See it for: The moment when the TIV makes it inside the tornado is certainly the money shot.