“Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens” touched down Sunday night, and while the first three films weren’t known for their subtlety, they didn’t involve “firenados” or “cownados.”
However, new maelstroms so over-the-top they almost make sharknados seem ordinary abound in the latest installment of Syfy’s franchise, billed as "the sequel to the sequel of the sequel to the greatest movie about sharks and tornadoes that's ever existed" (we really can’t argue there).
While the first “Sharknado” hit Los Angeles, "Sharknado 2: The Second One" was unleashed on New York and "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!" tore through the East Coast, this one begins in Kansas and Las Vegas, five years after the last movie.
Despite the efforts of our hero Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) to move far away from the coasts, ‘nados remain a threat, because … of course they do. And while the fate of Fin’s wife, April (Tara Reid), was uncertain at the end of “Sharknado 3” — she was hit by debris after delivering her own baby inside a shark while falling from space — she survived, thanks to a Twitter vote that asked fans whether she should return.
RELATED: 'Sharknado 3' tears through East Coast: 9 moments to talk about
As Ziering recently told TODAY, “You can't really say you're dead in any of these movies." (Even David Hasselhoff, who was last seen stranded on the moon, reprises his role as Fin’s dad, Gil.) Of course, the forecast calls for plenty of silly special effects, a host of must-see cameos (including TODAY’s own Al Roker and Natalie Morales!) and the delightfully campy dialogue viewers have come to expect. Here are our nine favorite quotes from “Sharknado 4.”
1. “Maybe in another lifetime.” — Fin upon being invited to be a Chippendales guest host at a Vegas casino (a nod to Ziering's real-life gig with the male revue)
2. "I just have one question: Are you single?" — "Millionaire Matchmaker" Patti Stanger trying to find Fin a date
3. "Chainsaw on, chainsaw off." ... "May the force be with you" — April, working both "The Karate Kid" and "Star Wars" references into the same scene
4. "It wouldn't be Texas without a chainsaw massacre." — A woman wielding a chainsaw against sharks (Seriously, the movie references keep on coming.)
5. "The storm has been rushing through Texas; it hit an oil field, creating an oilnado. The oilnado exploded, creating a firenado. The firenado hit an electrical plant, creating a lightningnado. And it's heading straight for Kansas. — Gilbert Gottfried as a storm chaser, offering a much-needed recap
6. “That firenado really did a number on this car.” — Fin's daughter, Claudia (We hate it when that happens.)
7. “I'm gonna get you, Fin Shepard, and your little chainsaw too.” — Stacey Dash as the mayor of Chicago, channeling the Wicked Witch of the West
8. "Come with me, if you want to live." — April, paying tribute to "The Terminator"
9. “Dad, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.” — 5-year-old Gil (We only waited three quarters of the movie to hear that.)
For more on "Sharknado 4," see what Ziering had to say about the movie below!