Greetings, programs.
(I just had to say that.)
There’s a reason why I have an entire blog category devoted to the movie TRON. That film blew my young mind. I remember seeing it back in the early 1980’s at Sangertown Square Mall in New Hartford, New York (just a few miles away from Hamilton College), and I was blown completely away.
The visuals for the original TRON were miles above anything possible at the time; the computer graphics were revolutionary; and for a Disney film, the plotline had a ton of levels to it. Discussions of religion and creation, balanced as users and programs. The soundtrack (from Wendy Carlos) was mind-expanding. And Jeff Bridges played the reluctant hero Kevin Flynn with an equal mixture of adventure and wonder. Trust me, this film was The Matrix long before The Matrix was The Matrix.
By the time 2010’s TRON: Legacy came out, I was ready for a new trip into the digital world. And again, the computer graphics were incredible. The story now focused on new battles of authoritarianism and tyranny and control. And although the special effects seem dated today, the thought of seeing Jeff Bridges de-aged into his younger self (as the malevolent program Clu) was tremendous. Plus, another killer soundtrack, this time by Daft Punk. Heck, I even wrote a review of the film in the blog – because, yeah, I did.
And yes, before I saw TRON: Ares, I made sure to watch the first two TRON movies on Disney+ last week. Just to refresh my memory a bit. I mean, it was fifteen years since the last TRON movie, and I don’t have the ability to de-age myself …
Last night, I watched TRON: Ares at my usual cinema of choice, the Regal in East Greenbush. No assigned seating; easy parking; and they had some of the collectible TRON popcorn buckets. Well, not the light cycle one; apparently that’s an online-order thing. But I did purchase the arcade stand popcorn bucket.
So let me say this. TRON: Ares was a blast. I enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed the storyline and underlying themes of artificial intelligence and free will. I enjoyed the call-backs to the first two TRON movies, along with the hidden Easter eggs (for example, there’s a reference to one of the characters from the first film as the brand name for a recycling company in the TRON: Ares movie).
The visual effects were once again spectacular. Not only that – but there was an entire portion of the film that replicated the visuals from the 1982 film. AND … they even brought back the Wendy Carlos cues for it. But let’s also give plenty of love to Nine Inch Nails, who scored the soundtrack. Heck, there’s even a reference or three to a certain 80’s synth pop band. No, not Human League, not Soft Cell, not ABC … you’ll catch it when you hear it.
Do we get light cycles? Oh boy we got light cycles. Did we get Recognizers? Heck yeah, we got Recognizers. Did this film earn its PG-13 rating? Yeah, it kinda did.
As for the acting … I’m still on the fence about Jared Leto as the main character in this picture, but almost everybody else did a great job with their parts. And yes, Jeff Bridges is back – even though he was supposed to have been de-rezzed at the end of TRON: Legacy, they found a way to bring him back that makes total sense.
And yes, there is a post-credits scene. It could set up a TRON: 4, and I’m hoping if it does, that I’m not waiting 15 years for that premiere.
Yeah. Definitely worth my time. Enjoyed it completely. And maybe if I see it again … I’ll try to watch it in a 3D showing. We shall see.
End of line. 😀
Chuck The Writer 
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I have never seen a TRON movie!
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