Did anyone ask for another “Tron” installment?
The 1982 original famously failed before becoming a cult favorite. The 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy” proved modestly successful, with few clamoring for more.
Now, with the advent of A.I., it makes sense to revive the sleeping franchise, but “Tron: Ares” suggests a Grok-ian screenplay led the way.
The film is obviously linked to the 1982 source material, but much of “Legacy” is left behind. We see fleeting images of that film’s stars (Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde), little more than visual Easter eggs.
This story pits Kevin Flynn’s enduring ENCOM versus a meany corporation named Dillinger seeking to weaponize A.I. The problem? Whatever Team Dillinger creates in the real world turns to black dust after 30 minutes.
They need to find the Permanence Code to fix the situation and change the world.
ENCOM’s scrappy leader, Eve Kim (Greta Lee), thinks she has the solution, but Dillinger’s A.I. soldiers are tasked with stopping her at all costs. That includes Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith), and they’re not limited to computer screens.
They walk among us.
Athena is a generic bad-ass, but Ares swiftly shows signs of, well, more than just artificial life. Think Data from “Star Trek: TNG” or even Ah-nold from “Terminator: Judgment Day.”
More human than human? But why the rush? It’s not Leto’s fault. His performance intrigues, but he’s been saddled with cutesy dialogue that speeds through his “evolution.” Sorry, a few shout-outs to Depeche Mode don’t seal the deal.
The story itself is simplified in a way that doesn’t suit the heady themes in play. None of that matters, for a spell, due to the visual opulence ruling every shot. Director Joachim Rønning (“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”) and his crew of FX wizards have outdone themselves here.
New worlds. New visuals. Stunning, all stunning. The NIN soundtrack slots effortlessly into this cyber-realm, distracting us from the sad truth. This is a glib, crowd-pleasing sequel with all the depth of a Sunday morning puddle.
It’s never dull, and the able cast creates some tension that’s sadly lacking in the screenplay. Evan Peters isn’t up to the task of playing the film’s heavy – the head of Dillinger. His scenes with co-star Gillian Anderson, playing his common-sense Momma, come up as minor at best.
A few action scenes crackle, but they’re burdened with franchise call-outs. Why do those Tron bikes still leave a physical wall in their wake? Can’t we move on from those disc-like weapons?
The project feels like a contractual obligation, rather than a new story born from a fascinating but flawed ’80s feature.
That leads us to Jeff Bridges’ return, a glorified cameo that adds little to the proceedings beyond the obligatory member berries.
“Tron: Ares” looks like the future of filmmaking, but in more ways than one, it’s rooted in the franchise-heavy present.
HiT or Miss: “Tron: Ares” is slick and easily digested, but you’ll forget what you saw on the ride home from the theater.
“Can’t we move on from those disc-like weapons?”
Tron can move on from those disc-like weapons as easily as Star Wars can move on from light sabers. They’re part of the legend, the history. They’re part of Tron, so no. We cannot move on from those disc-like weapons.
Fast food cinema. I’m ok with it now-and-then. I still want 5-course-meals in my que (Godfather I & II, LOTR, French Connection I & II) . But an occasional two hours of a movie low on plot but high on art direction is a good way to kill a bag of Doritos and down a few Dr. Peppers (See: Just about everything Zach Snyder makes – I’m an unapologetic fan). As everyone else in the comment section is saying, as long as I’m not getting lectured by the woke mob I’ll take it from time-to-time.
It was probably the weakest offering of the franchise but and there were some missed opportunities for sure, but somehow I want to go back and see it again. More TRON please! Hopefully they will bring back TRON: Uprising which is arguably the best TRON yet and we can enjoy the grid some more!
Some glitzy sci-fi imagery without a spellbinding plot?
Just as long as it’s not screaming to me about “global warming” or “fascism”, I’m good with it. Be watching this one may times on my flatscreen with the volume cranked up, no doubt.
“Can’t we move on from those disc-like weapons?”
No you can’t. A franchise has to satisfy their original fans. It can’t deviate too far without alienating their fans. The problem is the thin story that’s almost a non story. It doesn’t have anything to offer. I already forgot what Tron Legacy was about. It doesn’t matter anyways.