Tron Legacy, American movie (2010)

Remember the 80’s? I’ve mentioned it quite a few times in the past that I am a fan of that particular era. It is famous for bringing us some great cartoons, wonderful and very memorable movies, but it also saw the rise of a completely new form of entertainment: the video game. People back in those days went to the arcades to play classic games such as Pac Man, Space Invaders and Centipede to name but a few examples. In the year 1982 Disney made a film that focussed on computergames in a way that had not yet been done before. Featuring groundbreaking special effects the name of that movie was Tron. It became a moderate succes back in those days, but it is now recognised by many as being lightyears ahead of it’s time and has gained the status of cult classic. Almost 30 years later a sequel was made to the original film. It was anticipated by a lot of people but unfortunately it did not become as succesful as many had hoped. Welcome everybody to part 3 of Countdown to the Last Jedi.

Now tell me, was I lying about the visual aspects of this film?

In Tron Legacy we are introduced to the son of Kevin Flynn, a young boy called Sam. In the year 1989 his father disappeared without a trace just after he was promoted to CEO of the computer systems corporation Encom International. Ever since his disappearance, now over twenty years ago, nobody has heard anything from him. Sam has grown up, but has little to no interest in his father’s company, despite being the primary shareholder. He does like to play a prank on the board of directors every year. Kevin’s closest and oldest friend Alan Bradley one day checks in with Sam, but not without a reason. It seems that Alan has recieved a pager message that originated from Kevin’s old, but now sealed video arcade. At first Sam is very skeptical, but eventually he decides to investigate it anyway. Arriving at the arcade, he discovers a hidden basement, where he inadvertently gets transported to The Grid. This virtual reality world was created by his father, and it seems that something very sinister has been brewing there. A rogue and corrupt program called Clu and that closely resembles his father, has taken control of everything. But Clu has bigger plans than the virtual world….plans that threaten the real world and every living thing in it. Sam becomes the reluctant hero that has to save the world. But stranded in an unfamiliair place, will he be up to this task?

Were you just talking about me?

Tron Legacy can be only by described as a visual masterpiece. It is a feast for your eyes in many ways. The virtual world of The Grid is created in an absolutely breathtaking way. The buildings, the vehicles, the world, all of them are simply put works of art. It is one of the most beautiful fantasy worlds that I have ever seen created for a movie. I unfortunately missed the opportunity to see this one on the big screen, something that I regret to this day. But not only the visual aspect of this film is worth mentioning. It is also the film’s soundtrack, created by Daft Punk that brings this movie to life. Heavy synthesizer sounds combined with some orchestral score create a truly unique sound, and one that fits this movie perfectly. I highly recommend listening to this one with a headset on, as it will give you the best experience. But for all it’s visual might and powerful sounds, this movie is not without it’s faults unfortunately.

I want one of these bikes for Christmas.

One of the least interesting aspects of the film are it’s characters. Sam, played by Garett Hedlund is a rather boring guy. He tends to overact in certain scenes and just doesn’t really convince you as the hero. Olivia Wilde, in the role of Quorra is one of the key characters of the movie. An apprentice created by Sam’s father, Olivia’s role is decent, but ultimately also underused. Most of the film she spents her time fighting along Sam, but has just too few lines to really make an impact as a character. Luckily the film is saved by the solid performance of Jeff Bridges, who reprises his role as Kevin, but also plays a younger version of himself as the evil Clu. Now the younger version of Bridges is created mostly through the heavy usage of CGI effects, and is not really done in the best way I’m sorry to say. Still it get’s the job done, and both roles by Bridges are without a doubt the best parts of the movie. It was also fun to see Bruce Boxleitner, who played Tron in the original movie, return for a small cameo performance.

Ahh…to be young again, well…sort of. 

And then there is the storyline. At times it is quite hard to follow, and there are a few parts of it that just don’t always add up. But honestly the same can be said of the original film. Tron Legacy is one of those movies that will not be appreciated by everyone. Even though it boasts some astonishing special effects and an incredible music score, it’s the story that will not sit well with most people. I for one though, really enjoyed the film. Yes it definitely has it’s flaws, I’m not going to deny that, but there was enough in the movie that made it a solid science fiction adventure. I’m going to leave you with a clip that showcases one of the best scenes from the film: the light cycle sequence. Worthy of mention is also the song by Daft Punk that accompanies this scene and that makes the it even more powerful. Next up for the countdown to the Last Jedi feature is Serenity. I hope you all enjoyed reading this post. End of line.

I give Tron Legacy a 8 out of 10 score.