Tron: Legacy
by Dante Rosario on December 17th, 2010
The Players: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett, and Michael Sheen.
The Game Plan: It’s been 20 years since Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) last heard from his father. That is until his father’s long time friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) informs Sam of a page he received from his father’s office. When Sam goes to investigate the signal he is pulled into the digital world, his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been trapped in. With the father and son reunited, they must fight their way across the grid Kevin created to get out of the cyber world that is more dangerous than either could have imagined.
Dante’s Thoughts: When the original “Tron” came out in 1982 the special effects were considered groundbreaking. Just to give an idea of how well number 2 did: The special effects and CGI in “Tron: Legacy” are light years beyond where the flat 2 dimensional computer graphics used in the first film were. I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen, and I’m sure the IMAX experience definitely helped. At one point when Sam Flynn was still in the real world I wondered, why they bothered to make this an IMAX film, but as soon as Sam pops into the cyber world… it’s on and the IMAX experience really comes to life. It was like watching Parkour and fighting rolled into one.
The most important aspect of this film in my opinion though is the detailed storyline. Much more information was provided to the audience this time around than in the original “Tron.” But don’t get me wrong… despite all the detail there are still some instances where the filmmakers dropped the ball on the plot.
Touchdowns: The nonstop action makes “Tron: Legacy” very entertaining to watch, but I must caution you not to make the mistake of confusing this film with your typical all action and no plot movie. There is plenty of plot to go around in “Tron: Legacy” and it’s a good one at that. The acting in this film is also very good; particularly Jeff Bridges’ great triple threat performance as young Kevin Flynn, old Kevin Flynn, and Clu. I also liked that the filmmakers maintained the 1980’s feel in the digital world. 20 years has passed in the real world, but nothing about Kevin Flynn has changed. He still uses terms like radical, dude, and far out, and his overall way of thinking is still the same as it was when he first entered the virtual world.
Penalties: My only flag thrown on “Tron: Legacy” is against the film’s unsettling ending. The importance of Isos, and what they meant to the virtual world Kevin Flynn created and the real world wasn’t fully explained, but it was a critical piece to understanding the movie completely.
The Game Winner: “Tron: Legacy” is definitely a film that manages to put together a great story, and good acting, with great action. If you are a fan of the original “Tron” then this is a must see film… Oh, and seeing it in IMAX 3D only enhances the experience.
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