Inceptrix? TRON: Legacy 3-D (2010)

TRON: LEGACY 3-D (CINEMA)

Release Date: December 17th, 2010
Certificate (UK): PG
Running Time: 125 minutes

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen

After 28 years, the eagerly awaited sequel to 1982’s cult sci-fi TRON finally arrives with dazzling special effects and a stomping soundtrack by French electronic duo Daft Punk.

Jeff Bridges reprises his role as video-game developer Kevin Flynn. In the 1980’s Flynn was the CEO of NCOM International and creator of TRON, an arcade game but vanished in 1989 while developing “a digital frontier that will reshape the human condition.” Sucked into the virtual world he created, he has been trapped there for the past 20 years. Back in the real world, his rebellious son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), finally ventures to Kevin’s old arcade where he’s tracking a strange signal coming from his dad’s old pager and inadvertently winds up in TRON.

Facing a series of deadly games and opponents in TRON, Sam quickly masters the lightcycle and discus but before the games can go any further he is rescued by Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and reunited with his long lost father. The real battle begins when the trio try to escape TRON and defeat CLU (a CGI version of a younger Jeff Bridges).

Michael Sheen as the flamboyant Castor, a program in the Grid who runs the End of Line Club whom Sam pays a visit to in the tower in TRON city steals the show. His performance oozes camp and glam and comes across like a David Bowie/Nick Rhodes neon hybrid!

Taking full advantage of the technological advancements in filmmaking over the past 30 years, TRON: Legacy looks and sounds like no other film. The moment Sam enters the grid, it’s an incredible sight; from the giant ships which carry game-players, to where the games are held in gravity-defying arenas; the thunderous sounds and dazzling lights can only be compared to watching a full-on laser show with accompanying concert.

TRON’s music was a definite high point. Daft Punk whose art form and style were heavily influenced by the original movie began working on the score very early on during the film’s production. Their work took 3 years to complete and incorporates orchestral, electronic and granular elements. They also worked very closely with the filmmakers on the sound design, especially in moments where room tones bleed into cues. With over 100 minutes of music in the film, it goes hand in hand with the visuals, creating something really and truly unique.

That being said, the structure and story of the film does not meet the high standard set by its sounds and visuals. Sam entering the grid to rescue his father might be a great premise, but a premise cannot bear the burden of carrying an entire story and there are times when the scenes between them drag until the music and lights are pumping through the screen again.

TRON: Legacy will certainly have its fans, many of them have waited decades for the film and as an audio/visual treat, it will not disappoint, but we have doubts about it being something that will “reshape the human condition.”