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.”
December 5th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I was SO disappointed with the film. For me it was the only film that I had been looking forward to all year and it really falls flat on its face. Young Jeff looks weird (in a bad way), recognizers are underused as are the bikes and tanks. Flynn Jr. is weak as is the imagination of the visuals which is in my mind is way lacking behind its almost 30 year old ‘father’. Endless Matrix style fights don’t help. Even my 2 kids were bored and that’s a big shame….
December 5th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Nice, thx 4 posting! Thank u!
December 6th, 2010 at 8:37 am
The movie is excellent, far better than the pathetic and silly childish Avatar that despite being PG-13 it is was more childish than any PG movie and a parody of James Cameron own Aliens turned into a silly joke.
TRON:Legacy deserves to get a boxoffice gross higher than Avatar, which just didn’t deserve that much money even because the CGI is not photorealistic but cartoonish there. Unfortunately that is not going to happen because people follow like sheeps what marketeers want them to do. The Avatar scam got so rich thanks to too many adults praising the movie despite being garbage just because it got fashionable due to all paid to be positive reviews that 20th Fox and James Cameron ensured to have worldwide, the same adults that would bash way better movies telling that they would look cartoonish and childish.. yet they watched the most childish, most hyped without deserving it and most cartoonish of them all that failed to meet any of the marketing claims.
TRON:Legacy is a way more mature movie with an outstanding CGI that deserves to be watched.
The only downside is that the runtime is shorter than it should have been at just 125minutes.. but maybe Disney will release an extended cut on Blu-Ray.. let’s hope so. Despite that its characters and plot have depth and appeal, something that Avatar completely lacks despite a longer runtime.
December 7th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Jesus Christ, Javier, that’s probably one of the most pathetically sad fanboy posts I’ve ever read. Why compare with Avatar? The movies aren’t even close to being the same. Or in the same league, as it seems from the early reviews. Visually sure, thematically, no. Avatar wasn’t the greatest film ever, but I think most people who watched it objectively can say it was at least a good film. Tron: Legacy? I don’t know, haven’t seen it yet, but can only go by what reviews I’ve read.