By 

Strategos “The Guardian of Time” (In Space above Planet Earth) –

  

“Greetings, programs!”

It was a long time coming, but the wait was worth it. While theatrical sequels to The Last Starfighter and War Games may or may not come out in the near future, and I am left hoping and praying for big-screen adaptations of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series and Doc Smith’s Lenman Series…Tron Legacy is here now (in glorious 3D) courtesy of Disney. I saw it on opening night in 3D with a huge box of kettle corn, a large group of friends…and I was first in line for the showing. Naturally my expectations were high.

The Grid

To be sure, this movie is visually and audibly stunning in every way. Everyone who was tantalized by the trailers and got excited by the visuals will NOT be disappointed with the art design or special effects. As they were leaving the showing before us, many people had neither a positive nor a negative expression on their face. They simply looked…stunned. Shocked. Out of it. And after seeing the movie I think I understand why.

This must be what it felt like to see Star Wars the first time in 1977. Seeing Tron Legacy (especially without seeing the first Tron) is like being transported to an alien planet through an inter-dimensional gateway. There simply has never been anything like this on the big-screen in history. The film cost 170 million according to box office records I read online, and you can see where the money went.

The computer world is literally a city of light. The first time you see it, it takes your breath away. The action sequences featuring light cycles, flying discs, and various flying vehicles are some of the most amazing ever captured. From the moment I saw the visuals that became the film’s logo I knew the visual style of this film was spot on and I was going to love it.

The Game Has Changed

When you compare this movie to the first Tron, it’s a MAJOR upgrade in just about every way (the one area I think it’s inferior is the acting not quite on the same level). The dorky outfits of the first movie have been replaced with the new skin-tight outfits with glowing edges, the discs no longer look like ceramic Frisbees, the light cycles can make curved turns, ect. In truth, this was something I was worried about when I first saw the previews. It seemed to break from the feel of the first Tron film too much. But now…

This is how i feel about the overall feel of Tron Legacy compared to the first: I have seen many animated TV shows that were then made into feature films, and you almost always have the same feeling that characters were changed around, and usually some past events were totally re-written. In a good movie adaptation the essence is maintained but the experience is different (like an alternate telling or a what if?). Thus, while Tron Legacy breaks from many of the traditions of Tron (digital people now look much more like real people, real food exists in the Grid instead of just energy), at its heart it is a continuation of the story, characters, and world you have grown to love.

Flynn Lives

Yes, at its heart, this is the same world you loved when you saw the first Tron, with the same features and flaws. The first Tron was a visual masterpiece with unique music and visual flair, a simple but deep plot, and characters you grew to love on an age-old but engrossing quest to save the computer world and along with it the real world. This film is no different in these fundamentals. The visuals are amazing, the music is astounding, and the main plot is almost identical to the first movie (get out of system, defeat the evil program who rules the computer world with an iron fist).

The now older Kevin Flynn who was trapped in the digital world is no less likable, but expectedly changed as anyone would be after decades spent inside a computer. His son Sam is the kind of guy you immediately like. He’s rich but not snobby, attractive but not superficial, a good guy but maybe just lacking some purpose and direction in his life. At any rate, he makes a great protagonist. Jeff Bridges is a bit subdued compared to his other roles lately, but his whacky zen charm still makes him fun to watch. His digital younger (flashback and arch-nemesis) self does not fare as well because while a digital world evil Jeff Bridges that feels a bit unnatural is no problem, when it’s supposed to be Kevin Flynn in the past it just comes off as strangely artificial.

Probably the first thing everyone noticed from the trailer besides the light cycles was Olivia Wilde’s character Quorra. She manages to be beautiful, innocent, courageous, loyal, child-like, fierce, and in all other ways awesome for the duration of the film. Her acting is flawless. Michael Sheen is totally over-the-top in a role that people will probably either love or hate, and Beau Garrett’s Gem and Cillian Murphy’s Dillinger will have you wishing they had…

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