Tron: Legacy (B or 3/4 stars)
1982's TRON was state of the art for its time. But I wasn't too fond of the story, its ambitions, or the acting. Now, 28 yrs. later, Disney has delivered a sequel, 'TRON: Legacy' (directed by Joseph Kosinski), and while it isn't a vast improvement, I enjoyed this movie more so for some of its specialized aspects. When this film starts, we are in the year 2010. Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the world's leading video-game developer, has been missing for some 20 years, having vanished shortly after making a breakthrough within digital cyberspace. His son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund, as an adult), haunted by his dad's disappearance, was left to be raised by his grandparents. After turning 18, Sam became primary shareholder of ENCON; earning him the right to take control of the company. But does he want that right? No. He's a rebellious, tech-savvy 27 yr. old who thinks that his dad is long dead.
Upset by this, longtime family friend, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) tries to dissuade Sam from those foul thoughts. Why? Because Alan has received a cryptic message from Flynn(!). When Sam goes to Flynn's arcade to investigate (GREAT use of Journey music in this scene), he is accidentally pulled into his dad's universe; a new world of intense gladiatorial-like cyber games. Gone is the intricate fun. What now exists are highly-advanced vehicles, new weaponry, dangerous landscapes, & Clu (Bridges, made younger by visual effects), a tyrannical dictator whose sole enemies include Flynn, & Flynn's confidant, Quorra (Olivia Wilde). The cyber universe is luminous, gargantuan, & overwhelmingly glorious. But Sam's on a mission to free his dad from his 20 yr. old entrapment. He finds him - very poignant scene - & joins forces with him/Quorra to both prevent Clu from entering the real world, & find a way to get back there themselves.
'TRON: Legacy' is not a failure of a movie, far from it. But it feels somewhat perfunctory when it should have been momentous. Thematically, you could stretch out a Frankenstein theme (Flynn creating Clu, Clu turning his back on him). But that's grasping at straws for meaningful narrative. There's no real sense of originality, no cautionary tale, or new vision of the future. No. This movie was made to assault us with brilliant imagery, superb sets (some reminding me of 2001: A Space Odyssey), unique make-up/costumes, crackling sound design, a thumping techno musical score, & enough laser lights to make your pupils explode (in a good way). All it offers is a sensory overload, diversionary eye candy, and a great dual performance by the amiable Jeff Bridges.
When I say that the imagery is brilliant in 'TRON: Legacy' - well - that's an understatement. The things we see & hear are a triumph of technological wonderment. Most of the action sequences are thrilling. The conceptual design of Flynn's cyberspace is not like anything I've seen before. Most everything is pitch black (the sky, the roads, etc.). But the blacks are punctuated by blinding whites & vibrant neons (with orange indicating the bad guys, haha). Sleek is a word I'd use to describe the visuals. The sound design of this film is exceptional; likely to battle it out with Inception for the Oscar(s). And Daft Punk's booming clash of a philharmonic and electro-synthesizer musical score charges through the movie from beginning to end.
Jeff Bridges is the Man; lending gravitas (to the role, with the Sam character, and the TRON iconography), as well as re-affirming just how very cool he is. Think: a Zen-like version of Big Lebowski's "The Dude" in cyberspace, haha. Garrett Hedlund is a good looking guy who sounds similarly to Jeff Bridges. He could pass as Bridges' son, but his real acting skills are hard to detect in a film like this. Olivia Wilde oozes warmth & sexuality in a very cold cyber world. And Michael Sheen is a BLAST as the androgynous David Bowie-esque Zuse. If only the narrative energy matched the visual. Spectacular moments throughout are somewhat dampened by lamebrain dialogue, sullen stretches, & murky plot logistics (within the video game world). That said, the hypnotic qualities & stunning effects slightly override my disappointments. The story is - unfortunately - beside the point. Just sit back, relax, turn off your brain, & let the ice cold moodiness & electric energy wash over you. That's the best way to enjoy it.
Upset by this, longtime family friend, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) tries to dissuade Sam from those foul thoughts. Why? Because Alan has received a cryptic message from Flynn(!). When Sam goes to Flynn's arcade to investigate (GREAT use of Journey music in this scene), he is accidentally pulled into his dad's universe; a new world of intense gladiatorial-like cyber games. Gone is the intricate fun. What now exists are highly-advanced vehicles, new weaponry, dangerous landscapes, & Clu (Bridges, made younger by visual effects), a tyrannical dictator whose sole enemies include Flynn, & Flynn's confidant, Quorra (Olivia Wilde). The cyber universe is luminous, gargantuan, & overwhelmingly glorious. But Sam's on a mission to free his dad from his 20 yr. old entrapment. He finds him - very poignant scene - & joins forces with him/Quorra to both prevent Clu from entering the real world, & find a way to get back there themselves.
'TRON: Legacy' is not a failure of a movie, far from it. But it feels somewhat perfunctory when it should have been momentous. Thematically, you could stretch out a Frankenstein theme (Flynn creating Clu, Clu turning his back on him). But that's grasping at straws for meaningful narrative. There's no real sense of originality, no cautionary tale, or new vision of the future. No. This movie was made to assault us with brilliant imagery, superb sets (some reminding me of 2001: A Space Odyssey), unique make-up/costumes, crackling sound design, a thumping techno musical score, & enough laser lights to make your pupils explode (in a good way). All it offers is a sensory overload, diversionary eye candy, and a great dual performance by the amiable Jeff Bridges.
When I say that the imagery is brilliant in 'TRON: Legacy' - well - that's an understatement. The things we see & hear are a triumph of technological wonderment. Most of the action sequences are thrilling. The conceptual design of Flynn's cyberspace is not like anything I've seen before. Most everything is pitch black (the sky, the roads, etc.). But the blacks are punctuated by blinding whites & vibrant neons (with orange indicating the bad guys, haha). Sleek is a word I'd use to describe the visuals. The sound design of this film is exceptional; likely to battle it out with Inception for the Oscar(s). And Daft Punk's booming clash of a philharmonic and electro-synthesizer musical score charges through the movie from beginning to end.
Jeff Bridges is the Man; lending gravitas (to the role, with the Sam character, and the TRON iconography), as well as re-affirming just how very cool he is. Think: a Zen-like version of Big Lebowski's "The Dude" in cyberspace, haha. Garrett Hedlund is a good looking guy who sounds similarly to Jeff Bridges. He could pass as Bridges' son, but his real acting skills are hard to detect in a film like this. Olivia Wilde oozes warmth & sexuality in a very cold cyber world. And Michael Sheen is a BLAST as the androgynous David Bowie-esque Zuse. If only the narrative energy matched the visual. Spectacular moments throughout are somewhat dampened by lamebrain dialogue, sullen stretches, & murky plot logistics (within the video game world). That said, the hypnotic qualities & stunning effects slightly override my disappointments. The story is - unfortunately - beside the point. Just sit back, relax, turn off your brain, & let the ice cold moodiness & electric energy wash over you. That's the best way to enjoy it.