With the recent release of Tron: Ares, I have rewatched both Tron and Tron Legacy. I will be doing a Score of Legacy, but I will probably frequently reference the original. While it is a film from 2010, I am surprised how well the visuals have held up, and Tron Legacy has one of the best film scores I can think of, so I hope you will enjoy this review.
Categories:
- Impact/Personal History (6): I watched this film when it first came out in 2010. I watched it before seeing the original, and I remember liking it a lot at age 16. The fact that the film is relatively high stakes and also manages to remain PG made it a lot of fun for a younger me. I also watched this film on the night I asked my friend (now wife) to date me. I am aware the film is also very special for her and her dad. However, the film certainly isn't one that has stuck with me or shaped my thoughts, tastes, or life in the way many other stories have.
- Presentation (9): This is probably Legacy's strongest point. This film looks stunning. I would give it a 10/10 except for the fact that Clu's de-aged face looks uncanny. This still works relatively well since he is supposed to be a program, but he sticks out like a sore thumb. Ignoring that, the Grid looks and sounds glorious. The sound design, the CGI, the outfits, the overall physical aesthetic of the programs... it all holds up incredibly well. It feels very much like a tangible world despite being utterly alien and synthetic. As far as CGI environments go, this one takes the cake. I am surprised at how much better this movie looks compared to most, if not all, Marvel movies. On top of that, the score of this film is glorious. It conveys so many moods and tones, but it also remains brilliantly consistent to its electronic style. Daft Punk knocked this out of the park. I will also say... presentation does touch on acting. Garrett Hedlund seems like a super nice guy (I actually got to meet him this summer), but there are some line deliveries that feel pretty stiff. Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, is fantastic. He sells an internally wounded father very well. However, to be honest, the visual design and the soundtrack are 100% why I am scoring this category so high. Also! I like how this film uses diegetic music at points. The use of Journey's Separate Ways in the arcade is quite fitting, which is much more than I can say for most pop music that makes its way into films (looking at you, Super Mario Movie).
- World-Building (6): I may be being harsh, but the concept of programs exiting the Grid is rather hard to swallow. People getting in is already insane enough, but I do think the idea of an army escaping a computer world into our own jumps the shark. I also think some elements are sold efficiently (a program committing suicide rather than getting forced into the Games sells the horror of what is done there well). There are also some tiny questions I have concerning, say, Tron getting two discs. Another question is, why would programs have or need blood sports? Kevin still boasting User Power is neat, and his disc being the key works well enough as a core plot mechanic. I also like seeing him reprogram the programs. It is all an interesting touch. I like callbacks to the original Tron world, such as the massive cruiser used by Clu, the solar sailer, the recognizer, and of course, the light cycles. It is definitely a unique world with interesting vehicles, so that was fun.
- Aesthetic (8): As this category deals mostly with the concept of internal aesthetic design and integrity, I will, again, state that Clu looks uncanny. On top of this, Zeus looks and acts cringey and out of place in a story that is mostly populated by stoic programs. Still, the visual designs of the suits, vehicles, and environments are fantastic. It is a very aesthetically pleasing film.
- Protagonists (6): Sam is characterized fairly well. It is clear that his lashing out while also being unwilling to embrace responsibility is due to personal loss. I also like how he has to sit and discuss with his father how, in many respects, he has squandered his life. And yet his dad still loves him. To be blunt, Sam does have some omega-level luck at points. His finding the secret office behind the Tron cabinet is wild. Surely that would have either been found during a police search for his dad or he would have missed it. Noticing tiny scratches on the floor feels like quite the lucky break. I think Kevin is probably the most compelling character. He has given up on everything until Sam enters the world, but he is willing to go to great risk (even sacrificing himself) due to his love for his son. I do think we get the occasional really odd and dumb decision made by the protagonists (sadly, mostly by Kora). At one point, she sends Sam off with a light cycle that is traced back to where Kevin and she have been hiding for ages. Does she know it can be traced? Surely she must. Surely Kevin would have explained that to her. It is simply lucky that she and Kevin leave before Clu arrives. At another point, she appears to senselessly allow herself to be captured. It is clear that she does it because Rinzler is on their tail, but why would they not all three ambush him together? And even if they don't, why would she assume he would not kill her on sight? Her whole race was genocided by these guys, so why on earth does she assume he will take her alive? Getting down off my grumpy soap box, I do think Kora is a charming character, and it is nice to see her reaction to the messy, yet beautiful, real outside world. It plays into the theme of pursuing perfection while missing what is directly in front of us.
- Antagonists (5): Hoo. This category was much worse than I remembered. I feel as though Clu makes far too many mistakes to be taken seriously. To start with Clu, first of all, his visual design winds up being uncanny. Second, he decides to make a huge speech, gesturing at Kevin Flynn's disc while it is up in a massive tower far away from him. He has left that disc, his one and ONLY shot at success, guarded by a tiny, tiny group of soldiers (while he is surrounded by what looks like thousands). He should not have let that disc out of his sight. It feels maddeningly foolish and contrived. Rinzler is more menacing (with some very cool shots of his acrobatics), but he is occasionally a little bit... try-hard. The flips do sometimes come across as showboating and cheesy. The reveal that he is Tron is cool, but probably not as dramatic as it should have been, especially when you consider how important Tron was in the first film. His final return to the light side also feels like it comes out of nowhere. It happens conveniently with little to no buildup. He sees Kevin, and that is all it takes. Finally, Zeus is cringeworthy. I do not feel like he fits the vibe of the world, and he caused me to grimace with how flamboyant he acts in every scene. It is a very hammy performance amongst a relatively dour world. While I do not think he made any major plot blunders, he still felt like a detriment to the story (which is a shame, as I know a lot of people like his actor in other media).
- Themes/Depth (7): I think Legacy has a decent grasp on a solid theme: the pursuit of technological perfection vs the messiness of the real world, most notably, the messiness of family. There are also messianic themes throughout, but I feel those are actually handled better in the first film. In the original Tron, humanity entering the Grid world breaks programs from being just programs and elevates them. It is almost as though Flynn frees the programs to be soulful. To have faith. This religious overtone is carried into Legacy, as Clu refers to users as false gods and Kevin as a false deity. The story leans into the biblical imagery as Clu recalls his past while viewing his reflection in an apple (emphasizing his Fall from the grace of his creator) and seeing how he is made, quite literally, in the image of Kevin Flynn. However, while these ideas are interesting, there are some uncomfortable caveats to how well they are executed. I find it particularly striking that Kevin annihilates an entire army of reprogrammed programs. Tron and Legacy have shown that reprogrammed programs can be saved. That is the whole point of a messiah entering this world, and yet he kills thousands. In fact, it is unclear whether or not Kevin destroys the entire Grid (I do not think he does, as Sam downloads *something* onto a chip at the end of the film). Still, it is rough to see thousands of souls wiped out callously. We also have the idea that Clu is rigid and cannot be changed, a concept that is pretty foreign to the message of the original Tron. While I understand that it leans into the nature of being a program, it does not reflect what the films have established beforehand. So, broadly, the themes that value family connection and the staggering value that can be found in a family are welcome. It is nice to see a father figure presented very well. And the redemptive nature of a god entering his creation is also interesting. However, I do feel like these themes are not executed perfectly, and the former theme is relatively simplistic for lack of a more generous term.
- Uplifting (6): I do think the film is hope-filled at the end. Kora seeing the sunrise and Sam living up to both his father's and Allen's expectations is a nice coming-of-age story. Still, some of the issues I have mentioned in the themes do hold it back, and escaping from the Grid is not as triumphant when you notice that it happens predominantly due to very foolish mistakes made by the villains (or very lucky breaks).
- Tension (6): The film does use the pixel bodies of the programs to be relatively graphic. This makes it a pretty intense PG film. That being said, I do not think there was ever a real feeling of dread or uncertainty. Again, if your villains make dumb mistakes, it kills the tension. Probably the tensest part of the film is the Games at the beginning, and that is unfortunately before we meet two out of our three heroes! Still, for a PG family film, it is gripping enough.
- Pacing/Length (7): The film is a bit long, but the music and atmosphere make the watch feel pleasant. Character interactions are enjoyable, so even slower moments work well. Overall, I enjoyed the pacing. It did not feel particularly great, but I do not have complaints.
- Emotional Resonance (5): As mentioned, there are some small issues with Sam's acting. And with some of the messy handling of the themes. As such, I did not find this film to be particularly resonant... despite often really liking father-son stories. It was not emotionally offensive or obnoxious, but I do not think it ever made me feel deeply sad in a sad moment, nor triumphant in a victorious one (the escape in the giant plane at the end is particularly unfortunate, as the shouting out of triumphant taunts just comes across as extremely cheesy).
- Destination Clarity (9): The story starts with Sam being a deadbeat due to losing his dad. It even establishes (subtly) that he has had his bike impounded multiple times. He has lost his drive and ambition because he has lost his dad, whom he adored. Finding his dad and living up to the expectations of those who care for him is reasonably predictable.
- Consistency (7): As I guess the scores display, this story maintains a consistent mid-tier level of plot writing, emotional resonance, and world-building. There is little in it that is jarringly bad, and there is a great deal of artistry in the visuals, the art design, and especially in the score. This elevates the film for me significantly, but I think the writing holds it back from ever being a contender for a favorite.
Quality Notes:
This review probably comes across as harsher than I intend, but that is probably because, as a written review, I am mostly critiquing the writing. However, if you want to get the best out of this film, you really do need to watch and listen. It is a brillaint experience for the senses, and the writing is not so poorly handled that it ruins that experience. I would equate it to the Avatar films... but I think Tron Legacy is better.
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