Tron: Legacy 2010
The original Tron was one of my favorite movies of all time based on the previews. When I finally got around to watching the actual movie just six years ago, I liked it well enough, but I don't feel like it really delivered on the cool highlights of that movie. Finally, I decided to get this sequel and while it is short on plot and most character development, it really delivers on visuals. It is just amazing to watch and it pretty much holds up throughout the movie. Made in 2010, the effects still seems amazingly fresh, some based on the original movie, but if that movie had an unlimited budget. In that sense, this movie is the full realization of what was promised in those previews back in the 80's. Parts of the movie seems very much influenced by Japanese cyberpunk, along the lines of Ghost in the Shell, including a very pretty doe-eyed robot played by Olivia Wilde. Another great achievement in the movie is the very cool and varied soundtrack by Daft Punk who make a cameo (I think? There are a lot of robots in the movie so how would you really know?). The story has a lot of space magic, but maybe not anymore than a lot of Marvel movies, and it makes sense on a basic level as a rescue and escape kind of movie. Unlike the original movie, they aren't trying to explain it all in terms of computer parts at least. Another big positive comes from Jeff Bridges appearing as the same guy as in the first movie, but older (and not, de-aged to play another character). His son, played by Garrett Hedlund, is the main character, but unfortunately is a little generic, mostly humorless and a little overly talented at doing things in the Tron world that he had only done in a video game before. Like a lot of sci-fi movies, you maybe don't want to think too hard about all the details and why things happen certain ways or why characters do certain things. For those weaknesses I am taking this from the A it earned with audio and visuals to an A-. Critics generally disregarded this movie, but audiences gave it higher scores. I think if you like the original movie at all, this is a big improvement and still worth a watch for most just for the visuals and music.
Written: 30 Aug 2024
Owned on: Digital