The Good: Special Effects, Soundtrack, Action Scenes
The Bad: The Story, the Characters
Tidbit: Although considered a flop when it hit theaters, the
original Tron movie developed a cult following.
INTRO
28 years had gone by since the original movie had been
released to the public in 1982. Although a flop, it gathered a cult following
and that sparked the interest in producing a sequel. This wouldn’t come to
fruition though till the mid-2000s. Fast forward to 2010, the movie was
released at the end of the year and was considered a disappointment by most.
Having watched it on its opening day at an IMAX 3D Theater,
and having a copy of the Blu-Ray 3D of the home video, I’ve seen it a number of
times already. I’d very much like to agree with most reviews on this movie.
While there were positives, there were also some negatives that truly hindered
the movie and kept it from being a good-to-great movie rather than an average
one. I’ll have my verdict at the end, so
without further to do, let’s get into it.
STORY
The year is 2009, and Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a former
figure in the fictional ENCOM Company, has been missing from the life of his
son, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), for 20 years now. Now living on his own, Sam
Flynn (though he takes little interest in it) has become the primary
shareholder of ENCOM. Needless to say a set of events and a strange message
from an arcade his father once ventured in will change his life as he tries to
find the whereabouts of his missing father.
Overall I found the story of Tron: Legacy to be decent at
best, and is quite average in its writing with some things not making sense,
and becomes predictable at points throughout the movie. This not unlike the
original, as its story was also considered to be a weak point of the movie.
CAST AND CHARACTERS
From a glance that cast seems that it would do the series
right. From 2 of the original Tron cast members, Jeff Bridges and Bruce
Boxleitner, and some new faces, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, it would seem
that it would’ve been alright. Things couldn’t be farther from the truth, as it
was basically a hit or miss on the characters. Garrett Hedlund proved to be
subpar for the role, in my opinion, as his character was devoid much of any
reaction (if any at all) for most of the movie. Even Jeff Bridges was
underwhelming in this iteration, whereas in the original he did an excellent
job in the lead role. Much of the cast was about the same really, and this is
why it was considered a weak point of the movie.
There were some impressive and enjoyable characters however,
and these were played by newcomers Olivia Wilde and Martin Sheen. Martin
Sheen’s character, the enigmatic Castor, was the highlight of the cast I would
say. In the short moment he was on-screen, he did a better job than just about
all of the other cast members. Olivia Wilde was also a better-than average
choice for the character, Quorra, she played in the movie. She fit in perfectly
well as she portrayed her character, with a naïve and childlike persona, yet
strong willed occupant of the grid under the tutelage of Kevin Flynn.
SOUNDTRACK AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Honestly, this probably comes down to music preference. If
you’re fine with listening to Daft Punk for the entire movie, then you’ll enjoy
it. The soundtrack was a strong point for me, as I felt it was in-tune with the
setting of the movie, in a technological world like the grid. It fit very well
and the transitions where great from scene-to-scene.
As for the special effects, there were some excellent CGI
done in this film and it was a joy to watch it come to life on the theater
screen. The revamped Grid was amazing in its design, as it should be, and the
character designs and vehicles were classic Tron designs that were given a
modern look. Unfortunately though I own the Blu-Ray 3D version of this movie, I
have yet to watch it in 3D on my personal TV. I will however say, that when
this movie was in theaters and I had watched the IMAX 3D showing, the 3D I
noticed was well done as well as Frisbees and vehicles actually felt like they
were popping of the screen. In general, I feel that the IMAX showings were the
best showcase for the CGI used in the film as it was breathtaking. For me it’s
close to the level that Avatar produced when it came out the year prior.
CONCLUSION AND VERDICT
Overall, despite its flaws I still found it to be an
enjoyable watch due to its action scenes, excellent CGI, and of course the
amazing soundtrack. In my book it’s definitely something I’ll watch if just for
the visuals and the soundtrack. Just don’t go in expecting for a great story,
and you’ll be fine.
VERDICT: 2/5
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