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Tron: Legacy, the long-awaited sequel to the sci-fi action classic from 1982 picks up where
the original left off, computer programmer, and ENCOM CEO Kevin Flynn, played by a young,
computer-generated Jeff Bridges regales his six-year-old-son, Sam with tales of his adventures
inside the computer grid, which we're familiar with from the first movie. But then Kevin
goes missing for 21 years, and the story follows Sam, now a defiant 27-year-old motorcycling
programmer of his own right (played by Garrett Hedlund), in search of his father, whom he
eventually learns has been trapped inside the computer grid for over two decades. As
with the original, "Tron: Legacy" is a visual marvel - director Joseph Kosinski not only
successfully updates and adapts the concepts from "Tron", he also builds upon them - introducing
us to an entirely new, but familiar computer world. The disc-flinging gladiator games,
and light-cycle elements are revisited, and -as expected- are furiously fast and expertly
executed using today's modern CGI technology, backed up by a wonderfully original score
by Daft Punk for most of the film. New vehicles like off-road four-wheelers, and light-fighting
airplanes add to visual excitement - but while these futuristic action sequences are a blast
to watch... the movie needs character and heart to truly succeed. Ultimately, as the
title suggests, Tron: Legacy is about Sam's quest to find, and his relationship with,
his father - played by the bearded, human Jeff Bridges - who has been trapped in the
grid by CLU - a program original designed by, and to look like, Kevin - before turning
evil. Unfortunately though, this father son relationship is mostly under-utilized as the
emotional back-bone the film requires it to be... instead, serving more as plot point
to give the characters somewhere to go next. Olivia Wilde, Martin Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner
round out the supporting cast with decent, but unmemorable performances - with Boxleitner
reprising his roles of Alan Bradley and Tron from this original film. Curiously though,
the Tron character is a much minor component this time around, relegated to a few minutes
of screen time in an unexplained villain-role. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this
sci-fi movie are the effects utilized to create a 30-year-old Jeff Bridges to play "CLU".
The resemblance is far outside the depths of the "uncanny valley", to the point where,
in 90% of the scenes, you'd think they just filmed Bridges in the early 1980's for this
movie. Of course, one of the films biggest pay-offs arrives when the older Bridges has
to battle his younger-self - an ambitiously impressive scene that was not even possible
with visual effects just a few years ago. If you enjoyed the original, or don't mind
style over substance, Tron: Legacy is a beautifully entertaining film that carries the Tron franchise
boldly into the 21st century. Sadly shallow, but engrossingly stunning.
Well, that's what I thought about this 28-year-old sequel, now lets see what you had to say in
the YouTube comments.
And in comes the Rate-O-Matic to show us how we scored Tron: Legacy just hours after being
released... an eight and an eight. As you well-know by now, I have a soft spot for sci-fi
action films... so I was really pleased with this movie, even if it did fall short in a
few areas. I scored it a "Great". Perhaps going merely off the hype and trailers, the
few of you who were able to see Tron before I did today, mostly praised the films visuals
- scoring it a "great" as well.