TRON: LEGACY
2010
PG
You can watch the trailer here
PG
You can watch the trailer here
If any of you saw my review of the original TRON from 1982, you'll know I wasn't exactly drinking from the TRON Kool-Aid. I saw the film for what it was - an advance in technology that lacked a decent storyline or intriguing characters. Suffice to say, I wasn't really expecting too much from this sequel twenty-eight years later, and I can tell you now that Disney hit par for the course.
TRON: Legacy was directed by Joseph Kosinski follows Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the supposedly orphaned son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the man who created the computerized grid where most of the movie takes place. (Note: there's a little bit of exposition in the opening scenes, but it never really comes back into play, so I really don't see a need to talk about it in-depth). All you need to know is that Sam finds his way into this computer-generated world where a program named Clu designed by the elder Flynn is trying to take complete control from the creator. Sam finds his father, and together, the two team up to destroy Clu and the army he's creating to attack the real world.
Seriously, if any of that synopsis (which is, admittedly, bare-bones) made sense to you, then I wish I could give you a cookie. Much like its predecessor, TRON: Legacy's screenplay leaves much to be desired. There's more holes in the logic and the story than a dozen slices of Swiss cheese, and they're visible even to the untrained eye. If questions about the story's continuity and its ability to make sense arise after the film ends, then at least you've made it through the movie with a somewhat entertaining experience; however, when you're questioning sections of story while you're watching the film, there's something awry. There were just too many moments where I was questioning what was going on in front of me. That does not bode well.
Also like the original film, the acting is decent but nothing spectacular. It was nice to see that Bridges decided to be involved again, but he's nowhere near the level of cheesy goodness he was in the original (and yes, I know he's twenty-eight years older, so get off me). Hedlund is a bit stale as the lead, and I couldn't decide whether I wanted to care about him or not. Our leading female, Olivia Wilde, didn't do much either for me or for her character - when she's there, she's just there, but when she's not there, I completely forgot about her. In fact, the best performances in the film were a small, but very different, role from Michael Sheen and a cameo from Cillian Murphy. I was stuck on those parts for most of the film.
Obviously, I can't go through this blog without talking about the visual effects. The original TRON was ground-breaking for its time, and although I can't say the same for TRON: Legacy, the special effects are very, very good. We're transported to an entirely different world, and the settings are entirely believable and realistic. However, the real credit should be given for recreating a young Jeff Bridges as the face of Clu. If you put this creation next to the real man twenty-eight years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to make the distinction between real and computer-generated. It's that good.
Oh, and I absolutely loved the film's musical score, which was done by the electronic music duo Daft Punk. When I first heard they'd be helming the score, I was a little worried, but they absolutely nailed it. I was thoroughly impressed with the music they provided as it fit the film perfectly. So, kudos to Daft Punk for creating a musical atmosphere much better than this film really deserved.
TRON: Legacy was directed by Joseph Kosinski follows Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the supposedly orphaned son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the man who created the computerized grid where most of the movie takes place. (Note: there's a little bit of exposition in the opening scenes, but it never really comes back into play, so I really don't see a need to talk about it in-depth). All you need to know is that Sam finds his way into this computer-generated world where a program named Clu designed by the elder Flynn is trying to take complete control from the creator. Sam finds his father, and together, the two team up to destroy Clu and the army he's creating to attack the real world.
Seriously, if any of that synopsis (which is, admittedly, bare-bones) made sense to you, then I wish I could give you a cookie. Much like its predecessor, TRON: Legacy's screenplay leaves much to be desired. There's more holes in the logic and the story than a dozen slices of Swiss cheese, and they're visible even to the untrained eye. If questions about the story's continuity and its ability to make sense arise after the film ends, then at least you've made it through the movie with a somewhat entertaining experience; however, when you're questioning sections of story while you're watching the film, there's something awry. There were just too many moments where I was questioning what was going on in front of me. That does not bode well.
Also like the original film, the acting is decent but nothing spectacular. It was nice to see that Bridges decided to be involved again, but he's nowhere near the level of cheesy goodness he was in the original (and yes, I know he's twenty-eight years older, so get off me). Hedlund is a bit stale as the lead, and I couldn't decide whether I wanted to care about him or not. Our leading female, Olivia Wilde, didn't do much either for me or for her character - when she's there, she's just there, but when she's not there, I completely forgot about her. In fact, the best performances in the film were a small, but very different, role from Michael Sheen and a cameo from Cillian Murphy. I was stuck on those parts for most of the film.
Obviously, I can't go through this blog without talking about the visual effects. The original TRON was ground-breaking for its time, and although I can't say the same for TRON: Legacy, the special effects are very, very good. We're transported to an entirely different world, and the settings are entirely believable and realistic. However, the real credit should be given for recreating a young Jeff Bridges as the face of Clu. If you put this creation next to the real man twenty-eight years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to make the distinction between real and computer-generated. It's that good.
Oh, and I absolutely loved the film's musical score, which was done by the electronic music duo Daft Punk. When I first heard they'd be helming the score, I was a little worried, but they absolutely nailed it. I was thoroughly impressed with the music they provided as it fit the film perfectly. So, kudos to Daft Punk for creating a musical atmosphere much better than this film really deserved.
