The “Tron” trilogy is pretty improbable if you stop and think about it. The original “Tron” came out in 1982, and was considered a box-office disappointment, but developed a cult following thanks to VHS and a cool arcade game tie-in.
Then, 28 years later, came “Tron: Legacy” in 2010. It too found middling success at the box office and came and went without much fanfare.
And now, 15 years later, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of “Tron: Ares.”
In spite of holding the record for the longest timespan between trilogy installments, there are some through-lines that link all three films.
First of all, all three movies spend considerable time in a digital world that has fairly accurately depicted advanced computer and AI technologies where computer programs are personified as individuals fighting for or against their human “users.” At least one human finds their way into this world, like Alice through the LCD glass.
In spite of being forward-thinking regarding technology and its implications for the human race, the plots of these movies leave a lot to be desired.
In “Tron: Ares,” two rival corporations are trying to bring their digital creations into the real world. The good corporation, led by Eve Kim (Greta Lee), wants to use this technology to better mankind and end disease and hunger. The bad corporation, led by punk CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) and his steely mother Elisabeth (Gillian Anderson), wants to use the technology to get richer.
Caught in between is Dillinger’s warrior program Ares (played by Jared Leto and his hair), who is commanded to do some bad things, but starts to have second thoughts. A chase across the real world and “The Grid” ensues.
These movies all feature impressive-for-their-time digital effects that have started to age poorly as time goes on. Light-cycles pop up every time and are undeniably rad no matter what decade it is. The visuals in “Tron: Ares” are pretty cool, but not mind-blowing. We’ll have to see how they hold up over the next 15-20 years.
Probably the best through-line in the Tron trilogy is that each movie has an awesome musical soundtrack. “Tron” featured gloriously moody synthesizers that only the 1980s could produce. The “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack was written by Daft Punk, complete with cameos in the film. Five stars. No notes. The “Tron: Ares” soundtrack is equally fabulous and makes it official that a Disney film was scored by Nine Inch Nails. What a time to be alive.
The last link to all three films is Jeff Bridges. He went from being the star of the first “Tron” to playing two co-stars in “Tron: Legacy” to little more than a cameo in “Tron: Ares.” His portrayal of tech-genius Kevin Flynn as Bill-Gates-meets-a-“far out, man”-hippie is as delightful as it is weird. And let’s be honest, he’s the only actor that could pull that off.
“Tron: Ares” cements the Tron trilogy as an odd little cinematic anomaly that has just enough going for it to make it a pleasurable enough experience for those who stumble across it, but flawed enough that those who miss it won’t have anything to be upset about.
“Tron: Ares” is rated PG-13 for violence/action.
