Viewed in Theaters on 18 December 2010
I only saw the original 1982 Tron film last spring. It was a movie I'd wanted to see for quite some time, and it had a bunch of elements that looked like I'd love the movie--electronic music, 80's computers and costumes, fast action, Jeff Bridges, Disney, and the first major computer-animated movie. What I got was a goofy movie with laughable dialogue and a silly storyline, funny-looking graphics and stiff acting. But gosh darnit, I loved it. It was fun. It was 80's. It was a ride.
So, truth be told, I had awfully high expectations for the sequel to the 1982 gamer nerd action flick. Truth be told, it didn't totally disappoint me.
The main characters were universes better than the original actors. (Man, how does Jeff Bridges do that?!?) Granted, the animated version of the "younger" Flynn (Bridges' character) was pretty silly-looking when the movie tried to pass him off as real. If he had been accepted as animated, it would be flipping amazing computer animation; but due to the fact that they tried to get me to accept him as real, it came off as odd. (I hear George Lucas is going to try it? Please, no.) The computer graphics and the world of the Grid was immensely better. There was actually a storyline here, weak though it was. Daft Punk is AMAZING and delivers one of the most energizing and fun pumpin' soundtrack that I've ever seen. And my goodness, how come I haven't heard of Garrett Hedlund before?
Be forewarned: If you have not seen the original Tron, you'll be confused, befuddled, and turned off pretty quickly. Legacy doesn't waste any time trying to explain what's going on. The movie assumes that you know the basic concepts of what's going on and who Tron is (btw, LAME on the treatment of Tron). If you're a complete Tron virgin, you'll pick up on the concepts pretty quickly (it's not uber-complicated); but it would be so much easier on you and the movie if you come into Legacy having some clue of what's happening and what's important.
The basic storyline: Flynn (Bridges) is one of the most brilliant video game and computer designers in the industry; after the first Tron he got married and had a son named Sam. His wife died soon after Sam was born, so Flynn raised Sam alone. They love each other deeply and are the best of friends. Suddenly, Flynn disappears under mysterious circumstances. Sam grows up not knowing what has happened to his father; he becomes a semi-rebellious, angst-ridden young man, riding the razor edge of the law and doing some pretty risky stuff (like "crashing" his father's company meetings, although he's allowed to be there because he technically is the head of the company). One day, one of Flynn's old friends comes to Sam and tells him that Flynn sent him a message--impossible, considering Flynn is still missing. Sam goes to his father's old video game arcade and finds out that his father's computer experimenting wasn't all theoretical--Flynn had actually cracked the science of a computer world named "The Grid." Sam accidentally gets digitized and sucked into the Grid, where he learns his father has been a prisoner for the past 20 years. The ensuing story is an adrenaline-laced mission to get home--but there's a program in the way who will stop at nothing to capture Flynn and foil their plans to leave the Grid.
NEGATIVES:
>>Profanity: There's only a couple of words here. (This is a Disney PG film.) It's not too bad, but still present.
>>Violence: Considering there's only two "real" people in the Grid, the majority of the violence consists of programs "de-rezing" each other. Programs fall from great heights, shatter into digital pixels, run each other over, cut and slice with razor-edged discs, engage in fist fights, and compete for survival. Sam gets injured once, and a drop of his blood falls to the ground--a sight that confirms his presence as a "User," a human who can gain control over the computer world of the Grid.
>>Spiritual Content: I guess that being in the Grid for 20 years messed with Flynn's mind--he's kindof eccentric and weird, doing some sort of Zen-like meditation a couple of times. He even says once, "You're messin' with my Zen thing, man!" The programs in the Grid have a worship-like reverence for Users, accepting their authority and acting out of respect for any and all Users. Flynn creates a program (literally) in his image to help govern and design the Grid; "Clu" turns bad and strives to eliminate any and all imperfections in existence, including Flynn.
>>Alcohol and Drugs: In the real world, beer is consumed in a small amount by Sam. In the Grid, there is a scene in a nightclub where characters are drinking a pulsating blue substance that is treated as alcohol (although I seem to remember a similar substance in the 1982 film acting as an energizing drink, almost like an energy drink that helps the programs perk up).
>>Sexual Content: Almost all of the "female" programs wear form-fitting latex suits, but it's not inappropriate. In the real world, Sam takes off his shirt. In the Grid, his real-world clothes are stripped from him and a new computer suit forms around him (this scene is not treated in a sexual manner, and we see him in his boxer shorts from a distance).
Overall, this film is definitely tailored to the 12+ crowd, especially those who have seen the earlier Tron. As such, younger kids just might get bored easily. I also feel like there was far too much "talking" in this film, but nothing really gets explained. It's like, five minutes of action-packed stuff, ten minutes of introspective conversation, five minutes of action, ten minutes of self-reflection, five minutes of action...and so on. It's definitely not the best film it could have been, and it falls short in a couple of ways. However, it's clean as far as morals go, presenting a great good-guy/bad-guy struggle that teaches alot of life lessons. It's also just plain fun. It's a great "popcorn" flick that doesn't delve too much into the psyche, but isn't all shallow.
5 stars out of 6
So that everyone (including myself) may benefit from it, please feel free to leave your own personal opinion of this film.
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