Tron: Legacy is the type of sequel fashionable Hollywood desires about, however not often will get proper. I figured this out a couple of weeks in the past when, after seeing that Disney was finally in production on a long-awaited Tron 3, I went again and revisited the 2010 movie. However, after all, one can’t merely revisit Tron: Legacy. It’s a must to tee it up by rewatching the unique 1982 Tron too, and the double-feature expertise made Tron: Legacy shine for me in methods it never did upon initial release.
When Tron: Legacy was first launched, I noticed it in 3D IMAX and thought it was high-quality. It regarded lovely, the music was unimaginable, and for probably the most half, the consequences had been glorious too. Positive, de-aging Jeff Bridges regarded terrible however the ambition of it was at the least noteworthy. Not being an enormous Tron fan, I watched it, loved it, and didn’t suppose a lot about it afterward.
Watching it now although, I lastly received it. I lastly noticed what writers Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, and director Joseph Kosinski had been pondering once they made the daring transfer to bring Tron back almost 30 years after the unique. They needed to inform a narrative that didn’t simply construct off the primary one, however a narrative that gave followers of the primary movie all the pieces they may’ve dreamed of and extra. Which, for probably the most half, they achieved.
These ideas began forming as I used to be watching 1982’s Tron. That film, whereas technologically groundbreaking for its time, by no means fairly offers with the larger ramifications of its story. The movie is a few programmer named Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) who will get zapped inside a pc and has to destroy the evil AI inside to amass a secret file that proves he was wronged by Encom, the online game firm he works at. It imagines that contained in the system you’re studying this on, there’s a world unto itself. Applications are identical to folks, doing jobs for his or her boss, aka the “person.” You. The idea is ripe for additional exploration.
And but, in Tron, the story largely performs out with none exploration of its implications. The whole lot is comparatively simple after which it simply type of ends with Kevin Flynn beating the AI, recovering the file, and turning into the top of the corporate. What’s subsequent, what Kevin realized from being inside, and the way he’s going to make use of that information is rarely explored.
Now, I didn’t see Tron when it was launched—I’m previous, however not fairly that previous—however watching it once more, I couldn’t assist however think about how fashionable fandom would react to it. There can be Reddit pages, podcasts, and YouTube movies of individuals dissecting and speculating about each little element. Thousands and thousands of individuals predicting what a possible sequel may ultimately be. I’m certain, within the early ‘80s, that occurred too, simply in its personal manner. The actual fact is although, you possibly can’t watch Tron and never wish to know extra. Want to know extra. Which is strictly what Tron: Legacy delivers.
Proper from the beginning, Tron: Legacy makes it clear it is aware of each what followers of the unique film are craving and what a non-fan will discover intriguing. It rigorously works its manner down a wishlist of burning questions and fan favourite winks all in service of an emotional, attention-grabbing household story. We be taught that within the a long time because the first movie, Kevin Flynn made nice use of his new energy and information, together with making a recreation primarily based on the expertise referred to as “Tron.” Nonetheless, as he continued to discover the bigger implications of what was now often called the Grid, he mysteriously disappeared. Flynn left behind a son, Sam, who technically controls Encom in his father’s absence, though he doesn’t wish to. Sam then will get sucked into the Grid, finds his father, who’s preventing with a sophisticated AI model of himself. An incredible battle ensues, and finally Sam escapes again to actuality with an artificially created life type referred to as an ISO.
Admittedly, it’s rather a lot if you simply lay it on the market, however the primary level right here is how fantastically the movie builds on what got here earlier than. It offers with questions followers had for years in addition to questions they most likely by no means even dreamed of. What would Flynn do with Encom? What different discoveries could possibly be made within the Grid? How would that have affect him in actual life? It’s all there.
One of many extra elegant touches is how Legacy offers with the identify “Tron.” Within the first film, Tron is a heroic program that fights with Flynn towards the evil Grasp Management Program. However we by no means discover out what occurred to Tron after that. So why is Tron: Legacy referred to as Tron: Legacy in any respect? Nicely, as I mentioned, we be taught Kevin made a brand new recreation referred to as “Tron”—and increase, an informative query is concurrently posed and answered. (Later, Tron additionally comes again in a enjoyable, stunning manner simply to provide it a bit extra affect.)
There’s additionally the truth that Kevin Flynn, after spending years contained in the Grid, meets a complete new race of beings that had been created inside. The ISOs. He understands that computer systems creating life is a history-changing idea and so he fights with all his energy to try to save them, finally succeeding by having Sam deliver the final ISO, Quorra, into actuality. That entire storyline and thought is the subsequent step within the evolution of the unique film. The unique film says “Applications appear to be folks inside a pc.” Tron: Legacy says “Not solely do applications appear to be folks inside a pc, however these applications also can reside and create themselves like folks.” It’s the previous Tron you knew, however now upgraded.
Upon rewatch, even the extremely suspect de-aging results on Jeff Bridges hit a bit in another way. They nonetheless don’t look good, thoughts you, particularly when Flynn is in the true world, however as soon as the de-aged model of the character, Clu, is operating the present on the Grid, the digital look in some way feels proper. Years of video video games and efficiency seize make us suppose “He would appear to be that on this world.” You simply purchase it.
Lastly, after answering all of your Tron fan questions, and taking the story to a complete new degree whereas paying respects to all the pieces you really liked in regards to the authentic, Tron: Legacy leaves us a complete slew of recent questions. What does it imply now that not solely is a chunk of the Grid out in the true world, however that it’s one thing past a program or particular person? What is going to Sam do now that his expertise on the Grid has modified him? The questions are as soon as once more countless and ripe to be explored in a sequel.
Is the third Tron film—which stars Jared Leto, is titled Tron: Ares, and arrives in 2025—going to be the place all that exploring occurs? We don’t know. However so long as it learns the teachings of its predecessor, it’ll be high-quality. Nowadays so many franchises make sequels to older movies hoping to each honor the unique whereas additionally transferring the story forward and simply fail. Usually miserably. And all they should do is take a look at Tron: Legacy, which did it completely years earlier than so many others tried it. It’s freaking rad.
Tron, Tron: Legacy, and even the animated Tron: Uprising are all streaming at these hyperlinks on Disney+.
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