Tron Legacy Movie Review



I want one

     Tron Legacy stars Sam Flynn, the son of the legendary Kevin Flynn who disappeared twenty odd years ago working on the revolutionary computer system called the Grid.  Following a friend's advice Sam visits his father's old arcade shop and accidently enters his father's world.  However, instead of finding the technological utopia that his father promised, Sam discovers a world in the tyrannical grip of Clu, a digital copy of his father working towards the perfection of the system.  Thus begins Sam's journey to find his father and escape the Grid.

     This movie is a sequel to a 1982 film called Tron.  Fortunately for those who haven't seen it (myself included), Legacy does a pretty good job at introducing you to the world and filling in the back story.  It's also good that the protagonist is just as new to the world of Tron as the audience is, as it keeps the feeling that your missing out on something down to a minimum.

     While Legacy has some interesting characters and plot points, obviously the biggest draw will be it's spectacular special effects that compliment awesome action scenes.  The entire world of the Grid is composed of neon lights the line everything from the streets to the suits that the people wear, which includes the futuristic weapons called "Light Discs."  Said light discs are used in combat frequently, and they look awesome, shooting around the room and causing satisfying shatter effects when making contact with their target.  Also cool are the Light Cycles, sleek motorcycles that emit streams of energy behind them that can shatter any enemies that drive into to.  All of this cybernetic awesomeness is complimented by a sweet techno track that subtly adds to the atmosphere.  And I'm not even a fan of techno.

     With all of the shiny spectacles happening on screen it's important not to forget the story, which fortunately proves to be just as strong as the visual effects.  The world of the Grid has a pretty interesting backstory, and it's pretty rewarding to see it connect with the main plotline.  I also liked how Kevin Flynn had created the Grid in the pursuit of perfection, and how that drive for prefection resulting in the tyranny of Clu, a nice moral conflict that gives some dimension to the villain.  Unfortunately, there are a few places where the story falls short.  First of all, the dialougue can be a bit cheesey, which I guess is a rule by now for all Disney movies that don't involve Jack Sparrow.  Second, the movie's namesake, Tron, proves to be nothing more than a secondary character.  The film tries to give him some depth with his story of fall and redemption, but it just feels detached from the main storyline.  Maybe if I watched the first movie his character would have a bit more emotional depth for more, but as it is, he feels almost tacked on, which is a shame considering that it's "his" movie.

Conclusion:  Despite not having seen the original I still enjoyed Tron Legacy very much.  It was a fun rollercoaster of special effects that was complimented by a solid story and cool characters.  The ending left room for a sequel, and considering how good this one was, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Rating:  8/10 "Great"

Favorite Moment:  The Light Cycle battle was awesome.  Like, really really awesome.  Pixalated explosions and sweet action.  What more could you want?