“Tron Legacy” is a sequel. The first film came out in the summer of ’82. I was a toddler. That year Ozzy Osbourne married Sharon and John Belushi passed away.
In the original “Tron,” actor Jeff Bridges is Kevin Flynn who is sucked into a computer and forced to participate in high tech gladiatorial games until a program inside the mainframe called Tron rescues him.
In the sequel, Flynn returns to the digital world and becomes trapped there, unbeknownst to his son Sam, who believes his father may have simply abandoned him.
Still Sam grows up in his father’s image. He’s a hacker, too, and when he goes to investigate his father’s old office, he finds himself also transported onto the grid.
Will the villainous Clu finally allow father and son to return to the real world? Watch to find out.
“Tron Legacy” is an experience somewhat in the same vein as “Avatar.” You have to go to theater to see it and whether you choose to watch in 3D or not, the sights and sounds will transport you someplace else.
The best thing about it is the atmosphere. I also really, really loved the soundtrack, perpetrated by Daft Punk. The tech-inspired, adrenaline pumping score includes the use of an old Journey song, which was pure genius.
The worst thing about “Tron Legacy” winds up being some of the mythology. It is easy to confuse some of the characters. I didn’t feel the character of Tron had enough of a presence either, especially because he is given one of the best lines in the film during the dramatic climax. Also, the difference between the programs populating the grid and the so-called race of ISOs wasn’t clear enough.
I have to say before it’s over, Bridges pulls out a Gandalf vibe that totally rocked. Actor Michael Sheen turns out an incredible performance, and take note of actress Olivia Wilde because you are going to see her again and again on the big screen, like in the upcoming “Cowboys & Aliens.”
I’m a fan! I think you will be, too.