Tron: Legacy is the type of sequel trendy Hollywood desires about, however hardly ever will get proper. I figured this out just a few 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. You must 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 nice. It seemed lovely, the music was unimaginable, and for probably the most half, the results had been glorious too. Certain, de-aging Jeff Bridges seemed terrible however the ambition of it was at the very 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 bought 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 wished to inform a narrative that didn’t simply construct off the primary one, however a narrative that gave followers of the primary movie every thing 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 couple of 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 individuals, doing jobs for his or her boss, aka the “consumer.” You. The idea is ripe for additional exploration.
And but, in Tron, the story largely performs out with none exploration of its implications. All the things is comparatively simple after which it simply sort of ends with Kevin Flynn beating the AI, recovering the file, and changing into the pinnacle of the corporate. What’s subsequent, what Kevin discovered from being inside, and the way he’s going to make use of that information isn’t 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 trendy fandom would react to it. There can be Reddit pages, podcasts, and YouTube movies of individuals dissecting and speculating about each little element. Hundreds of thousands of individuals predicting what a possible sequel might finally be. I’m certain, within the early ‘80s, that occurred too, simply in its personal manner. The actual fact is although, you’ll be able to’t watch Tron and never need to know extra. Want to know extra. Which is precisely 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 fastidiously works its manner down a wishlist of burning questions and fan favourite winks all in service of an emotional, fascinating 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 known as “Tron.” Nonetheless, as he continued to discover the bigger implications of what was now often known as the Grid, he mysteriously disappeared. Flynn left behind a son, Sam, who technically controls Encom in his father’s absence, though he doesn’t need to. Sam then will get sucked into the Grid, finds his father, who’s combating with a complicated AI model of himself. An awesome battle ensues, and finally Sam escapes again to actuality with an artificially created life type known as an ISO.
Admittedly, it’s quite a bit whenever you simply lay it on the market, however the principle level right here is how superbly 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 may very well 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 known as Tron: Legacy in any respect? Nicely, as I stated, we be taught Kevin made a brand new recreation known as “Tron”—and increase, an informative query is concurrently posed and answered. (Later, Tron additionally comes again in a enjoyable, shocking manner simply to present it a bit extra affect.)
There’s additionally the truth that Kevin Flynn, after spending years contained in the Grid, meets an entire 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 attempt to save them, finally succeeding by having Sam convey the final ISO, Quorra, into actuality. That complete storyline and thought is the following step within the evolution of the unique film. The unique film says “Applications appear like individuals inside a pc.” Tron: Legacy says “Not solely do applications appear like individuals inside a pc, however these applications may also stay and create themselves like individuals.” 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 a different way. They nonetheless don’t look good, thoughts you, particularly when Flynn is in the actual 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 like that on this world.” You simply purchase it.
Lastly, after answering all of your Tron fan questions, and taking the story to an entire new stage whereas paying respects to every thing you really liked in regards to the unique, Tron: Legacy leaves us an entire slew of latest questions. What does it imply now that not solely is a chunk of the Grid out in the actual 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 nice. Lately so many franchises make sequels to older movies hoping to each honor the unique whereas additionally shifting 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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