Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Almost 30 years on from the original 1982 Tron, its Legacy is finally realized, and has hit screens globally.
Tron: Legacy is certainly light years on from it’s now clunky looking predecessor, thanks to the marvels of modern technology; although it’s an entertaining notion to imagine how cinema-goers in 30 years time will scoff at these new groundbreaking 3D endeavors.
The original Tron story centered on the character Kevin Flynn played by The Dude himself Jeff Bridges. Flynn and Bridges return for Legacy, having disappeared to who knows where, leaving a wealthy, brainiac, disillusioned son with father issues, who eventually goes on a father-finding mission.
That mission takes him back to his father’s old arcade, where he finds his way into his virtual world, a place where computer games have become a deadly reality, and Flynn Junior must fight for his survival, and that of his fathers.
This is where the strengths of this big screen movie come into play. To succeed with the more sophisticated audience, Tron: Legacy was always going to have to be a visual extravaganza, and this computer-generated world of stylish programs and games is a stunning one to look at.
Tron: Legacy feels a bit like Speed Racer meets Gladiator meets The Fifth Element meets Beowulf, and this doesn’t make the most convincing mix. The story is its weakest link, and proof you can have the most delicious paint-box in the cyber-universe, but it won’t make a masterpiece without a good story well told.
The Dude is brilliant of course, he can’t but help bring Lebowski to the table and you’re thankful for the light relief and the sense of class. The stunning score from Daft Punk is a major highlight, and is up there with Inception and The Social Network as one of the soundtracks of the year. Coupled with the visuals on the big 3D IMAX screen, Tron certainly made for a very sensory experience. Just a shame about the rest.
TRON: Legacy
:: Director: Joseph Kosinski
:: Starring: Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund
:: Running Time: 125 mins
:: Rating: PG: Contains Medium Level Violence
:: Release Date: December 16, 2010
:: Trailer: Watch here
