Double Feature Review - 2/10/24

On recommendation of a friend, I decided to watch the two TRON movies. I'm going to be writing these reviews as I see the movies. Some of my thoughts might change in between now and after I’ve seen both of them.

TRON (1982) – 3/5

This movie was a lotta fun. Some of the effects definitely haven’t aged well (especially the way the actors were placed in the digital world), but some still look really good (namely the effect of Flynn getting digitized). Considering this movie was made in the early 80s, all of it is still pretty impressive. As for characters and story, it’s a mixed bag. The beginning about half hour where the focus is on the human characters I really enjoyed. Flynn in particular gets some real fun characterization that goes a long way to make him charming. The programs are more mixed. Tron is pretty good as the devout knight type, and Sark’s interactions with the MCP are pretty good if a tad cliché in concept. Other characters, like Tron’s love interest introduced later in the film, feel pretty flat and bland. One thing that I think is real stand out idea is the user-program relationship. It’s depicted as a religious dynamic, which adds that nice little twist to the whole thing that gives the movie added depth and makes things more interesting. My favorite scene in the whole movie is a result of this, with the conversation between Flynn and Tron about how the users don’t have a plan for everything they do which implies the same for any higher power to us. Overall I give the original TRON a 3/5 because it offers a fun hour and a half experience that, while not wowing you with its characters, is still a good ride. If you have the chance to see it, I would recommend giving TRON a watch.

TRON: Legacy (2010) – 4/5

This movie surprised me. I fully expected it to be at about the same level as the original and it blew the original out of the water. Pretty much everything about this movie is better. The effects (with the glaring exception of young Jeff Bridges) are phenomenal looking. This movie’s visual aesthetic is peak 2010 scifi with the sleek shapes and open windows. The characters in the digital world are not only more fleshed out, they’re also more colorful. Sam is a really fun character, as is Quorra. Both have really good chemistry and are well acted. Flynn is another stand-out, as he was in the last movie. He’s a very different character from the last time we saw him but it definitely fits the story being told. Clu has some fun parallels to Flynn (not just in facial features) that make him an interesting antagonist. The story has some absolutely amazing moments emotionally (personal favorite being the scene where the two Flynns are reunited). This movie did not need to be as good as it is. By the end of the movie, I had a thought this felt similar to Top Gun: Maverick in terms of vibes. Turns out it’s the same director. I guess he has a knack for taking fun 80s movies and making significantly better sequels. Biggest complaints are that the religious tones to the way programs view users is lost (which isn’t that big of a deal because they include other philosophical depth) and I dislike how the bad guy was dealt with at the end. The second one is definitely personal preference, though, and not a dealbreaker. Overall I give TRON: Legacy a 4/5 because it offers the same level of fun action present in the original with upgraded visuals as well as a story and characters that have more heart to them. I would recommend you to take the time to watch it.

That’s it for today. Wow, I say that like this wasn’t a really long post. I promise future posts won’t be this long. Shoutout to my friend who recommended these to me, because this was surprisingly fun. Keep on rockin’ on y’all.

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~ Arianna