I like the first Tron. Not in an creepy over-obsessed way, but I regard it as a campy, retro glitterfest based on an delightfully silly idea. The basic concept stays the same in Tron Legacy. Computer programs are sentient beings inside the computer grid, probably deriving from the fact that they are created from someone's hope and dreams and therefore inherit some of their creators (or "users")soul.
In the first Tron a "user", Flynn/Jeff Bridges, is whisked away into the computer world (by lasers, no less). In "Legacy" the son of Flynn is looking for his father 20 years after he strangely disappeared without a trace. No price for guessing where, and we also find ourselves in the computer world after a quite glum and outstretched intro. FINALLY.
Turns out the world inside is equally glum. Now, with the way the use of computer have evolved and increased dramatically since the last movie I was expecting to see a grid teeming with all sorts of life and variety. That may be my mistake. I realize that the world in Tron Legacy may in fact be the sole creation of one being (Flynn/Jeff Bridges) with no interaction with the rest of the world, which may be plausible,given the theme of the movie, but still. Flynn copy/paste a lot and is obviously very fond of the "dark-gritty-stone-tool".
All that aside, there been notables upgrades in the Tron world. Most technology looks, well, cooler. It is stunning visually, especially in 3d. My biggest gripe with the movie though is how clunky everything is. This should be a rendition of the world inside a computer, but stuff hisses, creaks and spew exhaustion. When did the digital world turn so analogue? Sure, from a scientific point of view the digital is indistinguishable from the analogue if it is complex enough, but why does it feels like a step backwards? The world in the older movie actually feels like a much more accurate rendition of a computer world than this. The new one is more like reality with fancy neon. Flynn turns his personal abode into a reality shrine, and eating what I guess is a virtually crafted pig, but that is him emulating reality. The motor of the first movie was that we could see games and programs run "as if it was in real life". With todays graphics that is already happening on-screen so the movie might have outlived its gimmick. If so there are more than enough other features from the digital world worthy of being represented in Tron. Why just demote the whole world then?
I realise I haven't said anything about the acting. Well, there is none. Bridges tries his best to put some personality into Flynn. Not an easy task. Most of the time he just seems awkward. Our protagonist, whats-his-face, Sam is the sulky and estranged techno-wizz-kid we have all seen so many times before, only a bit older this time (27). The Tron from the title is there naturally, and he does... nothing. Boxlietner is in the cast, why not let him give old Tron a line at least? In the male world of computers there are as many as two female actor, but they are just the standard blockbuster version of the madonna/whore, aka spunky and bitchy. That boils down to sourpuss, hippie, spunky, bitchy, a creepy game-character and oh, there is also a Bowie, although not thee Bowie. Hello Disney, NEXT TIME YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ADDING SOME DIMENSIONS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, AND I DO NOT MEAN 3D, OK?
Frankly, I'm thoroughly annoyed, and though not expecting much also surprisingly disappointed. Ah, well. The 4/10 is for looks, sounds and effort. It do look nice and the soundtrack is marvellous at times. I'm convinced that the musicians Daft Punk would make a better version of Tron themselves AND with more heart.
In the first Tron a "user", Flynn/Jeff Bridges, is whisked away into the computer world (by lasers, no less). In "Legacy" the son of Flynn is looking for his father 20 years after he strangely disappeared without a trace. No price for guessing where, and we also find ourselves in the computer world after a quite glum and outstretched intro. FINALLY.
Turns out the world inside is equally glum. Now, with the way the use of computer have evolved and increased dramatically since the last movie I was expecting to see a grid teeming with all sorts of life and variety. That may be my mistake. I realize that the world in Tron Legacy may in fact be the sole creation of one being (Flynn/Jeff Bridges) with no interaction with the rest of the world, which may be plausible,given the theme of the movie, but still. Flynn copy/paste a lot and is obviously very fond of the "dark-gritty-stone-tool".
All that aside, there been notables upgrades in the Tron world. Most technology looks, well, cooler. It is stunning visually, especially in 3d. My biggest gripe with the movie though is how clunky everything is. This should be a rendition of the world inside a computer, but stuff hisses, creaks and spew exhaustion. When did the digital world turn so analogue? Sure, from a scientific point of view the digital is indistinguishable from the analogue if it is complex enough, but why does it feels like a step backwards? The world in the older movie actually feels like a much more accurate rendition of a computer world than this. The new one is more like reality with fancy neon. Flynn turns his personal abode into a reality shrine, and eating what I guess is a virtually crafted pig, but that is him emulating reality. The motor of the first movie was that we could see games and programs run "as if it was in real life". With todays graphics that is already happening on-screen so the movie might have outlived its gimmick. If so there are more than enough other features from the digital world worthy of being represented in Tron. Why just demote the whole world then?
I realise I haven't said anything about the acting. Well, there is none. Bridges tries his best to put some personality into Flynn. Not an easy task. Most of the time he just seems awkward. Our protagonist, whats-his-face, Sam is the sulky and estranged techno-wizz-kid we have all seen so many times before, only a bit older this time (27). The Tron from the title is there naturally, and he does... nothing. Boxlietner is in the cast, why not let him give old Tron a line at least? In the male world of computers there are as many as two female actor, but they are just the standard blockbuster version of the madonna/whore, aka spunky and bitchy. That boils down to sourpuss, hippie, spunky, bitchy, a creepy game-character and oh, there is also a Bowie, although not thee Bowie. Hello Disney, NEXT TIME YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ADDING SOME DIMENSIONS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, AND I DO NOT MEAN 3D, OK?
Frankly, I'm thoroughly annoyed, and though not expecting much also surprisingly disappointed. Ah, well. The 4/10 is for looks, sounds and effort. It do look nice and the soundtrack is marvellous at times. I'm convinced that the musicians Daft Punk would make a better version of Tron themselves AND with more heart.