Tron Legacy
 

Went to see Tron Legacy in 3D today. First off, I went to see Tron when it first came out - I was 12 - and I loved the movie. I always hoped they'd make a sequel and this one doesn't disappoint - well, almost. But more about that after this. This isn't a synopsis of the movie, you can get that anywhere. The visuals in this movie are second to none. The computer generated de-aged Flynn/Clu is so close in some scenes that it made me shake my head in amazement. Does the movie pay homage to the original - yes. Flynn's arcade, Lightcycles, Tanks, Recognizers, Sark's Carrier, the Solar Sailer and even a shot of an authentic Tron videogame, they're all here. There's even a reference to Dumont in the movie (did you catch it?). Tron Legacy picks up several years after Flynn makes it back from "the grid" and fast-forwards to today, years after Flynn's disappearance, introducing us to Kevin Flynn's son Sam. Sam, the majority stockholder of Encom, seems to me to be an idealistic, albeit rebellious, combination of both the Alan and Kevin characters from the first film. And Sam is led to Flynn's place because Alan receives a page from the joint. And this is when Sam finally gets to see what his dad had been telling him stories about. What Sam thought was "make-believe" all these years...

And here's where I felt disappointed. Look, I know this is a Disney movie, released at Christmas-time. But...but...but let's just say you're at work, all alone in the building. Everyone has left early for the day. And a strange email pops up, kinda familiar looking. You open it and it's blank, save for one strange looking link and you click on it. And the very next breath you take somebody throws a hood over your head and you're in a totally foreign environment, miles away from the office. Thousands of miles away from every random bit of your life that makes you you - tonight's dinner you left cooking in the crockpot, the check you have to deposit to cover the bills, the pet you have to feed, the phone call you know you have to make to your girlfriend. All of it. All of it is just...gone. Where am I? What the hell is happening TO ME??? Sam, like his father, is snatched from his everyday existence, taken by the most spectacular means of "extraordinary rendition" and dumped into "the grid". No warning, no explanation. Nobody to help you make sense of anything. You're here because you did something wrong, man. Something that you'll never understand was even wrong in the first place. You're here. And you're mine.

I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of the Disney trailer from 2009. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Tron Legacy. But I think it could have used a little more of the sense of desperation from the 2009 trailer.

"You won, ok? It's just a game!!!!!!"

Well, kid, "Not anymore."

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I liked it. And I picked up on the "Dumont" easily, since I had just watched the original as a refresher.
I also liked the "classic" lightcycle.
I did notice that the "big door" wasn't as thick this time.

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I'm going to see it again for the fourth time very soon!

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I was disappointed in Tron, sadly for the budget..it wasn't good. The movie didn't grip me in any way, a lite story, beautiful visuals, but that was it. So I agree with Jafo, nothing to make you feel desperation (best explanation), no fear, no confusion and no possible feel of "Uh, I am in trouble!". Sadly, it had so much potential, but didn't reach it...it didn't even attempt to.
Sorry for anyone, who truly enjoyed it.....

Re: Tron Legacy
 

Maddog is right on all those counts. But I liked it mainly because I was expecting a big turd, and it wasnt that at all. But storywise you are correct, not much there, very predictable and cliche.

With that said, I also went to see starship troopers at theater 5 times, I never thought it was any sort of masterpiece, but it was a really fun movie at the time.

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I'm going back to see it a 2nd time this coming Sunday. We're opting for the 2D version this time...

Bryan

Re: Tron Legacy
 

What did you think of the original? I absolutely felt the fear of the character. That opening scene when he hits the grid really got me. I think as far as a comparable sequel goes, this one really hit it out of the park!

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I went to go see Tron Legacy for the 2nd time...

This time I saw it in the standard 2D format. I must say, I enjoyed the movie even more the second time around. The 2D format does not detract from the film (as I suspected), but it was nice to experience it in 3D the first time.

Knowing what came before it, how it was made, the strides that VFX (digital and otherwise) have made in the past 28 years, it's nice to see what that environment looks like with all the stops pulled out.

It may not have been what I expected, but it doesn't take anything away from what it is and how it's offered. I for one, will be quite happy to buy this on DVD when it comes out and watch it again....who knows, I might go see it again if it's still playing in another month!

Bryan

Re: Tron Legacy
 

mono, I liked the first one, even though it didnt do hundreds of millions in business, it still pushed the envelope of special effects etc. The original Tron, is a classic, it spawned toys, games, etc (It had a story line too)......it was one of the ah ha movies. Not as big as Star Wars, ET etc....but it had it niche. I was 10 when it came out, yes I was more into Star Wars, and BSG but, it still was goooooood.

Now to legacy, the special effects, great, but.......weak story line. It could have been so much better, I watched forbidden Planet the other night, cheesy as it was....it had a story, it had at the time great special effects etc. What I see, movies have lost alot as special effects have come into its own as an art form. They spend more money on the EFX and not in the story line, Disney was relying on "our legacy", of people who liked the first one....they figured "big bucks", lets do it. With out a strong story, Tron legacy is just another movie, one that will not be talked about in a few years. Sadly, it could have been one for the ages, it could have grown from the first, and developed into something amazing, which it didn't. For the budget it had, it was a poooooooor movie, now if it was made for 30 or 40 million, they i would say cool chit (still wouldnt be a instant classic). This is just like the original Star Wars Trilogy compared to the newer set of 3 movies. Poooooor movies, and that even had a story line, that it could have developed more, but again relied on special effects...yes they made money....but they will not be talked about in the future and are barely talked about now. Can anyone say Jar Jar?

Re: Tron Legacy
 

Maddog...you're going to make me dig out my old Tron toys aren't you? I remember getting into so much trouble throwing frisbees at people after seeing the original.

I definitely see where you're coming from. The story was pretty simple on a surface level. I don't mean that you missed anything. I think it was sort of a bridge from the old film and a set up for future films. The simplicity of it was part of the allure for me. No big twist...no big back stabs...just an awesome sci fi movie with a lot of history! I do think there is a lot of room to expand there though.

I agree with Gemini. The 3D experience is great, but 2D was just as good. I think I actually picked up a bit more story seeing it that way.

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I saw the 2D version, my husband and daughter (our resident videogame addict) saw it in 3D. She thought it was the coolest thing ever. Listening to her talk about it, made me remember just how amazing the 1982 version was, especially when you think about them programming each pixel for that one.

I last saw the original TRON a few years ago, so I missed the Dumont reference. I thought Legacy was wonderful visually. Now Jeff and younger Jeff looked real beside each other which I thought was a wonderful thing. I also thought Jeff's acting was fantastic: too bad a sci-fi film couldn't get an Oscar nod because I think he's in a place where his work is Oscar-worthy, regardless of the story.

Loved the light jets, loved the many leveled light cycle course. Loved the rescue. How Kevin's prescence affected the grid he'd begun and the "programs" was pretty cool.

I liked the story even though it was more confined in time than real time emotions would take to process. I loved the whole climax battle and how characters were changed by it.

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I definitely wanna catch this one more time before it leaves the theaters.

I have the soundtrack by Daft Punk. It combines minimalist electronica (Daft Punk) with a full orchestral backup, and comes out a really cool (and even relaxing, sometimes) soundtrack.

My four favorite tracks are Opening Titles, The Grid, End of Line, and Tron Legacy End Titles. :) I listen to those (or the Star Wars Radio Plays) when I work on my CG models.

Re: Tron Legacy
 

Tron Legacy's Worldwide gross so far: $257,925,000. It's domestic grosses are around $145M....so very not bad for a movie with a $170M budget, and to boot, a movie whose sire only made $33M back in '82.. I'd dare to say, T:L is a hit. :)

Re: Tron Legacy
 

Went back to see Tron Legacy in 3D again yesterday and enjoyed it even more the second time around. But I do still think it could have used at least some of the dark sense of foreboding from the original trailer. Don't get me wrong - I loved Legacy. But if you watch the trailer below, you'll see what I mean. Flynn knows what's coming (and can't look on it, hint hint), you know what's coming, and you see just how twisted Clu has really become. It's the pursuit of perfection and the sheer hopelessness that anyone who is judged to be less than perfect feels when Clu focuses in on them and decides they have to go. If somehow tomorrow you were transported to the reality of this trailer and lived to come out the other side you'd grab Alan by both hands and beg him to help you shut down the grid, stop it all and try to start over. You'd use Encom to try and change the 'net so that this would never happen again. You'd try to make the world a better place. And one day, one day, you'd be faced with the decision of whether to terminate one "program" for the greater good. One that didn't fit your idea of how the world should be. And you'd do it, just this one time. Because we are all Clu.

That's what Legacy was missing, in my opinion. And there's your set-up for a slew of sequels. Just a thought.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AwvuirSEAA[/url

Re: Tron Legacy
 

I totally agree that the movie could've stood to be a bit darker, but one must also consider that even though the movie was deepened enough to satiate the 8-10 year olds in us that we were when we saw the original, they also needed to make it something accessible and not aversive to the 8-10 year olds of today. It had to capture their imaginations too, and not be overly weighty. :)

Re: Tron Legacy
 

Saw the original Tron many many years ago...followed by "The Black Hole". The original had that "makes you think" quality to it, it was an adventure and it felt fun, even if there wasn't much eye candy (by today's standards). The sequel was a lot darker in tone, what TVTropes.org would call "Darker and Edgier," but it had plenty of big-box visuals to look at (including Dr. Thirteen with black hair!).

You have to take each one in its own right. The original was quaint in its own way, while the sequel seems to be a lot like the other action films we get today...worth seeing, definitely, but it can't match the original. (Although I will say, it was nice to see Bruce Boxleitner again, it's the first thing I've seen him in since Babylon 5).