Review: TRON: LEGACY

Greeting fellow programs. Seeing as it’s TRON Tuesday, you’re in for a special treat. Here’s my early, spoiler-free review of TRON LEGACY.

(Reviewed at AMC Universal CityWalk, Hollywood, Dec. 2, 2010.)

I’m just gonna come right out and say it – TRON was fun! And by TRON I mean TRON: LEGACY, the sequel to the 1982 Disney film TRON. Now typically this would not be my kind of movie, but I vaguely remembered the original (I was in high school) and my curiosity got the better of me. The film opens with Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), 18 yrs or so after the disappearance of his scientist father, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). A flashback shows Sam at 9 or 10 and the last time he saw his Dad. Then the film cuts back to current day in the film and Sam is now 27. It’s only when his father’s old friend, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) pays him a visit, that Sam goes to his father’s old workshop.

Once there, Sam discovers his father’s computer still running and gets sucked onto the grid and into a digital adventure. I’m not going to say anymore otherwise explaining it all just gives it away….I hate reviews that blab everything.

I will say, first of all, the look of the film is amazing. It’s dark and hip and definitely high tech. The special effects were everything I was expecting and more. The modes of transportation are absolutely the coolest. And the way they appear!?!? Director Joseph Kosinski really gives you the feel of being in a video game (and not for nothing, but the vibe kind of reminded me a little of The Black Hole, which I loved). This is exactly the kind of film that works well in 3D. And if you see it in IMAX, it’s even more amazing, as you feel as if you are right in it.

One of the most pleasant surprises is that the film isn’t totally dependent on the special effects. The story is good and the characters are well thought out. One of my fears was that if the audience was not familiar with the original movie, they would somehow be lost in this one. That was not the case at all. The story moves along with the appropriate explanation of the “past” and stands on its own as an adventure for a new generation of fans. There are surprises around every corner and I happily had no idea where we were going until we got there.

Disney smartly returned Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner to their original characters, which brings a certain sentimentality for the almost cult-like followers of the first film, and many of the new characters are funny, weird and definitely cool. Olivia Wilde’s character, Quorra, shows up kickin’ ass.

Be on the look out for Michael Sheen’s character – he’s a cross between Frank-N-Furter and PT Barnum.

I would totally recommend this movie to anyone who just wants to sit back, relax and hang out in another world for a few hours.

End of Program

Rating: 5 out of 5 *****

MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 125 MIN