REVIEW: TRON LEGACY

TRON LEGACY

reviewer : Dexter Kong
Rated: PG(UK)
Release Date: 17 December 2010
Director:Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund , Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, James Frain

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The original TRON is one of my favourite childhood films that I absolutely adore. Who didn’t want to drink TRON water and ride a light cycle. Come 28 years later and we have a new Tron for a different generation. In stepped Joseph Kosinski a first time movie director who hails from a promo background but has plenty of experience in blending digital/real world environments. The light cycles hit the ground running once again. Could he do the film justice? Is Tron still relevant?

TRON: Legacy continues where the last film left us. It is now current day, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been missing for 23 years and his rebelious son Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is in charge as majority share holder of his father’s company APPLE ENCOM. Sam avoids responsibility like the plague until he gets a page from his father.

The Real World scenes begin in 2D but once Sam enters the TRON World the eye popping candy begins!

Kosinski manages to craft a stunning updated world of TRON, everything has been seemingly though of and modernised down to the very last bolt. I couldn’t help but think of ‘Blade Runner’ whilst moving through TRON as it is very much a modern dystopia but very much it’s own world. A lot of glass involved! Which lends itself very nicely to the 3D environments as scenes have much more depth as you look through reflections towards characters & see-through ‘splosions/derezzing.

Jeff Bridges puts in a good bipolar performance as a young, old Kevin Flynn & Clu his digital creation. The digital de-aging while great looking at times, still has an uncanny valley to cross where there are subtle movements lacking in facial expressions, ‘dead eyes’. Although whether this is the director’s intention I’m not sure, as Garett Hedlund seems to put in the same ‘dead eye’ robotic performance. But to his credit, Hedlund does manage to squeeze out some robotic tears. Olivia Wilde on the other hand offsets the grim environment with her bubbly childlike companion character Quorra, who suffers from a form of laughing tourettes which spouts every now & again.

The story bounces along nicely at an energetic pace which is due in part to Daft Punk’s brilliant electronica enthused score which ramps up the action. Those unfamiliar with the TRON world already, might find themselves lost at times, with events unfolding directly connected to the first movie seen through flashbacks. Though, for those in the know, there are some nice cameos. Visually this movie is absolutely beautiful when the original came out it was overlooked for an Oscar for it’s effects. Computer effects, at the time, were thought of as cheating. One can only hope they rectify this by giving TRON: Legacy the credit it deserves. Overall I think this is an excellent film which everyone should go see. It ticked all to boxes in my childhood expectations list & I left the theatre, smile beaming from ear to ear. This should succeed in creating a new generation of TRON lovers who hopefully have more reticence to not remove the packaging from their film merch.

Rather looking forward to a second viewing.

Movie Rating: 3/5

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Trailer:

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A big Thank You to Dexter Kong who is one of the new members of The Peoples Movies. The Tron Legacy review was first posted on Dexters own blog  Escape Buttons and you can check it out at escape buttons. Look for more reviews from Dexter in 2011 and Im sure you’ll all give him a big warm welcome to the blog!