Did we need another “Tron” movie? I don’t really think so, but need is not the motivation here, rather it is want. The audience is not the group that wants another “Tron” film, it is the studio, which is trying to create a franchise that they can rely on every few years, but just because you want something, doesn’t mean you are going to get it. The box office for this film is not as big a disaster as for other Disney films this year, but it is unlikely to encourage a return to this universe, at least until the next time the house of the mouse is desperately looking for IPs to develop, fruitlessly again.

You might think after these mostly negative comments about the strategy of the film, that it wasn’t very good. That’s wrong. “Tron Ares” is a handsomely mounted science fiction/fantasy/adventure that looks spectacular on the big screen and justifies s a visit to your local IMAX or XD cinema. I did not see this in 3D but it is one of the few films that I can say I wish I had. There are some visual sequences and action scenes that would have popped dramatically with that extra visual element added. 

I only saw “Tron Legacy” one time in a theater, that was fifteen years ago and before I was writing on the blog on new films. I seem to remember enjoying it well enough, but I’m not sure I left wanting to see more. Sort of like the way I felt about the original “Tron” from 1983. It was innovative in look, but was soon surpassed as the technology got better and was being used more impressively in other films. The only thing that seemed to link the two movies was Jeff Bridges character. Guess what, that’s an even more tenuous link tin this film. Bridges returns as a digital ghost in the movie for a couple of minutes, that’s it. Jared Leto is the star of the film, and in a twist, he starts out one way, but morphs into something different by the end of the movie. I think he has the requisite charisma for the character, but it is not enough to sustain the film just on it’s own. That’s why there are so many high tech chase moments and digital destruction on the screen. 

The story turns out to be a pretty straight forward action narrative. The good guys have something the bad guys want to steal, and there is an attempt to retrieve it or destroy it. Chases and life threatening situations occur for human characters, and the digital AI characters simply reproduce and keep chasing. All the energy went into the look of the film rather than the script. Which as I said is not a bad thing, if all you want is an action movie with a cool look. That was enough for me, but it probably won’t be enough for everyone and everyone is needed if you are going to keep making these films.

I suggest, you enjoy your snack, and the great soundtrack provided by Nine Inch Nails. The movie will be on streaming soon, but it will not be as hypnotic at home as it is in a theater setting. Entertaining but non-essential.