Tron Legacy Movie Review

[Chronos]

I've seen it twice now.

The first time the visuals apparently overpowered my optical orbs, as I noticed much more of the story's subtleties & character nuance the second time around.

There's so much material from this film for a sequel, I hope to see one soon!

 

[SithLord]

Saw it last night in 3D, plan to see it again soon in IMAX. Got the soundtrack few days before the release because I love the music. I only really looked at the trailers a few days ago. Saw the original TRON in theaters. This is a million times better. I so thoroughly enjoyed the production design and the soundtrack. I actually thought the lead up to going into the grid was pretty quick, not draw out with just enough exposition. Ya the recognizers are just fantastic. I liked how Sam Flynn had already a lot of experience in real life through his daredevil tactics to be able to handle the grid so well and so quickly. That was cool. Clu I think was better in the movie than the impression I had from the trailers but keep in mind, Jeff Bridges has a weird way of moving his lips anyway...so I think they did a pretty good job considering it was the first time an attempt at a human character was given so much screen time. It didn't bother me, but the more they inter-cut between real and CG the more I noticed it. I think they needed to work more on the lighting effects off the skin and the skin quality. Quorra was terrific. I actually really enjoyed the scenes in Kevin Fynn's "condo". That was all very Stanley Kubrick to me. In fact, when things slowed down and the characters were really talking about things, that's when it was a real movie to me. I really liked when Sam and Kevin met, reminds me of when I met my Mom. The only scene that made me think critically was when Clu was addressing the troops...that just seemed to be unnecessarily long, especially since the troops just follow orders anyway...why the need to give them a pep talk? :lol

The ISO concept was compelling. Yes it seems to be digital DNA. Remember they are in a supercomputer so conceivably from the DNA one could produce protein (protein isn't hard to model in a computer). But it is a good question how Quorra was reconstituted into the real world. Since apparently they used quantum teleportation it would be a 1:1 transfer of whatever she was in the grid, but hey, this is science fiction/fantasy . One could only assume that as an ISO she was represented not only in terms of DNA. Oh, and I agree the data discs seem to be simply repositories for information, a "backup drive" if you will.

Avatar had more of an emotional impact for me in terms of the visuals, story, characters, etc. But Tron just has a superb style of its own and an original concept (I was thinking how the first CGI TV series, ReBoot, seemed to come from the concept of Tron).

Quorra's character as explained by Olivia Wilde was based on Joan of Arc. I actually like her more than Trinity from the Matrix.

What did people think of those light-sticks? Getting perilously close to a lightsaber type of weapon.

Kevin Flynn's cycle design is a masterwork, truly.

Can't wait to see it again soon, wish I didn't have so much to do lately.

 

[neosporing]

2-D vs. 3-D

I have a question for those of you who have seen both theh IMAX 3D and 2D versions. I saw two different 'versions' of Tron's changeover...

I saw the 2D at midnight, so i might have hallucinated this, but i swore Tron turned himself blue right after he says, "I fight for the Users" - there was an audible 'blip' and he turns blue and fights...

Then last night i saw it in IMAX 3D and he says, "i fight for the users" but doesn't change color. We only just see him blue in the water...

Did anyone out there see the 2D version and see him 'turn himself blue?'
was there a 'reel' change and that part got clipped out... or was there a difference between the film print version and the digital imax version?

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

SPOILERS.....SPOILERS......SPOILERS.......SPOILERS!!

Loved the movie! My wife and I saw it in 2D and I think it was visually stunning with out all the 3D crappachino!

I walked out of the movie theater wanting to see more scenes of The Grid. I liked the multi-level play now of the arena with light cycles and the plane battle and how it also had the light effects similar to the light cycle.

I think we have to remember that The Grid has evolved the way technology evolved. I think the movie should have taken on that approach rather than the entire Utopia theme. Technology in the form of software, graphics, chip speed, memory, hard drive space, computer languages, etc. have evolved greatly since the mid 80s so that is exactly what happened to The Grid.

I think the "fill in the blanks" was required because that was the only way they could connect Legacy to the first movie. If you didn't participate in the website games and their evolution or play the video game you would not be able to fill in the blanks. I for one didn't play the video game but I did see the evolution of the online games go from the simple to the more complex.

Tron-Revelations? The ending didn't really set up for another movie. The two main characters are doing what they did in the end of the movie but what of Tron? He was last seen sinking below the Sea of Simulation. He went from orange to white (blue). What does that mean? Who is now the leader of this vast world called The Grid? No one is left to lead the orange guys and the fight for the right of all by the white guys is no longer needed. Who will rise to power? I hope the third and final movie is made!

Oh yeah! Also surprised that Yori didn't make it back to this movie. She was still alive in Tron at the ending.

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

Oh yeah! There was homage paid to "Bit". The two metal pieces that were up on Flynn's fireplace. Possibly "Bit" in both gold and silver form but also he/she was deactivated. A bit is such a simple form of data and now with the complexity of The Grid it would make sense that bits and bytes don't have any reason to exist anymore. Simplicity on The Grid is over. Bit is now just a shell in the form of decoration!

 

[Agent RayBans]

Oh yeah! There was homage paid to "Bit". The two metal pieces that were up on Flynn's fireplace. Possibly "Bit" in both gold and silver form but also he/she was deactivated. A bit is such a simple form of data and now with the complexity of The Grid it would make sense that bits and bytes don't have any reason to exist anymore. Simplicity on The Grid is over. Bit is now just a shell in the form of decoration!

I'm pretty sure the fireworks/explosions that happened on and off throughout the movie were the shape of bits also? I might be making that up though.

 

[CTF]

That was all very Stanley Kubrick to me.

Totally.

The production design was completely ripped from Stan.

 

[Larry Young]

The production design was completely ripped from Stan.

Flynn's badlands retreat was the next room over from Bowman's hotel.

 

[CTF]

A far safer choice than the Overlook Hotel, obviously.

 

[TheNickFox]

Re: 2-D vs. 3-D

Did anyone out there see the 2D version and see him 'turn himself blue?'
was there a 'reel' change and that part got clipped out... or was there a difference between the film print version and the digital imax version?

In the 2D version, he only changed after sinking down into the water. I've only seen the 2D version so far, so I'm definitely sure on that point.

Also, a question: What was Sam backing up on that thumbdrive thing at the end? Flynn's identity disk info?

-Nick

 

[Art Andrews]

Re: 2-D vs. 3-D

Also, a question: What was Sam backing up on that thumbdrive thing at the end? Flynn's identity disk info?

-Nick

Hard to say exactly. Was he backing up his dad or the whole universe? Sad to think that a whole universe fromt he 80s would fit on a flash drive today...

 

[SithLord]

I guess one could think of it as a ripoff or a homage, but ya certainly a direct inspiration. At least they mixed it up with a bit of the natural stone terrain. Still a cool pad and I want one just like it, including the mountain. :cool

 

[SithLord]

Re: 2-D vs. 3-D

In the 2D version, he only changed after sinking down into the water. I've only seen the 2D version so far, so I'm definitely sure on that point.

Also, a question: What was Sam backing up on that thumbdrive thing at the end? Flynn's identity disk info?

-Nick

On the 3D non-IMAX version he also changed in the water.

I'm trying to remember the thumbdrive thing...I thought it was Quorra's ID, but I'm probably wrong...first time around I'm just enjoying the eye-candy, hehe.

 

[SithLord]

Dumb question on my part but is Kevin Flynn dead? There was a big explosion but was that the end of the grid or just that sector? I bet they could just reboot and go back in for the sequel . But we never actually see Kevin dead.

 

[Kerr Avon]

Dumb question on my part but is Kevin Flynn dead? There was a big explosion but was that the end of the grid or just that sector? I bet they could just reboot and go back in for the sequel . But we never actually see Kevin dead.

Depends on if Bridges wants to come back for a sequel.

 

[Agent RayBans]

Speaking of Kevin Flynn being dead, was the logic behind him not being able to leave the Grid something like be was bound with Clu? If that's the case, how could he just come and go as he pleased before?

 

[SithLord]

I wanted to say that Castor also reminded me of characters from some of Stanley Kubricks films...

I enjoyed the dinner table scene...that was sort of amusing to see them in this extraordinary environment doing a very ordinary thing...taking the time to have dinner. But it was perfect for further developing the renewed relationship between Sam and his father.

BTW there was a comment about the sirens not doing much but remember that Gem played a bigger role later in the film.

 

[SithLord]

Speaking of Kevin Flynn being dead, was the logic behind him not being able to leave the Grid something like be was bound with Clu? If that's the case, how could he just come and go as he pleased before?

I think he wasn't bound by Clu, just that in order to destroy him he would have to join with him. If he left the grid then Clu I suppose could just do what he wanted.

Lotsa photos here:

Tron photos

 

[Bear]

I enjoyed it. I won't say it was a fantastic movie, but I really did like it.

One problem I had was, why did they have to depict Sam as the stereotypical rebel? There were so many cliches when it came to his personality/appearance.:rolleyes

- Wore the rebel outfit: Jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket
- Rode a motorbike
- Had a problem with any kind of authority (especially police)
- In constant trouble with said police
- Was always doing highly risky actions/stunts, showing off
- Was a loner
- Lived alone in a bad part of town in a run down building.
- Never seemed to take anything seriously.
- Automatically assumed his father abandoned him and is living it up somewhere.
- Seems to be angry at everyone/everything in the world.

We're supposed to believe that this kid is a 27 year old computer genius worth millions (if not billions), and owns controlling interest in a multi-billion dollar corporation, yet acts like the typical teenage rebel with an attitude problem. Sorry, I'm not buying it.

I didn't really care what happened to Sam, I cared more about Quorra, Kevin, Tron/Rinzler, even Castor.

And the ending, c'mon:rolleyes, why don't you just write Sequel Coming across the screen. Instead of wrapping up the story you just told, they created far more questions than answers.

I will be getting it when it comes out on DVD though.

Okay, that's my rant.

 

[Prop Nut...]

Let's just say, I'm glad I sat in the D-Box motion seats for this movie. It was the only thing that kept waking me up (seriously).:sleep
3-D effect was weak at best, probably due to the aforementioned "darkness" of the scenes.

I gotta ask, did Clu (the youg Jeff Bridges) look like a character from the Polar Express movie? Why can't the animators get the human-looking characters to look "human?" I am NO EXPERT in the field, but for some reason, it seems to me that they're improving but just don't have it down yet. I will say that scenery and animals look more believable when C. G.'d. Just my observation.