Set in a digital sub-reality, filled with humanoid manifestations of computer programs, it should come as no surprise that TRON: Legacy is a soulless film. The characters and plot are plainly one-dimensional — a heartily ironic situation given the film shows in 3D — and absent of anything that might trigger an emotional connection to its viewers. Yes, there is little to no substance to take away from the three-decades-in-the-making sequel. No commentary of consequence on the consuming digital landscape. No potent societal appeal to disconnect from the machines. Nothing that actually makes you think. But that doesn’t stop TRON from being one of the best, most engrossing cinematic experiences of 2010. What it lacks in brainy sustenance it more than makes up for in visual and auditory overload.
Don’t worry if you haven’t seen the 1982 original. Legacy provides the requisite amount of back-story, and picks up where that flop-turned-cult-classic left off — Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a computer genius that has seemingly disappeared, leaving his young son, wife and company, ENCOM, to fend for themselves. Fast forward 20 years, and Sam, Flynn’s son (Garrett Hedlund), is a reckless heir to the thrown, who eventually (and accidentally) discovers that his father’s dream of an alternative digital world called “The Grid” came true.
Caster and Sam chatting
Sam comes to be reunited with his father, who has been trapped inside The Grid all along. The pair, accompanied by giga-hottie, Quorra (Olivia Wilde), must race against the clock to get back to the real world. But first they have to get past Flynn’s digital twin, CLU, who’s the veritable mayor of the computer underworld. Will they make it?
Who cares. There’s nary a nanosecond in the film where the plot seems up for grabs. Similar to the defined lines upon which the The Grid is based, the story plods along expected and safe routes like a ride at Disney land. Turn up ahead! Here comes the drop!
One of the only surprising elements to the film is its humor. Smartly placed and well-timed, the film’s moments of levity are appreciable, as are the characters that deliver them. James Frain (“True Blood“) plays a weasel-y assistant to CLU, while Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon) assumes the eccentric, Bowie-esque club proprietor, Castor. During some otherwise flat, coasting parts of the story, these guys entertain.
TRON’s value is in the visuals and soundtrack, no question. So if you can sit back, wrap yourself in the computer nerd-ness of it all, it’s a damn — damn! — impressive two-hour journey. And don’t be surprised if when the credits roll, you want to hop on again. It’s clear why the film was short-listed for the Oscar for Achievement in Visual Design. The art, style and level of detail, not to mention the sophisticated techniques which bring it all to life, are simply remarkable. TRON magically and successfully transports you to The Grid, and that’s all we expect of it.
