Embrace The Film: Tron Legacy Review

Took them long enough

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

I first saw a piece of this film at Comic Con a few years back. It was a test run to see how the public would react. The reaction went well and Disney decided to put this film into production. Fans anticpated the finished product for months, drooling over every little piece of information. Once the official trailer broke everyone was astonished and sitting in awe of the special effects and the Tron world. This film had high expectations and it did not disappoint for the most part. I got what I paid for.

STORY

The story beings with Kevin Flynn, played by Jeff Bridges, telling his son a bedtime story. Not any story but the story of Tron. This will be the last night that his son will see him again for a very long time. Fast forward about 20 years later and his father's company has gone to an elite organization to a struggling one. His son Sam Flynn, played by Garret Hedlund, is the majority share holder who does nothing for the company accept play games with them. He ends up arrested for pulling a risky stunt that could have killed him. Alan, played by Bruce Boxleitner, pays Sam a visit with some happy and disturbing news. He claims that he received a page from Kevin's arcade. He asks Sam to go there and check it out but of course Sam refuses. Curiosity quickly takes him over and decides to check it out. This was proven to be a huge mistake for him but also an adventure of a lifetime.

Nice fireworks

As soon as he arrives he is immediately taken to the gaming arena by the programs foot soldiers. He is suited for battle by 4 beautiful women known as Sirens.

Boner alert

Soon he meets his first opponent and wins. After beating another he goes up against the champion of the game named Rinzler. Rinzler defeats Sam and is about to kill him but notices something that the other players couldn't do. Sam was bleeding red! He takes him to Clu, played by a younger version of Jeff Bridges, that tells him what he needed to know and then some. Clu doesn't like Sam at all and sends him to the Grid to compete in a Death Race. Before he's killed he is saved by another program known as Quorra, played by Olivia Wilde. She takes him to the real creator of the game... his father.

I'm the man in this bitch!

His dad tells him how he was trapped in the game and why he never returned. Sam wants to leave and take everyone with him but his father warns that everything that's happening is due to Clu. Clu wants them to escape so he can also enter the real world. Sam doesn't obey and finds himself talking to a club owner named Castor, played by Michael Sheen. They want to find a program named Zeus. He knows a way around Clu's defenses and they think he can help. Turns out Zeus isn't the person they hope he would be. He manages to get Kevin's disc and inadvertently gets Quorra captured. Things are not looking bright for the father and son.

I've come to kick your ass

They devise a plan to get his father's disc back and save the girl. An action pack adventure ensues that I'm sure you will enjoy. Sam ends up saving the girl but loses his father in the process. Even though the ending was predictable it fits well for the story. Everyone got what was coming to them and then some.

You're getting some tonight

ACTING

This movie won't be nominated for any Oscars this year but overall the acting was decent. It's not much room to act in a movie like this so the chemistry was a give and take. Garret and Jeff didn't feel like father and son at all. The transition from hating him to finding out the truth and loving him again didn't come off well. Garret was forcing his emotions that made his scenes seem stale. Olivia had a stunning image that made her watchable but her acting in this film wasn't top notch either. Then again who was watching her for her acting anyway.

I want to be in her... world

SPECIAL EFFECTS

This is where they earn their bread and butter. The 3D here is the best I've seen since Avatar. Some things do shoot at you but it's nicely done. This movie looks great in the dark and in the light. The bikes and planes are breathtaking and the fight scenes were the best I've seen all year. Tron will be hard to beat in this department and filmmakers need to step up their game in 3D if they want to surpass this film. The effects alone is enough to watch this film more than once.

Awesome

WRITING AND DIRECTING

The movie was written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. They did a great job with the pacing of the film. The film isn't too long and the downtime between action scenes are plausible. The dialog however is a bit cheesy and will make you cringe at certain parts. They tried to be cool but came off geeky and stupid. The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski. For a first time director he did an amazing job. The shots he made will blow your eyes out of your socket and he truly mastered the illusion of light and dark. I can't wait to see more of his work because he has a real future as a director.

Too damn bright

THE END

See it in 3D. There is no other way. You will have fun watching this film with friends and family. I know I did. If you're not a 3D fan then become one. The 2D version is also good but it won't give you the full effect of Tron. Either version will give you the full effect of Olivia Wilde though!