Recent Review: Tron Legacy (Released 17 December 2010)

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Survive."

I love how art can change the way you see the world, if even for just a few moments.
For about an hour after I saw 'Tron: Legacy', I became acutely aware of how much of our urban world is made of geometric shapes and straight lines. This was hardly news to me, but having just been immersed within the ultimate geometric world, I found myself now unable to ignore the lines and shapes around me. The world of 'Legacy' illuminates the edges and details of shapes and fills the rest with dark black. This negative approach is simple, yet effective in creating a fantasy environment that is simultaneously alien and familiar to us. Combined with striking uses of colour and with a nod to the design of the 1982 original 'Tron', 'Tron: Legacy' is one of the most beautiful films ever made.

But then I knew this before I went in. I also knew the visuals would be at the foreground of this picture and that the story would be given a supporting role. 'Tron: Legacy' is a mixed bag, but it is a mixture of the average and the amazing. Nothing stands out as bad or frustrating, just good ideas underdeveloped. The script is what you expect and little more. Unlike the under-rated original, 'Legacy' has no new ideas nor an overall message to address. Sure there are the occasional hints at interesting subjects, from the freedom of software copyright to emergent AI, but none are given time or space to flourish. The script feels like a first draft I'd love to help develop. All the pieces are there, they just need to be polished and arranged better. As a sequel made almost 30 years later, it is utterly impressive. The film has stronger links to its predecessor than most 80's franchises still alive today, and like this year's 'Toy Story 3', the film feels much more earned by moving between instalments in real time.

The story follows Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the grown-up son of 'Tron' protagonist Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who has been missing since 1989. After his father's old friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) receives a message from Flynn Snr., Sam discovers a secret lab and is soon transported into the digital world of The Grid. There he meets Clu (Bridges again), the renegade creation of Flynn Snr. who has exiled his now trapped creator and runs a “perfect system”. This system is not too far removed from that run by the totalitarian Master Control Programme from the first film, and yes, involves games such as disc throwing and light cycles. Clu aims to make an example of Sam, having convinced his people that the “User” is a false deity that their system is better off without.

Soon however Sam is rescued by the programme Quorra played by Olivia Wilde. Wilde is the only cast member who gives a real performance, making the most of the small opportunities the script provides to hint at traits and depths unspoken. Her character is mostly symbolic, but she keeps the balance between attractive and alien throughout. Hedlund's performance is like the script – not bad but nothing more. His character starts strongly, but by the end of the first half he is reduced to little more than a “What now?” machine to keep Bridges and Wilde talking. Bridges plays two major supporting roles, both as the original Flynn (who isn't anything like the original character and just inhabits Bridges' usual star persona) and the villainous Clu.

For all the talk of the 'Uncanny Valley', Clu is a technical milestone. Bridges has been digitally restored to his youthful 80's self, and for the majority of the film it is amazing. There are some flaws, especially near the end, but they are slight. Personally I think they could have made more of his imperfections as they kind of work in this context as a computer programme. As a character he is less impressive, and like everything else never properly explored. Also of note is Michael Sheen as the digital club owner Castor, who feels like what the Merovingian of the 'Matrix' sequels should have been. He has little screen-time but he brings energy and humour into the second half of the story where it needs it the most.

The other key source of energy is the score by Daft Punk. The decision to enlist the best electronic pop artists in the world for the film was always a popular one, and the French duo do not disappoint. Their work reminds me of the 'Blade Runner' score by Vangellis, and although it lacks a stand out theme, it is ultimately better. The sound design is also top notch, creating a sonic experience as polished as the visuals. If you're going to see this film, see it on the biggest screen with the best sound system you can find.

For a first-time feature director, Joseph Kosinski surprised me. One good way the script is overshadowed by the visuals is how Kosinski uses images to convey a lot of information without words. He justifies the choice of medium when many argued a 'Tron' sequel should be a video-game, given their modern capabilities. By using visual story-telling, he condenses the early sequences and adds some nice touches. For example, as a child we see Kevin throw Sam a quarter to use the arcade the day he disappears. When the adult Sam decides to play a game of Tron in the abandoned arcade, his quarter falls through and lands on the floor. The significance Kosinski gives this event and Sam's reaction suggests this is the same quarter, even though it is never explicitly confirmed. He is also the first director I have seen to use 3D for immersive contrast. The scenes in the real world are all presented in 2D, with 3D reserved for The Grid. When Sam arrives in the digital world it is like a modern version of Dorothy's arrival in Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz', where her black and white world became colour. It doesn't have quite the same impact of course, but it is an appropriate modern simile.

My only visual complaint is Kosinski's vehicle action scenes. While they look good and are all good ideas (especially the Light-Jets chase), Kosinski fails to properly communicate the space these vehicles occupy. The tension is lost as the viewer doesn't know how far apart the players are, so are unsure where or when to expect the next big crash or explosion. This is especially true of the light-cycles, where the original scene was tense and unique, the new version is too fluid and random to truly invest in.

So to conclude, 'Tron: Legacy' is still a fantastic experience. It contains some of the strongest visuals of any fantasy film and is a worthy sequel to the 1982 classic. The music and presentation is worth the high price of a 3D cinema ticket, and it will be a strong temptation for my to buy a 3D TV in the future. The story and performances are adequate enough, but aren't the reason to see the film. More development could have given us a true classic, but this is still a must-see picture that re-introduces and re-defines a fantasy world that deserves a second visit.

****

(UK Release: 17 December 2010)