Unfortunately for Disney, the original Tron was a box office disaster. It was such a flop that Disney has barely released it on any home video format; in fact, when I logged on to Netflix to grab the original again in anticipation of TL, I couldn't find it as they didn't have it (which is highly unusual for them). Disney basically buried the original in its coveted vault and spoke little of it again, getting what I like to call the Song of the South treatment.
(Which probably leads you to the following question: Alan, what do you mean the Song of the South treatment? Well, here's a random aside/film history lesson for all you inquiring minds: Song of the South was a 1946 Disney movie that combined live action with animation. The movie, which if I remember correctly - it's been almost 7 years since I've seen it - was set in an older time (late 1800s?) and was about an African American man named Uncle Remus, who was kind of a caretaker of a young Caucasian boy whose parents were separating. He would cheer up the boy by telling him stories of Br'er Rabbit, who would consistently outwit the dumb Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. If this sounds familiar it is cause this movie was the inspiration for the ride Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World; this movie is also where the song Zipadee Do Dah came from. What's that you say? What's the big deal? Here's the thing: since the movie is set in the South during what I believe is a older time, the Br'er Rabbit stories and many of the scenes involving Uncle Remus are really bad racial stereotypes of African Americans. The movie was heavily protested when it was released, with the NAACP calling for a total boycott from the African American community, was heavily protested the first time it was released on video, and was heavily protested when Disney considered re-releasing it in 2007. Heck, people heavily protested the opening of Splash Mountain because of its association with the movie. Because of this, Disney rarely speaks of or references this film ever because of the public animosity towards it. So if you ever hear me refer to something as getting the Song of the South treatment, it means that the studio basically acts like the movie never happened. Glad you asked)
Because Tron got the Song of the South treatment, I was surprised that Disney decided to make a sequel, but I knew that they could make a good movie. And when I saw the trailers, I was jazzed.
With good reason. The film is a visual wonder, offering tons of quality special effects that bring you right into the world of TL. Unlike its predecessor, there aren't that many games played in TL, but they do re-create the classics: the pong-like disc throw and the motorcycle race. In each of these games the advancements in technology make it possible to ramp up the action and suspense. The blue and orange glow from their suits is wonderful, and the look of all the spaceships and locales is stunning. I was very impressed with the overall look of the film.
The plot? Well, it is not rocket science, but it's not a quick explanation either. Rather than try to detail the entire thing, I'll hit the high notes: Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappears in 1989. 20 years later, Flynn's friend Alan gets a page from Kevin's old office. Alan tells Kevin's son Sam about it. Sam goes exploring and boom - he's in the Grid. He finds his dad with the help of Quorra. Dad explains that he created a program, Clu (which looks like a 35 year old Jeff Bridges), who has taken over the grid and is trying to get Kevin's master key disc and jump into the portal that Sam opened to take over the world. Kevin, Sam, and Quorra have to stop Clu and beat him to the portal. Believe me, that is the heavily edited version of the storyline.
As kind of ludicrous as the plot is, it does its job. The plot serves as a facilitator for the filmmakers to bring the audience into TL's world and let it feast on the visuals; for me, this was no different than what Avatar did, although that film's visuals were much better. If you can be ok with the film visuals taking center stage over the plot or characters, you'll be fine - otherwise you'll be bored.
There is one thing, visuals and special effects related, that I do have a bone to pick with. The filmmakers used cutting edge technology to make Clu look like a young Jeff Bridges. The problem is that they use it to try to get a "performance" out of him. In my estimation, no matter how much technology advances, no matter how close we get to capturing human faces, no matter how great computers are, they will never, ever be able to duplicate the subtlety, the nuances, the indescribable "it" that actual human performances give. Every time I looked at Clu I was simply reminded I was looking at something manufactured. While that's probably partly the point, it is a little bothersome. I'm sure that crafting "CGI performances" will be a growing trend in the movie business; I'm just not sure I'll ever believe it.
I also need to give some quick dap to the music. Daft Punk does an amazing job of creating music that has a definite 80s feel but is still somewhat rooted in modern techno. It was unsettling, intoxicating, and somewhat hypnotic, and I mean all that in a good way. It was like they were the snake charmer and we were the snakes, moving along to their harmony. It absolutely enhanced TL's presentation. For me, that is one of the hallmarks of great movie music - if I'm able to notice it, it is almost always great.
TL is a solid movie, but I think that it will be a polarizing film. I said to the friend I saw it with that TL is what Tron would've been had our technology existed in 1982. I don't think he liked it as much as I did, and he replied, "I'm not sure that would be a good thing." That is for you to decide. Game on.
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