movies: tron: legacy

If ever there an easy way to show just how far computer generated effects and animation have come in the last 28 years, the gaping chasm between the original TRON and TRON: Legacy would illustrate it perfectly.

The new movie is as beautiful and slick and polished a movie as the original now looks incredibly clunky.

And the 3D was put to good use as well, since pretty much all of the footage that occurs in the real world is in 2D, but once we go onto "The Grid" is all turns into beautifully crisp 3D. And thankfully they resisted the temptation to use the 3D to make things (like the discs) fly out of the screen, it's about depth rather than cheap tricks.

Comparing it to the original though is both a curse and a blessing... visually it's in a whole new universe, but really, the story of the two movies really isn't THAT different.

And I'm not sure you actually need to have seen the first movie to really get this one. They do a fairly decent job of describing what happened (as much as they need to anyway), and the rest, well, it pretty much takes care of itself and doesn't need a whole bunch of explanation.

Of course that's if you don't try and dig too deeply into the meanings behind certain things... like why computer programs need a dance club... or how exactly you would survive in a place with no food or water (even if you could "create" them, would they actually sustain you)... if those four girls cut off Sam's clothes to allow him to be wrapped in a skin tight "cyber suit", why did they leave his very bulky underwear in place... you know, nitpicky type stuff.

Speaking of Sam and his underwear... he's played by the very lickable Garrett Hedlund, who looks pretty good in his underwear... and equally as good in his skin tight black suit.

I did think that the character was a little bit of an obnoxious brat though... sure, you lost your Dad and appear to have an unlimited trust fund of some nature... but you're 27, quit acting like you're still a teenager. I guess that's his character arc though...

I will admit to being a little distracted by some of the slang Jeff Bridges uses... I know that he's supposedly been trapped inside The Grid for the last 20 years... but I'm pretty sure nobody was using some of those phrases in 1989... they have a very 70's vibe to them, and it just pulled me out of the movie a little.

So, in essence, the movie looks amazing... it sounds amazing (thanks to Daft Punk), but the script is a little sloppy around the edges.

Still worth seeing though, if only for the visuals.

yani's rating: 3 programs out of 5