Movie Review: Tron Legacy

Okay, so I saw Tron Legacy last night.  Despite being a big movie fan, I've actually never seen the original Tron.  Admittedly, I should have seen it.  Not that you have to, but it would have probably helped with some of the lingo and back-story.  But this movie was made knowing the biggest segment of its audience wasn't born when the original was released.  So, they had some flashbacks and narrative to explain the back story.  It sufficed. 

Overall, I thought it was a lot of fun.  This movie was more about the experience rather than the story - sort-of like Avatar.  So, you can forgive some of the plot-holes, unexplained "givens," the random "isn't that convenient" moments, or inexplicable devices akin to the age-old "deus ex machina." This movie is, in effect, one big "deus ex machina."  That's essentially what it's about. You have to somewhat expect or surmise that going in.  So, knowing that, you can merely accept the unexplained and enjoy the ride.  I had no problem with it. 

About that "experience," it was awesome.  It didn't quite integrate the viewer into the "world" like Avatar did, but it was pretty darn close.  Where in Avatar the viewer was submerged into a natural, sublime, and virgin utopia called Pandora, which glowed with effervescence, The Grid was more like a dark, violent and spartan world pulsating with electronic, yet subtle, neon trimming.  "Perfection" is a key theme to the story - and this world, like Pandora, was stylishly perfect.  Being lifted from the sticky theatre floor into this efficient and shining world would be undeniably therapeutic to a viewer suffering from OCD. 

Not only was the setting breathtaking, but so was the music.  I loved the electronic soundscapes, which was supported with some retro-80's synthesizers in parts.  We actually got some more epic music in the first trailer, and so there were parts where I felt like it could have been louder and bigger.  But the music was definitely pitch-perfect to the world that Disney created, even if my personal preference would have been to have had even more.

The acting was solid.  Garret Hedlund did what he could with a character that had little depth due to the fact that he had to spend so much time reacting to the characters around him, as opposed to developing his own arc.  Jeff Bridges was vintage Jeff Bridges.  As he successfully does in almost every movie, he managed to effortlessly infuse his character with his real-life, laid back, dude-like personality.  The scene-stealer, however, was Olivia Wilde.  By the end of the movie, I did not really care what happened to anyone as much as I cared for what happened to her.  Granted, her character was written to have a child-like devotion and innocence that would make any audience fawn over her well-being.  But she did a fantastic job of carrying it out.  Everything from her movements, expressions, voice inflections, and flawless beauty succeeded in making the audience fall even more in love with the character.  If you come away disappointed in anything about this movie, it won't be Olivia Wilde.  Not only that, but she's incredibly hot.  The same could also be said for the character Gem, played effortlessly by Beau Garrett, who was also a magnet for the audience's eyes in every scene she was in. 

Some people criticized the reverse-aging affects applied to Bridges in his portrayal of the villain Clu, but it didn't bother me.  Sure, at times, if you were looking for it, it appeared stiff and animated.  But for the most part, it was solid.  It didn't take away from the overall effects and never appeared too fabricated. 

I guess the biggest gripe would be the story.  I was there to SEE Tron and the world of the Grid, and some action in between.  I was not there to be moved or enchanted by story-telling.  So, I didn't come away disappointed in that regard.  But I will admit that the story was not as strong or complete as Avatar, which was also admittedly weak (in relation to other Oscar-calibre narratives and the high quality that went into the presentation of the film).  There were times in which the story may have gotten in the way of the real reason we were there - to "see" and "experience" this world.  But I think it is hard to balance a great story with the complications and machinations that go into presenting a world like Tron.  It is rare that a producer/director/studio is able to bring a story up to the same level of its vaunted effects.  Spielberg was able to do it in the 80's and 90's and Christopher Nolan is doing it now, but they will probably admit that it is very difficult.  I think those guys are effective because they build the effects around the story, as opposed to the other way around.  But knowing the difficulty of creating a fantastic story in this type of genre, I had no problem forgiving this aspect. 

Other critiques: I wish they had done a little more with the actual "Tron" character.  He was pretty much relegated to less than window-dressing.  I also thought that Michael Sheen's character was a little TOO much of a homage or nod back to the David Bowie "Ziggy Stardust" days.  A little over the top.  We also didn't have an idea about how "programs" actually LIVED in The Grid.  I wanted to know more about the world.  It was as if we were thrown in and then instantly looking for the first train out.  It's was like a layover on a plane trip.  Sure, the characters definitely wanted out for whatever reason, but I think the audience should have been treated to a little more of what's there.  The physics and implications of it were all way over my head, but I did want to know a little bit more about the make-up of the programs, whether the ISO's could be "real boys" (a la Pinnochio), and how they would exist in the "real world," if they could at all.  This may have been explained in the original Tron or maybe I just missed it in this movie.  Given my inability to compute some of the lingo, etc., I won't fault the movie for my inability to understand it.  But that was just some stuff that, as a casual movie-goer, I was curious about.  

They are already working on a sequel to Tron Legacy.  So, some of these questions or concerns may later be addressed.  But all in all, I really enjoyed it.  And I look forward to seeing in on Blu-ray to try to pick up on some of the story that I missed.  I highly recommend seeing this in the theatre, if for any other reason than to experience the visuals and the music on the big screen (in addition to Olivia Wilde).  

PS - As for the 3D.  This was a better 3D experience than most of the converted stuff, as much of it was "shot" in 3D.  I'm careful about criticizing 3D because I don't know if sometimes it is simply my weak eyes.  But last night I kept feeling like things could be out-of-focus.  It was as if the right-hand lens was making things slightly more blurry than the left.  I think that sometimes we sacrifice color and sharpness for the 3D effect.  Anyway, I just don't know how much 3D actually added to this movie, given I worried with the glasses a few times to try to get it perfect.  Again, it could just be me.  And I didn't have this problem with Avatar. But I find that sometimes 2D can be more crisp and clear than 3D, and this was no exception.  Just something I thought I'd throw out there.