Tron Ares

I had zero expectations.  None of the previous entries in this franchise were particularly brainy science fiction.  The original film blew people's minds in 1982, but not because of any heady observations (unlike another sci-fi film that year).  The visual effects were unprecedented, put viewers inside a mainframe.  The most cutting edge visuals this side of Douglas Trumbull. The long delayed sequel, TRON LEGACY continued the paradigm.  And so it goes with 2025's TRON ARES.

Tron/Alan Bradley is not to be found.  Neither are are Sam or Quorra.  Kevin Flynn, as played by Jeff Bridges does show up late in the movie as an "aspect" of his codified likeness.  You may recall that Flynn was once the CEO of ENCOM which in present day is in a tight race with Dillinger Systems to bring digital programs as entities into the real world.  Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) is the chief of DS (and grandson of the original CEO) and introduces Ares (Jared Leto), a perfect program in human form.  Albeit with only a twenty nine minute lifespan outside the Grid. 

Meanwhile, it seems that ENCOM head Eve Kim (Greta Lee) has found the "permanence code" that corrects this problem.  A code developed by Flynn long ago.  Dillinger will proceed to use Ares to extract the code from Eve by any means necessary.  But this AI seems to have a conscience, a self awareness.

Jesse Wigutow's screenplay is simplistic at best and regurgitative at worst.  Absolutely nothing new here.  Plenty of jumping off point notions, left for the more thoughtful among you to expand upon.  This did not bother me.  Many others couldn't get past this narrative laziness with its didactic exposition and thinly sketched characterizations.  For me, the criteria for TRON ARES was how it looked and sounded.

On those counts, this movie is a big success. Director Joachim Ronning fashions the action well enough to appreciate this a two hour music video.  How it is best appreciated.  The effects are stunning.  I don't mind the use of CGI here because, um, this is a manufactured world.  Jeff Cronenweth's photography perfectly captures the eye popping visuals.  While LEGACY favored blue hues ARES makes continually striking use of red.  And then there is the sound design.  Pretty stellar.  Even moreso is the propulsive score by Nine Inch Nails.  We only hear Trent Reznor's vocals on a few tracks but everything is electric.  Retro and futuristic sounding.  So evocative it would work apart from this film.  I may have to download this soundtrack. 

There are criticisms of how Dillinger's character is written.  An ineffectual brat manchild.  Akin to Kylo Ren.  To me, if this whole scenario actually unfolded, this is how I would picture a twenty-first century tech villain.  Not as a suave, sharply dressed alpha.  Not even similar to the wimpiest Bond nemesis. Peters' performance suits this.  And Leto? Same.  His odd choices as an actor, often detrimental to the movie around him, are a perfect fit here.