Grade: B+
“Tron: Legacy” is a movie that lives and dies by the viewer’s willingness to give the film the benefit of the doubt. Much like last year’s “Avatar,” “Tron” comes as a visual effects-laden gamble whose end goal isn’t so much to provide a story as it is to provide an experience and access to a new world. Where “Avatar” forsake good characters and story in lieu of showy battle sequences, “Tron” succeeds because of its earnest attempt to do both.
The story of “Tron” follows Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn, son of Jeff Bridges’ software company Encom CEO Kevin Flynn, as he goes in search of his missing father only to wind up in the world of “Tron” — an inner-computer world where technology rules all, and programs are forced to fight for their lives in gladiatorial competitions. Sam’s discovery of his father inside the computer leads to an epic battle of technology vs. humanity, and the possibility of whether there can truly be a middle ground between the two.
While the plot itself may be too convoluted and nonsensical for its own good, the reason “Tron” works so much better than “Avatar” did is because it tries to ask real moral quandaries about the possibilities of technology. It may seem silly, but “Tron” is rooted firmly in the traditions of eastern philosophy, and posits Bridges’ Flynn as a Buddha-like deity who espouses the togetherness of the universe, intrinsically linked through both humans and computers. Some may claim that this attempt at techno-philosophy is nothing but scripted babble to lend the film additional credence, but “Tron” dares to challenge the audience in a way that “Avatar” never did.
Mind you, this all comes with what is surely the most visually exciting film of the year and quite possibly the past decade. The world of “Tron” is cold but real, rooted in dark grays and reds of an industrial society that lost its way.
Director Joe Kosinski, an architect originally who found success in commercial direction, brings his structural background to the forefront here. Each building or vehicle is constructed with the utmost care. Each uniform and each suit serves a purpose beyond looking cool, and serves the world of “Tron” in the most useable ways.
“Tron” succeeds most is in this seamless blend of the industrial visuals with the heady themes, combined with a slew of actors that create compassion and heart within characters built on the principle of being heartless machines.
Where “Avatar” was nothing more than an exhibition of technology prowess, “Tron: Legacy” is a true feat of human capability and understanding meshed with the possibility of technology. Its flaws are overcome by its attention and regard for the material, and while the film may not be high art, when it works, it comes darn close.
Contact the critic at vburnton@asu.edu
