TRON (1982) and TRON: Legacy (2010) - Review of the 4K Digital Versions

      TRON, 1982 and TRON: Legacy, 2010.

      Directed by Steve Lisberger and Joseph Kosinski.

      Starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, and Michael Sheen.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Disney has released TRON and TRON: Legacy in 4K Ultra HD, along with digital versions, in anticipation of the upcoming release of Tron: Ares next month. If you’re like me and not a big fan of either movie, having them digitally might suffice. However, if you are a fan, I hear the new Steelbooks are worth acquiring.

      As Disney aims to turn TRON into a franchise with the launch of TRON: Ares, they have made the first two films in the series available in 4K Ultra HD. They provided me with digital codes for the movies; to my knowledge, the extras included are similar to those on the physical discs, but you may want to verify this if you are considering digital versus physical formats. (I prefer physical media, but for personal reasons, I'm downsizing my collection, so I don't mind having some films only in digital format.)

      When TRON was released in 1982, it was an ambitious film. It was a groundbreaking project for its time, featuring extensive use of computer-generated special effects and presenting a perspective on the digital world that was quite innovative at that time. Jeff Bridges plays Kevin Flynn, a programmer drawn into the computer system of his former employer, ENCOM, where he takes on the identity of his alter ego, CLU, a program he was using to hack the system.

      Bruce Boxleitner co-stars as Alan Bradley, a fellow programmer who acts as the security program called TRON in the digital space, while Cindy Morgan portrays Dr. Lora Baines, Alan’s girlfriend and one of the leads on the digital project at ENCOM. Morgan also takes on the role of Yori, an input/output program developed by Lora.

      They face off against the Master Control Program, which governs the digital realm, and its second-in-command, Sark, who corresponds to Ed Dillinger, an ENCOM executive that stole Kevin’s work. Both roles are played by David Warner.

      Although the film was innovative in terms of graphics, its storyline was somewhat lacking. This is common with high-concept films, but I’ve never found TRON’s characters as compelling as the film's visual style. Like a theme park attraction, it offers a fun experience, but it’s not something I feel compelled to revisit frequently.

      The extras include the excellent 98-minute documentary The Making of TRON, an old-school documentary from the golden age of DVD. There’s also a collection of featurettes and one of the trailers.

      After a 28-year gap, a sequel finally emerged, but TRON: Legacy did not significantly improve on its predecessor in terms of story. Bridges returns alongside Bruce Boxleitner, with Garrett Hedlund playing Kevin’s son, Sam, and Olivia Wilde as a program named Quorra.

      Kevin has been missing since Sam was a child, and now as an adult, he has been excluded from any position of power at ENCOM. When Alan informs Sam that he received a pager message from Kevin’s arcade, which has been closed for years, Sam decides to investigate, drawing him into the digital world.

      In this installment, CLU has taken on the role of antagonist, having turned against Kevin when he entered the digital realm to recreate it following the first film’s events. Since CLU cannot age, CGI was used to de-age Bridges for this role, resulting in an uncanny valley effect that pushed the technological boundaries of 2010. There were speculations that Disney might enhance this effect for the new release, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

      Similar to TRON, this sequel relies heavily on dazzling special effects while lacking in story and character development. Tron remains a part of the digital world but is overshadowed by Quorra and other characters, which is disappointing as there was potential for greater development between him and Alan. Ultimately, TRON: Legacy leans on well-worn tropes.

      The bonus features for this sequel are minimal, comprising five featurettes totaling about 45 minutes. Given the film's 15th anniversary and the strong marketing push for TRON: Ares, it would have been nice to have an additional featurette, but what is included suffices.

      Tron – Flickering Myth Rating – Film:★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Tron Legacy – Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook