Great music and looks so beautiful. I love this movie but at the same time I didn't care for some stuff and it got a bit slow at moments.

CGI Jeff Bridges looks horrible and the characters are uninteresting.

[7.7/10] The original *Tron* is a film with a generic story, bolstered by a unique premise and impressive imagery. If you strip away the things that made the 1982 film distinct upon its release but dated today -- its “inside a computer” setting and its graphical wizardry -- you’re left with a pretty stale and standard fantasy tale with flat characters. I was ready to count *Tron: Legacy* as a success on the same terms. At first blush, the basic plot here is nothing to write home about. Sam Flynn is the seemingly orphaned son of the original protagonist, rife with the usual set of daddy issues, teasing the modern version of ENCOM that’s being run as a mercenary corporation, which old hand Alan Bradley grouses about as a departure from Kevin Flynn’s ideals. The ensuing “find your father” quest and return to “The Grid” feels inevitable and bog standard. But even if that’s all *Tron: Legacy* had to offer before diving into its new digital world, it would have been enough, thanks to the exquisite texture of the film. I’ll confess that while I can intellectually appreciate how the graphic of the previous *Tron* would wow people in 1982, it didn’t do much for me in the modern day, when CGI effects are a dime a dozen and kids who’ve grown up since then have become inured to them. And yet, that’s what makes *Tron: Legacy* so impressive. It’s not as though it’s on the cutting edge of visual effects like its predecessor was, nor can it coast on the novelty of leaping inside a computer (something its very existence as a sequel prevents on its own). Despite that, it’s stunning to watch as an aesthetic achievement, taking the look and feel of its 1982 forbear and translating it to the modern age with such creativity and awe. Let me speak plainly: everything in *Tron: Legacy* looks and sounds really, *really* cool. There may be no greater synergy between musician and film than Daft Punk providing the soundtrack for a Tron movie. What’s more, director Joseph Kosinki and his team take the “neon lights on monochrome backgrounds” vibe and take it to the next level. There’s something unspeakably stylish about the ships and outfits and blacklight aesthetic packed into every frame and design. The good guys and bad guys (and their vehicles and tech) are color-coded for your convenience, but there’s a sleekness and greater scope to everything that makes this feel like an extension and advancement of the original film rather than just a retread. The same approach works for the other parts of *Tron* that have become lodged in the popular consciousness since 1982. There is another game of identity disk jai alai, but it’s done up to eleven with ricocheting discus fire and parkour moves that become the default movement throughout the film. There is the inevitable light-cycle race, only this time, the competitors race along multiple levels with multiple players, heightening the complexity and visual panache of the set piece. Even the homage paid to the iconic poster comes at an appropriate time and an appropriate way, sending our hero back from whence he came while evoking his connection to the past. The one exception is the efforts to de-age Jeff Bridges, which end up falling squarely into the Uncanny Valley. The good news is that in a computerized world, that totally works! Sure, it’s a little awkward in the few scenes where we see young Kevin Flynn in the real world, but for the most part, the ageless version of Bridges is supposed to be CLU, his villainous digital equivalent, to where the aesthetic eeriness not only makes sense since CLU is a virtual copy, but adds something to his menace as the antagonist. It works in the same way much of the film’s visual choices do -- nothing approaching realism, but in a way that doesn’t matter given the setting and the sheer awe the film evokes with its designs. It doesn’t hurt that Bridges gives a much better performance here than he did in the original picture, which is doubly impressive since he’s acting for two here. His de-aged take on CLU is menacing and smug in the way a being who feels he’s surpassed his creator ought to be. And the real Kevin Flynn, reimagined as a zen-spouting hippie who regrets his actions, both works as an extension of Bridges’s public persona, but adds some philosophical and emotional weight to the film. Unfortunately, outside of Bridges, characterization is the weakness that *Tron: Legacy* shares with the film that spawned it. Sadly, Garret Hedlund is a big charisma vacuum at the center of the movie, but it’s hard to know how much of that should be attributed to an unconvincing performance versus the way he’s written as a generic action movie protagonist with daddy issues. He certainly seems more like the rich kid bullying people at his high school than the likable orphan who just wants his dad back, but the script does him no favors. It’s a pathology that infects the rest of the film, only saved by some performances that elevate the characters beyond the material. Quorra, the secret “ISO” who’s being trained by Kevin Flynn, is the latest in a long line of underwritten female parts, but Oliva Wilde shows some sparks of humanity that make the character more memorable than she ought to be. The evil version of Tron is, much like his predecessor, underbaked by skating by on coolness alone. The poster child for this “performer over character” is Michael Sheen’s Castor, a wildcard in the battle between CLU’s hegemony and a burgeoning resistance. There’s not much to him on paper, but holy hell is Sheen having an infectious level of fun here, vamping it up the whole time. He’s part David Bowie and part Joel Grey here, holding court with verve and whimsy in a way that makes him instantly stand out. But despite the thinly-drawn characters and generic “We have to escape to save the world from this oppressive force” plot, there’s some unassuming depth to *Tron: Legacy*. The film is, at heart, a story of people reckoning with their creator. That’s personified by the three offspring, more or less, of Kevin Flynn. The first, obviously, is Sam, Kevin’s biological son, whose development has been plainly affected by his father’s absence, and whose arc comes when he self-actualizes and reasserts himself in the real world when he learns that his father didn’t abandon him and, in fact, sacrifices himself to save him. It’s not super compelling, given how flat Sam feels as our protagonist, but it’s enough to pass muster, especially when Bridges is carrying their scenes together. Sam’s counterpart is CLU, another being created in Kevin’s image, but one who resents the man who made him rather than misses him. CLU takes his “create the perfect system” mission to Asimov-like extremes, eventually turning on Kevin and Tron in the process. But the substance comes in conjunction with the vague notion of Users as gods from the 1982 film, with CLU representing a “God is dead” rejection of that notion and desire to overcome the “cage” he feels he and his kind have been placed in by their creation. Somewhere in between is Quorra, a member of a new digital species that Kevin didn’t create exactly, but which emerged naturally and spontaneously from the conditions he created, there to revolutionize the world. There’s cosmological significance to all of this, adding an undercurrent of commentary on creation and legacy that adds ballast to the film’s dayglo adventures. Hell, *Tron: Legacy* even presages *Star Wars: The Last Jedi* in its framing of Kevin as something of a chastened Jedi Master here, still capable of great feats but more apt to remove himself from the situation than try to rectify the fascism that’s overtaken the world. He apologizes to the villain and creates the opportunity for his erstwhile students to escape and surpass him in the process, a surprisingly touching moment given the light characterization and clichés that preceded it. It’s ironic, because much of *Tron: Legacy* feels indebted to *Star Wars* from the turret-blasting dogfights, to the duels between glowing weapon-wielding masters, to the omnipresent daddy issues that suffuse everything. It also returns the favor and borrows a great deal from *The Matrix*, not just in terms of style, but in the sense of a dystopian digital ecosystem replete with oppressive forces and half-magic/half-philosophical counterparts and scenery-chewing wildcards in the mix. That’s the stunning thing about this film. It synthesizes its various influences, including the original movie, into something that fits a modern approach and advances from where its predecessors left off. There’s still plenty of clichés and empty calorie moments of spectacle, but those moments wow, and Kosinksi adds just enough weight to the proceedings for these events to feel meaningful on their own terms. Late sequels are a tricky business, but with its brilliant texture, tasteful homage, and contemplative take on creation, *Tron: Legacy* is the upgrade we’ve been waiting for.

[English + French] Critic More detailed in English 🇬🇧🇺🇸 Tron (2010) by Joseph Kosinski. After the first movie, which revolutionized digital effects and had a simple but effective story, Tron returns with a sequel. At a time when studios wanted to push CGI to the max, compared to recent years where budgets are tighter, this film gives the audience something similar to what people felt in 1982 with the original movie. The first thing that stands out, after a few scenes in the real world, is the art direction: the special effects are smooth, with orange, blue, and white as the main colors, highlighting a world full of darkness on the horizon. The costumes and vehicles are similar to the original film, but updated: they are less heavy and cluttered while keeping the same general idea. The digital de-aging of Jeff Bridges works well because the story takes place in a digital world; in real sunlight, it would not have worked at all. The soundtrack, composed by Daft Punk, is probably the best idea. Their style fits the universe perfectly, and the music works both for quiet, contemplative moments and for intense action scenes. The story continues from the first film: Sam Flynn, Kevin Flynn’s son, lives in his father’s shadow, who disappeared mysteriously more than twenty years ago. One night, he receives a message from his father’s former associate, Alan Bradley, inviting him to the old arcade Kevin owned. While exploring, Sam finds a hidden computer and, while using it, is suddenly transported into the Grid. There, he meets his father, who explains he has been trapped for years under the control of Clu, who wants to create a perfect world—meaning total control, absolute order, and the elimination of anything he sees as imperfect. The film has a very black-and-white plot, and the ending unfolds quite quickly, leaving little room for surprise. The characters seem not to create their own story, but simply follow the plot blindly. These shortcuts result in predictable situations and obstacles resolved too quickly to seem believable. Some events appear to exist solely to move the plot forward. The film thus favors spectacle and action over narrative complexity. Garrett Hedlund plays a somewhat stereotypical character: young, energetic, rebellious, and different from the crowd. He manages to convey the character well, and his development works over time, even if he can be irritating at moments. Olivia Wilde plays a character who is confident in her fighting skills, but also curious about the outside world through Sam’s perspective: she is the film’s pleasant surprise. Jeff Bridges perfectly plays both roles, switching from a wise older man to a power-hungry figure, more instinctive than thoughtful. In conclusion, the film is an interesting sequel that does not ruin its predecessor. Jeff Bridges’ return provides a good transition, and the movie avoids giving a heavy recap at the start; the audience discovers the story alongside Sam. While it is not a masterpiece, the film is enjoyable to watch for two hours. 🇫🇷 Tron (2010) par Joseph Kosinski. Apres un premier volet qui revolutionnait les effets numeriques et embarquait un scenario convenu mais efficace, Tron marque son retour avec une suite. A l’epoque ou les studios semblaient vouloir donner le maximum sur les CGI, comparé a ces dernieres annees ou tout est mise sur les economies, nous retrouvons ce que purent ressentir les spectateurs en 1982 pour le premier film. Ce qui frappe en premier apres quelques scenes dans le monde reel, c’est la direction artistique : les effets speciaux sont fluides, avec l’orange, le bleu et le blanc comme couleurs predominantes, mettant en valeur un monde sombre a l’horizon. Les costumes et vehicules rappellent ceux du film original, modernises : moins bruts et charges tout en conservant l’idee generale. Le rajeunissement de Jeff Bridges convainc grace au fait d’etre dans un monde informatique ; a la lumiere reale du soleil, l’effet n’aurait pas fonctionne. Le film a une intrigue très manichéenne et prévisible, avec des personnages qui suivent l’intrigue plutôt que de créer leur propre histoire. Il privilégie le spectacle et l’action aux dépens de la complexité narrative. La bande originale de Daft Punk est sans doute la meilleure idee : son style colle parfaitement a l’univers et accompagne aussi bien les moments calmes que les scenes intenses. L’histoire continue : Sam Flynn, fils de Kevin Flynn, vit dans l’ombre de son pere disparu depuis plus de vingt ans. Il recoit un message d’Alan Bradley, ancien associe de son pere, l’invitant a la vieille salle d’arcade. En explorant, Sam decouvre un ordinateur et est transporte dans la Grille. Il rencontre son pere, bloque depuis des annees sous la pression de Clu, qui veut creer un monde parfait, signifiant controle total et elimination de tout ce qu’il juge imparfait. Garrett Hedlund joue un personnage jeune et rebelle. L’acteur retransmet correctement le personnage, meme s’il peut etre irritant par moments. Olivia Wilde campe un personnage sur d’elle et de son combat, mais decouvrant le monde exterieur a travers Sam : elle est la bonne surprise du film. Jeff Bridges excelle dans ses deux roles, passant du sage homme mur a l’homme en soif de pouvoir, plus instinctif que reflechie. En conclusion, le film offre une suite interessante qui ne detruit pas son predecesseur. Le retour de Jeff Bridges assure une bonne transition, et le film ne surcharge pas le spectateur des le debut : on decouvre, avec Sam, les zones d’ombre. Sans etre une oeuvre d’art, le film est plaisant a regarder pendant deux heures.