Where do you go from here when you’re trying to rebuild a “Tron” franchise — one that honors the original while breaking free from its successor?
Such is a question Disney attempts to answer with Tron: Ares, the next film installment following 2010’s Tron: Legacy. More of a soft reboot than a sequel, Tron: Ares stars Jared Leto as the titular AI-powered master control who takes a Terminator 2: Judgment Day-esque dose of humanity and disobeys his directive. The directive? Stealing the “permanence code,” a.k.a. the key
Jared Leto as Ares in Disney’s TRON: ARES. Photo by Leah Gallo.
To bring things conceived in the Tron realm to the real world, from Encom CEO, Eve Kim (Greta Lee). Much to the chagrin of half of an AI-apprehensive audience, perhaps, Leto’s AI-informed master control learns empathy during an artificial intelligence scan. (Ah, yes, empathy — now in beta mode!) Still, the premise flirts with something provocative: what are the implications when AI-generated creations cross into our tangible world? (See also: AI actress Tilly Norwood.)
It’s a fascinating question — one that the film fails to explore. Instead of pushing the franchise into bold territory with a strong script, Tron: Ares feels like a low-effort attempt on Disney’s part to dust off an old IP for another VFX and SFX showcase. (Shoutout to Skywalker Ranch!)
But who, exactly, is this movie for? When Ares enters the Grid for the first time, the nostalgic rush of seeing the raw vector look of the lightcycles briefly hits — only to fade fast. Leto, who shoulders most of the action sequences, spends shockingly little time inside the Grid. There’s very little disc combat, no sustained lightcycle battles, and worst of all, Jeff Bridges’ Flynn barely appears.
But in doing so, they risk alienating the Gen X fans who fell in love with the 1982 film — the ones who played Blockade in arcades before coming home to dream of neon grids. Tron: Ares sacrifices familiarity and nostalgia for something murky and undefined.
At least it’s gorgeous in IMAX 3D. Experiencing the film will deliver expected sensory overload: stellar visuals, reverberating sound, and a thematically perfect score from Nine Inch Nails. But beneath the surface-level spectacle, it’s all style and precious little substance — perfect for a Tron: Lightcycle Run attraction overlay at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
‘Tron: Ares’ releases in theaters on Friday, October 10.
