Sci Fi Me Up, Scotty

(Tron: Legacy)

Okay so I got a ton to cover in this post and may not get to everything here. First off, yay I'm back! Second, yes, I'm BACK! Thirdly, let's get to it. 

This blog post is dedicated to the taped glasses, pocket protectors, snorted laughs of America. Let it be said that 2011 is The Year of the Nerd (soon to be a patented Zodiac sign). Although I'm starting this post with a film released at the end of 2010, it not only transitioned but jettisoned us into Nerdsville population A LOT (including yours truly). Tron: Legacy, starring some sort of unknowns (Gerrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde) and some very well knowns (Jeff Bridges).

Tron: Legacy stands on its own from the original Tron (1982) with perfected CGI animation and special effects. And yes, I admit that I am a sucker for special effects but nothing beats a story well done. Tron: Legacy's plot is solid and was brave enough to not use Jeff Bridges as a crutch.

The story - The son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's creation turned bad and a unique ally who was born inside the digital domain of "The Grid". 

Tron: Legacy masters what Steven Liseberger's Tron could not (I heard that the original film actually ran short on their budget and had to make major rewrites). The disc wars and light bike sequences are thrilling, but what I liked most about the film are the characters and the underlying spiritualism. Kevin is a god-like figure in the digital frontier (the programs refer to him as their "Maker") his confidante and surrogate daughter, Quorra (Wilde) is an Isomorphic Algorithm (better known as ISO) which are a race of programs that are self-created; in other words, they were not created by users (they remind me of the Isrealites from the story of Moses) and Sam, a hero with a rugged edge who always seems to be "winging it" (a possible Jesus-type character?). The characters aren't overly saturated with robotic science fiction dialogue. We get a taste of their humanity, especially in Jeff Bridges. Sam, even in his late 20s acts out in a way where Kevin's patience gets tested while Quorra witnesses the interaction much like an observant little sister. Clu, Kevin's evil alter ego, reminds me of one of those uncles that all you want to do it run from (almost every family has one).

I saw this film in 3D at the IMAX theater. I was excited to hear that Tron: Legacy was almost completely shot in 3D as opposed to the post-conversion vomit that seems to have been splattering big screens across the world. I admit that I will see a 3D film if it is done right and Tron: Legacy did so. Don't get me wrong, it's not the best. The film falls a little short on development particularly the in the finale, but it still delivers. I can't wait to see what's in store for the next Tron film if there, in fact, will be one. And will The Dude grace us with his presence for us nerds out there? Only time will tell. 

An interesting fact: Director Joseph Kosinksi obtained funding for Tron: Legacy by creating a teaser trailer showcasing a light bike sequence and a Jeff Bridges cameo and showing it at ComiCon. The execs at Disney were so impressed that they agreed to fund the project.


Grade: B+

(P.S. Don't forget to check out the Tron: Legacy soundtrack scored by the most awesome Daft Punk)