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 Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:20 pm
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In 1982, Tron was released. It was a box office failure, with positive to mixed reviews from critics. Over time, though, the story of a young computer programmer who is sucked into the electronic world on the other side of the screen became a cult favorite. The film was also a milestone in special effect technology, but was not even honored with an Academy Award nomination because, apparently, using computers for special effects was essentially cheating.
In 2010, digital effects are not only commonplace, they are genuinely accepted as the standard for all visual effects. Even the last alleged milestone, last years megahit "Avatar" could hardly hold a candle to the then innovative "Tron". Very seldom, at least for me, do digital effects "wow" me anymore (though i should say District 9 deserves to come out from Avatar's shadow). If Tron was such a great film for digital effects, how does the sequel hold up?
It's hardly a milestone. But I will say the Academy just might have to give "Legacy" the award the predecessor was cheated out of. As I would hope most people expected, 'Legacy' is a visual treat before it is an intellectual treat. The film is filled with dazzling, state of the art, high tech effects, which is just perfect for a movie that is so deeply in love with technology.
Jeff Bridges reprises his role from the 1982 cult hit as Flynn, who has become the head of the most profitable software company in the world. His success in business is matched only by his good nature. His goal is to create the perfect computer program. What sort of program is not exactly made clear. All we know is that he is on the verge of revolutionizing the world. Until, of course, he mysteriously disappears.
20 years later, his son Sam finds himself taking a break from playing Robin Hood with his father's old company, and dodging the police for traffic violations, to answer a 20 year old page that came from the old arcade his father used to operate. This, no doubt, leads to him being brought into the same high tech world is father was trapped in all those years ago. He finds himself racing against the clock to save himself, his father, and a mysterious program (the computer world equivalent to a person) named Quorra.
The story takes a few more odd twists and turns, as we learn about the ISOs discovered within the computer. The ISOs are mysterious programs that seem to avoid classification. Flynn believes that a high tech utopia can be made with what we learn from them. I know only very little about the real world versions of ISOs, but the fictional equivalent was so fascinating that it lead to, perhaps the biggest disappointment in the film. The story tries to ride that fine line between straight action film and smart, inspirational Sci Fi ala 2001. It ultimately finds itself going too close to the brainy side, and it immediately veers off. I would not presume to ask so much of a sci fi action film to also be a philosophical mind-blower, but the film introduces ideas that could lead to "Tron Legacy" being hailed as a classic, as opposed to merely a fun sound and light show.
Making this more of a let down, the great moments in the film do not involve computer animated chase sequences, but genuinely touching moments between father and son. The action works, but the more low key elements work better, perhaps because of the genuinely smart writing of the combined talents of Jeff Bridges and Garret Hedlund (perhaps, though, we should not leave out Olivia Wilde).
Tron Legacy manages to work as a better-than-average action film, but as a great science fiction film, it leaves much to be desired.
*** out of ****
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:40 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:07 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:20 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:25 pm
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Matt Pniewski In 1982, Tron was released. It was a box office failure, with positive to mixed reviews from critics. Over time, though, the story of a young computer programmer who is sucked into the electronic world on the other side of the screen became a cult favorite. The film was also a milestone in special effect technology, but was not even honored with an Academy Award nomination because, apparently, using computers for special effects was essentially cheating. In 2010, digital effects are not only commonplace, they are genuinely accepted as the standard for all visual effects. Even the last alleged milestone, last years megahit "Avatar" could hardly hold a candle to the then innovative "Tron". Very seldom, at least for me, do digital effects "wow" me anymore (though i should say District 9 deserves to come out from Avatar's shadow). If Tron was such a great film for digital effects, how does the sequel hold up? It's hardly a milestone. But I will say the Academy just might have to give "Legacy" the award the predecessor was cheated out of. As I would hope most people expected, 'Legacy' is a visual treat before it is an intellectual treat. The film is filled with dazzling, state of the art, high tech effects, which is just perfect for a movie that is so deeply in love with technology. Jeff Bridges reprises his role from the 1982 cult hit as Flynn, who has become the head of the most profitable software company in the world. His success in business is matched only by his good nature. His goal is to create the perfect computer program. What sort of program is not exactly made clear. All we know is that he is on the verge of revolutionizing the world. Until, of course, he mysteriously disappears. 20 years later, his son Sam finds himself taking a break from playing Robin Hood with his father's old company, and dodging the police for traffic violations, to answer a 20 year old page that came from the old arcade his father used to operate. This, no doubt, leads to him being brought into the same high tech world is father was trapped in all those years ago. He finds himself racing against the clock to save himself, his father, and a mysterious program (the computer world equivalent to a person) named Quorra. The story takes a few more odd twists and turns, as we learn about the ISOs discovered within the computer. The ISOs are mysterious programs that seem to avoid classification. Flynn believes that a high tech utopia can be made with what we learn from them. I know only very little about the real world versions of ISOs, but the fictional equivalent was so fascinating that it lead to, perhaps the biggest disappointment in the film. The story tries to ride that fine line between straight action film and smart, inspirational Sci Fi ala 2001. It ultimately finds itself going too close to the brainy side, and it immediately veers off. I would not presume to ask so much of a sci fi action film to also be a philosophical mind-blower, but the film introduces ideas that could lead to "Tron Legacy" being hailed as a classic, as opposed to merely a fun sound and light show. Making this more of a let down, the great moments in the film do not involve computer animated chase sequences, but genuinely touching moments between father and son. The action works, but the more low key elements work better, perhaps because of the genuinely smart writing of the combined talents of Jeff Bridges and Garret Hedlund (perhaps, though, we should not leave out Olivia Wilde). Tron Legacy manages to work as a better-than-average action film, but as a great science fiction film, it leaves much to be desired. *** out of ****
TRON was nominated for 2 Oscars:
1) Best screenplay (for which it had NO CHANCE WHATSOEVER)
2) Best costume design.
It was up against "GHANDI" (1982) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083987/
for best costuime design. I was doing homework when the nominations and awards were being announced. Once the nominees in that category were announced, I begain writing again, certain "TRON" would take it. The award was given to "GHANDI". That was the last moment I respected the Oscars. Since then, I've considered the Golden Globes and Peoples Choice Awards, and watch the MTV Movie Awards only.
3) For a movie that gets virtually no OFFICIAL exposure, its continuance as an object of discussion makes it truly noteworthy. You'd have thought the studio was trying to bury it by pretending it never existed.
(It's gotten the same treatment Lucas has given the SWHS)
Finally, someone woke up and realized the studio was simply refusing to make a lot of money out of some bizarre sense of stubbornness.
When you sell the public what they want, and the public buys from you what they want, then everybody wins. The public gets the product, you get a bucketload of cash. |
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:57 am
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:00 pm
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