Late is better than never and, in the case of TRON: Legacy, 2010 might be a far cry from 1982 (the first Tron) but the film’s spirit is firmly situated in the neon era of the 1980s. That’s probably a good thing if you’re a fan of the original yet it might be a little confusing if you’re not aware of that history.
As far as films go, TRON: Legacy has two audiences to please and it does a masterful job at it while also attempting new things that the original would have never imagined.
How to Download TRON: Legacy
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. And if you like science fiction, check out Severance, Westworld, or The Peripheral.
The Movie Review
Continuing with that last line, TRON: Legacy is a pretty high concept compared to the original.
Sure, the first movie was beyond creative, but it didn’t really aspire to cutting-edge art. And while this film didn’t lead to a planned third outing, it is more than a solid follow-up to what many consider a cult classic. Here we have to sort of clear the air as far as the plot is concerned.
Typically, in the course of a review, we worry about spoilers but it is pretty hard to spoil TRON: Legacy as a synopsis will likely make little to no sense to someone that isn’t either familiar with the TRON world or has watched some of the movie.
That fact aside, this is probably one of the most creative Walt Disney Studios pictures you will ever see. It really goes out on a limb to be something familiar and entirely new at the same time.
The inclusion of Daft Punk somewhat underlies this entire theme. The movie is firing on all cylinders and reveling in what made the original – and the neon era around it- glorious. The story can be hard to follow and the character names can often be equally esoteric.
Again, the movie begs that you pay attention and connect the dots while also linking back to the original itself. Should you watch that film before Legacy?
We would recommend it.
One, because it will give you the general gist of what’s going on better than any explanation could, and, two, Legacy was explicitly written to connect with the first film in meaningful and substantial ways.
Legacy can rest on its own, but it wasn’t intended that way and the performances and general ambiance call back to a familiarity that will be lost on someone who hasn’t seen the first movie.
Whether you see the first movie or not, it’s hard not to notice just how stylish and full of verve Legacy is.
Disney certainly pulled out all the stops when it came to polish and shine (per our expectations of the brand) and Legacy has enough earnestness to avoid that often over-produced, sterile feeling some big productions end up having. Even so, like the first movie, it might not be for everyone and that’s a shame because it certainly is a heck of a ride.
