Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the grandson of the man who once stole the work of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), has found a way to bring that which he creates on the Grid into the real world. This includes his Main Control security program; Ares (Jared Leto). The only problem is, he can only keep them here for 29 minutes. Legend has it that Flynn once discovered the key to "permanence", and now it's a race between Dillinger and Eve Kim (Greta Lee), new CEO of Encom, to find it.
In many ways TRON: Ares is exactly what you'd expect of a sequel to the 1982 cult classic. A story about big tech, light cycles, and life within the computer world of 'The Grid', that loosely links to what has come before. This seems to be the tradition that all must adhere to when carrying on the story of Flynn. There are, of course, many call-backs and references to both TRON and TRON: Legacy. But TRON: Ares is not a direct sequel to either, although some of those not so subtle call-backs seem to hint that TRON 4 might go more in that direction, if it happens. Instead, Ares does typical soft reboot/sequel things to get around the fact that it does little to address the outcomes of the previous instalment, and that no one - well, almost no one - from that movie is present. This includes the titular Tron.
The thing is, despite ignoring or glossing over some of Legacy's major outcomes, the events of Ares do feel like the next logical step for a franchise like this. Now, I'm not saying this is particularly original, but it doesn't feel out of place, either. We've been dragged into the Grid on more than one occasion, and have seen what is possible there. So it was only a matter of time before someone tried to bring something from the Grid into our world... something else, anyway. Sure, the whole "permanence" thing is used as both a McGuffin and an easy way to create tension - not to mention the fact it raises a few questions - but it does at least add a sense of urgency. And yet, even with all the technological advancements, the story closely resembles that of the first movie, as a Dillinger once again causes trouble for Encom. All of which turns into a fairly standard cautionary tale about the dangers of AI and believing we are in control.
Even the characters are, for the most part, fairly generic. Greta Lee and Evan Peters are playing the usual young CEO’s under pressure. It’s just that while one is simply looking to do something good, the other is scrabbling for power and control while slowly losing grip on both. It shouldn’t be too hard to guess which is which. Gillian Anderson has a perfectly odd relationship with her on screen son, only she’s wasted doing it. She and Peters are awkward and distant, but it never becomes something we care about, either way, and has no major impact on the plot. All of these performances are very good, it’s just that the actors never get a chance to do anything remarkable with their characters. Even Jeff Bridges’ return as ‘Dude with IT skills’, while amusing, feels a little token, as well as convenient.
That said, they’re not all bad. Arturo Castro is a lot of fun as Eve’s peppy friend and colleague, Seth. He’s the guy you’d actually want to hang out with. While, Jodie Turner-Smith is cold and unapologetically ambitious as Athena, Ares’ second in command. She delivers what can be an emotionless performance, and is of course a complete badass. It’s a type of role we’ve seen her play before, and she does it very well, but what sets Athena apart is Turner-Smith’s ability to evoke in us a little empathy for this wayward security program. Then there’s the big man himself. Jared Leto brings a genuine sense of growth to Ares, as the program begins to question things. Thanks to Hollywood, we’ve watched artificial intelligence grow beyond their programming for decades, and yet, Leto still manages to find a way to make it his own. I know he's the title character, but Ares’ journey is surprisingly compelling. His thirst for growth is not only understandable, it feels authentic. Also for a security program, the guy can be funny.
So, as a movie there may be nothing really new about TRON: Ares. However, that doesn't make it a total dud. In fact, for a cinematic experience it's pretty up there. This is exactly the type of movie we should want to see on the big screen! Seeing light bikes and a Recogniser hit the streets of a major city is delightfully chaotic - invoking just the kind of response you’d expect when seeing video game pieces in the real world - and that's just the start. The visuals truly are mind-blowing. Even the actors playing programs have this slightly artificial look to them. Something that actually heightens the already brilliantly choreographed action. And it’s all set to Nine Inch Nails’ incredible soundtrack. Highlights include a cyber attack on Encom and the aforementioned light bike chase through the city. The result of all this is a perfectly immersive experience, in which you are happily along for the ride.
In many ways TRON: Ares is nothing new. You could even call it recycled TRON, given how much it resembles the first movie. It's certainly not the follow up to TRON: Legacy that many were hoping for. But somehow, it still manages to be this mind-blowingly immersive experience. Only, whereas before we were blasted into another world, now we get to see the Grid come to ours.
7/10
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