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1. 
   Movie Geek from London, UK
   

   Dec 05, 2010

   visual effects overpowering a very confusing story

   *** This review may contain spoilers ***

   Before I start trashing this film the way it really deserves, I should
   probably admit I was never a real fan of the original. It's the kind of
   film that people always seemed to admire for its technical achievement,
   but even as a kid I never quite got into it. In fact, dare I say, I
   remember thinking it was all rather boring and overly complicated.
   Let's just face it, most of the fun and the enjoyment in that first
   film was actually watching the video-games-like sequences. The rest was
   pretty forgettable. No wonder it took them almost 30 years to do a
   sequel.

   Having said all this, I can safely say that Tron Legacy manages to stay
   true to the original: it's just as complicated and confusing in its
   "story", the video-games-like sequences are just as messy and
   over-edited as the original and the special effects want to be
   absolutely amazing, but actually when you really look at them closely
   they're not as successful as they're trying to make you believe..

   Much has been talked about the CGI wizardry that has allowed Jeff
   Bridges to look 30 years younger. Well, sadly, we are still a few years
   away to make that trick seamless. Though it will probably look just
   about OK once the film comes out on a DVD (not so sure about the BluRay
   actually), certainly on the big screen, the effect on Jeff Bridges'
   face doesn't look quite right. Human skin has always been troublesome
   on GCI and this film proves it again. The result is a weird plastic
   feel that actually reduces his real facial expression making him look
   like "prince charming" from the Shrek. Interestingly it seemed to work
   better in the scenes which were masked and filtered through a TV screen
   (as if they were part of archive footage), which proves that even the
   makers were quite aware of the limitations.

   The film is quite a visual feast for the eye, as special effects and
   production design fight for attention in every single frame of the film
   , but it's all so hyper-real and over-blown that, to be honest, I found
   it hard to be swept away by any of it. I do recognise some of its value
   (which is why I am giving it 5 stars and not 2 stars), but all this
   visual extravaganza cannot make up for the lack of any clear and
   interesting storytelling. And this is, at the end of the day, the most
   important factor in a film, any film, whether it's an action piece or a
   drama, or a cartoon.: you've got to like the story! You've got to
   sympathise with the characters or at least be interested in them. In
   the case of Tron:Legacy I was pretty confused all the way through (but
   sadly not in a "Inception" sort of confusion where, being confused is
   part of the fun. This was just confusing because it was badly told!).

   I am not really sure who is this film for? Fans of the first one? Well,
   there are not too many out there.

   Is it a film for kids? Don't think so: they would certainly get lost in
   the mambo-jumbo story.

   Is it a film for video-games lovers? Probably, though I can name
   hundreds of much more exciting games to play.

   Is it a film for geeks or special effects lovers? Well, I am one of
   those, and I can tell you that I wasn't really taken by any it. It all
   may look slick and stylish and it's all just an upgraded version of the
   previous film, with very little originality.

   Even the action sequences seemed just a modern version of the previous
   ones, with some added 3D Fx. Ah yes, I was almost forgetting the 3D
   factor. Right at the beginning some weird caption tells you that some
   of the scenes are supposed to look 2D and that you should keep your 3D
   glasses on all the time. What it actually means is that the 3D only
   kicks in once the main characters enters the virtual world of
   video-games (quite a bad choice if you ask me, especially because it
   misses quite a few opportunities in the first part of the film to make
   the action a bit more exciting). Once we finally get to "virtual world"
   or cyber-word or whatever you wanna call it, after the first few
   minutes you're in 3D you actually almost forget you're watching it in
   3D (I say almost because the headache that the 3D glasses give you is
   still there). I was so surprised by how badly the 3D is used on this
   film. Even the flying sequences didn't seem to draw me in ( and those
   are notoriously good on 3D, see Avatar and even the awful Legend of the
   Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole). Am I alone on this one? I usually
   love 3D… I seem to remember the motorbike sequences on the first Tron
   being a lot more exciting than in this (or is it because I was 10 at
   the time?).

   So, to wrap it all up: the story is a mess, the script if basically
   riddled with clichés, bad lines and jokes that are so poorly timed and
   unfunny that in the screening where I was NOBODY laughed, and finally
   the visual effects are so unreal and overblown that they fail to amaze.

   One the positive side, the soundtrack is awesome. Nothing new, of
   course, it sounds a lot like Batman, Inception and the Bourne films,
   but it's still pretty good (though there was probably too much music
   throughout).

   I was ready to love this one, we so need a new sci-fi film to take the
   crown, but I was really disappointed at this revamped TRON and actually
   even a bit bored

   (reply)
2. 
   theycallmemrglass from United Kingdom
   

   Dec 05, 2010

   This will rock for fans of the original but others maybe scratching their heads

   Saw this at a preview screening in London yesterday in 3D.

   First of all, I'll just say a few words on the 3D. I am normally anti
   3D with non animated films as they tend to be too dark, and often
   blurry with fast action scenes, making real live action feel unreal.
   However Tron is mostly computer animated and is well suited for the 3d
   media. And here it certainly was effective. I especially loved the way
   they held back on the 3d until the right moment for maximum impact.
   Think of Dorothy stepping out of her house into Oz and you'll get the
   idea.

   I fall in the category of original Tron lovers but not a hardcore one.
   So for me, this sequel did rock for the most part. Remarkably it
   maintains the same atmospheric feel as the original and is flooded with
   nostalgic references to the 28 year old original. From the 80s jukebox
   in Flynns nightclub playing Eurythmics "Dreams" to the familiar world
   inside the computer brains.

   The now much older Jeff bridges exerts a more heavier gravitas on
   screen and voices his CGI counterpart in the Grid world that frankly
   still looks CGI but isn't a problem as they are computer avatars. At
   the beginning of the movie, a young CGI Bridges is shown in the real
   world but the lighting is darkened to convince us he is real…and they
   very nearly pull it off but not quite.

   The action cgi scenes are breathtaking and exciting, with upgraded
   versions of the famous grid race, sky battles, and disk combats.
   Visuals were stunning and faithful to the original aesthetics.

   Unfortunately, the middle of the film sags considerably and I did find
   myself yawning as the story did become a little disjointed.

   The soundtrack is brilliant, though very reminiscent of Dark Knight and
   Inception.

   Overall, I had a blast and is a worthy sequel that will rock the fans
   but I do feel however, that non fans will be scratching their heads
   wondering what the fuss is about.

   (reply)
3. 
   Anais (alwaysbwithu) from Leeds, England
   

   Dec 05, 2010

   A spectacular visual experience to be taken with a pinch of salt!

   Kevin Flynn (Bridges) is the CEO of Encom and the world's best video
   game developer. One night he simply vanishes without a trace and leaves
   his company in chaos and his young son. Fast-forward 20 years, Sam
   Flynn (Hedlund) is a rebellious 27 year old and a thorn in the side of
   Richard Mackey (Nordling), a suit trying to take over his father's
   company with the help of a software designer (an uncredited cameo from
   Cillian Murphy). Though Sam is the heir, he refuses to play an active
   role in the decision-making process. Alan Bradley (Boxleitner) meets
   him one night with the news that he has received a page from Kevin
   Flynn's arcade – a number that has been disconnected for 20 years. Thus
   ensues the inevitable investigation into his father's whereabouts and
   Sam's transportation into the world his father has created and been
   trapped in for decades.

   Where to begin? Tron: Legacy is a visual feast for your eyes and an
   auditory pleasure thanks to Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese. The
   soundtrack feels ethereal almost and fits perfectly with this new world
   we have been introduced to for the first time (or the 2nd time if
   you've seen the 1982 original).

   3D, for me, is a recent scourge that has been infecting and affecting
   the movie industry. Yes, maybe it is a more lucrative avenue for the
   movie industry after the setback of heavy piracy but enough is enough!
   Joseph Kosinski, however, had a vision (and an architectural degree
   behind him) to give us a mouth-opening, simply beautiful world with the
   correct blend of 2D and 3D! It is quite simply worth it just to go for
   the visuals.

   What the movie makes up for in spectacular imagery, it lacks in
   storyline. Maybe I should have watched the 1982 version as so many
   people have pointed out to me but even without it, the plot seems a
   little disjointed. The underlying connections to the real world are
   numerous such as The Holocaust, God complexes, evil doppelgangers and
   more. You are left with more questions than answers as it is never
   revealed just what it is about this world that would "change
   everything" in the real world.

   Jeff Bridges is great as both the villain and hero and his computer
   animated self is simply amazing although at the same time off-putting
   (this might be the Uncanny Valley hypothesis at work). The acting
   overall is not anything to write home about (no Oscar winners here) but
   Hedlund as Sam Flynn holds his own against a more charismatic Jeff
   Bridges. Quorra (Wilde) provides a potential love interest and the key
   to changing our world and a doe-eyed innocent view of life that is
   endearing.

   This is a movie that should be simply taken for what it is, a pandering
   to the original fan base whilst garnering new ones, one not to be over-
   analysed but simply to be marvelled at with a group of friends. The
   actions scenes are just jaw-dropping with light cycles (that I wish I
   owned!) and deadly Frisbees amongst other things. Disney took a risk to
   continue a series almost 3 decades later rather than going for the easy
   option of re-imagining it. A wise move.

   (reply)
4. 
   dmulroy-1 from London, England
   

   Dec 03, 2010

   About all they could have done.

   I saw a preview of this last night in London, we were told reviews were
   embargo'd until Sunday, so these are just my thoughts.

   First the 3D. Its only really on the Grid, not in the 'real world', so
   it works really well. 9/10.

   The effects were about what I expected, although tbh, anyone who has
   played Tron Evolution (the new game out last month) wont see anything
   new – in fact I thought the environments in the game were actually
   better. And I think some of the battles I've had online were more
   exciting than the Games in the movie. 6/10

   Storyline is about all the could have done, I wont reveal any of it,
   but its OK. However, no love story. More of a father / son bonding
   thing going on. Im not sure on the age rating of the movie, but come
   on, Olivia Wilde? I just wanted them to get it on with some cyber sex!
   Not even a kiss. 6/10

   Acting… again great, all characters were believable and everyone put
   in a good performance. I've got to give a big shout to Michael Sheen
   here, his Castor character literally stole the whole show. His
   performance, albeit relatively short, is the only reason Im going back
   to watch the film again! Brilliant. 10/10

   Clu…OK Jeff Bridges. His digitised character was the only
   disappointment in the movie. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it looked
   realistic, especially the middle third of the movie, but the rest of
   the time… it was worse than ja ja binks. 6/10

   I also think they could have done with explaining a bit of the story
   bridging the two movies. I finished the Tron Evolution game so I knew
   what it was all about, but many wont, and will be left without a Clu as
   to his motives. Excuse the pun.

   But overall, worth seeing, and especially worth seeing in 3D.

   (reply)

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