Tron Ares Review: 80’s Nostalgia Blends with Modern AI Obsession

The original “Tron” and its underrated sequel, “Tron Legacy,” both relied heavily on visual effects to create the digital world of the Grid. “Tron Ares” continues that tradition. Now, digital beings, weapons, and vehicles can be temporarily transported into our world, meaning we get to see the light-against-dark “Tron” visuals against an entirely new backdrop. There’s a light cycle chase through the city that takes full advantage of the concept, with the light cycles weaving in and out of traffic and coming to a sudden stop just before crashing into a car. A phenomenal techno soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails enhances the experience.

However, the true visual delight comes when the digital warrior Ares (played by Jared Leto) is transported into the original Grid from the first “Tron” movie. The look and feel of the primitive CGI from the 1980s is recreated in loving detail, allowing us to bask in the sleek, artificial look of early CGI. See this movie in 3-D if you can – it draws you into the old Grid, letting you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

The Digital Pinocchio Story is More Relevant Than Ever

The digital warrior Ares is programmed to carry out all orders, but as he slowly discovers the real world, he starts to question his existence. We’ve all seen movies before where artificial life forms start to become more human, but in this age where questions abound about the ethical use of AI, that archetype feels particularly relevant. Leto’s performance further enhances the theme. His unblinking stare and monotone speech tell us that he is not of his world, which creates an interesting juxtaposition with his desire to become more human and his developing love for all things ’80s.

In addition, Ares’ partner Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) carries out her orders without question, taking phrases like “by any means necessary” literally. This, predictably, leads to devastation. Much like HAL-9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” she is dangerous because she believes she is carrying out the very orders that humans gave her. Now that we have incidents of AI going out of control in real life, this type of villain feels like it could pop out of our computers any day now.

A Tron Movie Without Tron?

Fans who have been waiting fifteen years to find out what happens next after “Tron Legacy” will likely be disappointed with “Tron Ares.” Sam Flynn, the protagonist of “Legacy,” isn’t in Ares, and we only hear that he resigned from ENCOM “for personal reasons.” Moreover, what happened to Quorra, the last of the Isos, the digital people who randomly sprang into existence without being programmed? Did she become a regular human when she entered the real world at the end of “Legacy?” We don’t know.

People also tend to forget that Tron is an actual character. He was a major hero in the first movie, and in “Legacy,” he was reprogrammed into a mindless minion, only to snap out of it at the end. He fell out of the sky when defending the characters, but there was a hint that he could have survived the fall. However, he isn’t even mentioned in “Tron Ares.” We don’t find out if Tron lived or died, which is a rather dramatic loose end for the title character.

And what became of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the protagonist of the first “Tron” movie? He was killed at the end of “Legacy,” but the “Ares” teaser indicated that he would be resurrected in this movie. Well, while Bridges is in “Tron Ares,” he plays a guru-like digital representation of Flynn, not Flynn himself. The real Flynn is still dead as far as we know, which is a bit of a downer.

Final Thoughts

If it’s taken as its own thing, “Tron Ares” is a thrilling, thought-provoking experience with stunning visuals and awesome music. If you don’t go into the movie expecting answers to the questions that “Tron Legacy” set up, you can have a great time. Still, one has to wonder what an actual continuation of the “Legacy” story would have been like. If there is ever a “Tron 4,” perhaps some of the other characters from the first two movies could return.