While it received mixed reviews, “Legacy” was a visual masterpiece that explored the concepts of artificial intelligence and sentient conscience, themes also present in the first movie.
Work on another sequel/reboot began in 2015, with a controversial actor in the lead role, namely Jared Leto. Was all the hype worth it? The answer is “yes” – to an extent.
Released on Oct 9, “Tron: Ares” takes us back to the Grid(s) across multiple servers. This instalment asks: what happens if programs of the Grid made it out into the real world?
The story follows Ares (Leto), who is 3D-printed into reality during a military defence demo by Dilinger Systems, a corporation led by Julian Dilinger (Evan Peters).
Ares’s first steps in our world spark a conscience that kicks off his journey. However, digital constructs cannot survive beyond a certain timeframe before being respawned back in the Grid.
Meanwhile, Encom lives on under Eve Kim (Greta Lee), its new CEO. Both Eve’s and Julian’s companies are in pursuit of the same goal: a solution to keep their digital constructs permanently alive beyond their time limits.
“Ares” delivers a trip through its visuals: crisp, engaging and jaw-dropping imagery fills its near-two-hour runtime. Industrial Light & Magic has poured their love into every frame, and they should be thanked for that.
The production design stands out, too. While “Legacy” looked smooth, clean and organised, “Ares” presents a darker, militaristic tone: rough-around-the-edges and ominous.
Shot on predominantly Imax cameras, it offers a grand view of both the digital and real world, capturing the film’s expansive scope. It’s best experienced in 3D, especially in Imax.
With progressive industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails handling the score, the film comes alive. Angsty electronica and melancholic piano merge beautifully – a bold evolution from Daft Punk’s work in “Legacy”.
Indeed, NIN rips us out of “Legacy’s” perfect world and throws us into the rough reality of “Ares”.
Now for the cons. “Ares” is as Disney as a film can get, with nostalgic moments that audiences will cheer – with no real consequences. You could replace these moments with any other, and the story would remain intact.
In a masterfully crafted 3D film, it’s ironic that the characters are one-dimensional. Beyond Ares and his digital Pinocchio journey, most others have little to work with, though the cast delivers the best they can.
As Dilinger, Peters play a good villain, but he’s just a typical antagonist with no depth. Lee’s arc as Eve starts strong but falls flat in the third act.
Meanwhile, Hassan Minhaj and Arturo Castro play roles that could have been combined. Athena, played brilliantly by Jodie Turner-Smith, is wasted as a by-the-book henchman incapable of her own thoughts – and whose ability to emote is teased but ultimately squandered.
Then there’s veteran actor Jeff Bridges, who returns as Kevin Flynn. Given his experience and acting chops, one can’t help but feel Bridges is done dirty with the role given to him.
Leto, thankfully, carries the true soul of the franchise, playing a program learning to embrace emotion – though one might doubt that any actual acting, method or not, was needed.
For all its spectacle, you might ultimately leave the theatre thinking that “Ares” was rather pointless. It feels more like Disney showing off its budget than exploring the possibilities of AI and its consciousness – rendering this sequel a visually stunning and popcorn-worthy experience, without much substance.
As of press time, ‘Tron: Ares’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.