(ree:watch review) - Tron

If you are around my age, Tron was THAT film! It came out in the 80s, it was about computers and if you were a child like most of us around that time (especially with home computers not being a household item at that point or computer consoles, and the only computer type experience we had were arcade machines, work desktops and maybe a couple handhelds), all we knew were computer graphics, special effects and digital stuff to do with computers that we couldn't quite possibly understand very well, but we understood what we thought was cool, like the Light Cycles. The Recogniser looked menacing, and the way everything seemed to operate and move as if in a video game, the thought of that as a child, being in a world like that, was amazing, exciting and cool. Plus, we were young with a childlike wonder to it all. So, while Tron remains a staple favourite in our hearts since our childhood, how many times have you personally gone back to it, and does it actually hold up? I hadn't and no. No, it really doesn't.

Kevin Flynn is a talented computer programmer who works for a company called Encom. Having created some games for them, Kevin goes looking for his stolen work in the company's computer program, a computer world called The Grid, but when Kevin is digitised and transported to the Grid itself, Kevin must fight for survival, defeat the Master Computer Program with the assistance of a security program named Tron.

It is not trash; it is dated and does not hold up very well at all, but with all that said, very much ahead of its time. When I was younger, I couldn't quite understand anything beyond a man being pulled into a computer game world and fighting for survival to get out. Upon the rewatch, I couldn't help but to think of all the other films and projects that have been influenced by this film, from 'Wreck It Ralph' to 'Reboot', and I loved Reboot. It is very possible that this film was made because of the cool concept that it had, and a decent story than them knowing exactly what they were talking about or maybe the computer jargon was the understanding of that time considering a lot of time has passed, and when we talk about computers now, the jargon used is very different, especially as computers have evolved greatly since. I understood there were people living in the machine, but not necessarily as Artificial Intelligence. However, this time around, rather than thinking the MCP was just an evil or a bad program developed for the system, the program developed intelligence to manipulate real people outside of the computer world and eventually became SkyNet, (I kid). And chances are, they knew exactly what they were doing, making this film, and as computers evolved over time, our understanding of computers grew, too.

The special effects are dated, but the concepts are sound. The special effects were also great for that time, as with the light cycles being the standout back then, and the standout now. I mean, it all looks dated with the right-angled turns as if you were playing 'Snake' on the Nokia phone, but even now, it is still cool on the rewatch. The recogniser is cool and menacing. We are only limited by our imagination, so when you do see the sequel, you realise how far they have come to imagine what they can do with computers, technology, graphics and vehicles.

The music is definitely trash! I will not skip a beat in stating that, and it is a product of its time. Strangely enough, trying to watch The Running Man lately, and that sound is stuck in my head, and the sound is very similar to the sound in Tron. That was the sound of the future, of technology. The film has a slight vibe of Star Wars hinted in the movie, but Star Wars had a score; this is just laser-type synth sounds that are definitely a product of the time, where future sounds now in 2025 is nothing of the sort, there is a variety of "future" sounds.

I do not believe you necessarily need to watch this movie to understand future films such as Tron: Legacy, and I have not seen Tron: Ares yet, but this movie is a nice to know, before going into Legacy, rather than a need to know, and the same might just be for Tron: Ares. It's entertaining, a touch boring because it is dated, the story is decent, but it is a good watch nonetheless.

(trailer review) - The Running Man

 

I attempted to watch The Running Man recently due to this movie due to come out, and not only did I try to watch it at a silly time and I fell asleep, when I tried to watch it again, I just was not paying any attention, but the parts I caught, some bits I remembered and other bits I did not. But having "watched" a reaction video to Predator 2 (because it has been a long time since I've seen that movie also, I noticed the same actress Predator 2 was in The Running Man movie, which therefore reminded me that I need to get back onto that 1987 film and focus all my attention on it in it's entirety before moving onto this new one. But with that said, this trailer looks like it is actually going to be as crazy, manic and chaotic, and I like that a lot.

First of all, I like the stylistic look of this movie. It is set in a future, but not a crazy future like a 'Blade Runner', 'Fifth Element' or anything, more like an 'Edge of Tomorrow', noting the helicopter with 4 rotary spinning blades. We are given the situation, "for the next 30 days, everyone in the country is going to try and murder him," as he has joined the game show to win money for his family and possibly his sick daughter. He will be hunted by anyone and everyone, but he just needs to survive for 30 days. It is also noted in the trailer by his wife that people do not come back when they enter the game, and it is also mentioned that the game is rigged. Whoever Josh Brolin is playing, even states, "we cannot let him win". There are people who are cheering him on because if he wins, it will give them hope to join the game and win too. Playing a game to win money is giving me vibes of Squid Game, but this is comical, sadistic and presented like a gameshow, like the original movie where Squid Game is simply dark and sadistic. The Running Man was one of my faves when I was younger, so I will definitely watch this, especially as it does look good.

(trailer review) - Wonder Man

So, the other day, I saw a teaser trailer for Wonder Man, but because it was not released by Disney, I did not cover it. I did not want to cover a trailer that may have been "leaked" or simply not official, having not come from Disney. So, if I am going to be honest, when I saw this trailer, I did not find it funny. I was not sure of the tone or what they were going for, so I thought it was trash. I was also tired as well, so I decided to check it out the following day once I was well rested to rewatch it and to see what I thought of it, fresh faced......and, well, I like it.

So, the teaser showed a director who has not directed in a while, and he has decided to come back to remake and direct a film called Wonder Man, based on a film from the past, in the middle of the world, seemingly having superhero fatigue. He is going to be doing some auditions for the role, and we see Trevor wanting to go for the part along with his friend Simon Williams, who really wants the job since he feels he was born to play the part. There is a short clip of a child watching Wonder Man in the movie theatre with his father, so we are led to believe this is Simon when he is younger.
This official trailer is an extension of the teaser I saw, detailing Simon really wanting to be a part of this project called Wonder Man, and he is gearing himself up for the auditions. Whilst both Simon and his friend Trevor, aka "The Mandarin" from Iron Man 3 or Shang-Chi, are going for the role, having gone through casting, Simon and Trevor have been called to meet with the director, and Simon keeps calling his agent to see if he has got the part.
The tone is funny, quirky, and from what I have heard, is meant to be a really good show. The Superhero genre at the moment, especially with the MCU, is a little all over the place with mixed feelings about movies and shows, having people scream out superhero fatigue when it is really mediocre fatigue. There have been some bad decisions, and people want great stories more than anything. The show is going to be very meta, so it will be interesting to see the feedback once this is out and if, in fact, it IS any good. Ironheart received mixed reviews, and Daredevil received mixed but more favourable reviews, so let us just hope this one is a winner for the MCU, whilst we gear up for the next project. Another and better trailer is needed, though. Also, as I write this, the director (or showrunner in this instance) is Destin Daniel Cretton, the man behind Shang-Chi AND the NOW FILMING, Spider-Man: Brand New Day....interesting, right?