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 well as being in a world like that was amazing, exciting and cool. Plus we were young with a child like wonder to it all. So, whilst Tron stays as 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 companies computer program, a computer world called The Grid, but when Kevin is digitized 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 has 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 than the program developing intelligence to manipulate real people outside of the computer world and eventually becoming 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 it's 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.
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