Tron: Legacy (2010)

Back in 1982, Disney released a visual smorgasbord known as Tron. While filled with eye-popping visuals and a prophetic message of how important computers would one day become to society, it hardly set the cinematic box office on fire. It did, however, manage to linger in the minds of video game enthusiasts and all-around geeks from back in the day (as well as die-hard Bruce Boxleitner fans), and the modern love affair with all things computerized has finally produced a sequel known as Tron: Legacy. Or, if you’re Jeff Bridges, Tron: Legacy, Man.

Bridges reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, a visionary in the field of video games and the founder of ENCOM, which is portrayed in the present day as a greedy, Microsoft-like software giant. In the opening moments of the film, we learn that Flynn tucked his son into bed one night, roared off on his motorcycle for a late-night work session, and then promptly disappeared without a trace. Twenty years later, son Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) has grown up, ENCOM has become all about the almighty dollar, and longtime friend and confidant Alan Bradley (Boxleitner) continues to wait for the elder Flynn to return. Imagine the latter’s surprise when he receives a page (yes, a page) from within the now-dusty confines of Flynn’s Arcade.

Sam, fresh out of jail after pulling his yearly prank on ENCOM–of which he’s still the primary stockholder–is informed of the page by Alan and goes to investigate. Before you can say “down the rabbit hole,” our cocky-yet-complicated hero finds himself transported into the Grid, a dazzling virtual world comprised of every computer program known to man (and a few that aren‘t). But it’s a lot more dangerous than it sounds, filled with roaring light cycles and lethal duals courtesy of glowing discs.

The Grid is run by the tyrannical C.L.U. (a younger Jeff Bridges, courtesy of modern CGI effects), a program created by Flynn to create the perfect computer system. He’s followed his instructions with lethal efficiency, betraying his flawed creator and wiping out anyone who fails to meet the regime’s rather narrow-minded definition of order. Now C.L.U. wants to take his agenda to the next level, and all that stands in his way is the newly-arrived Sam and his long-lost father.

Tron: Legacy is a worthy successor to the original, taking the visual innovations from 28 years ago and updating them with state-of-the-art technology. It makes for an engaging and thoroughly original world, one where sleek shapes and colors collide with brutal happenings worthy of the Roman Empire.

And at the center of it all is Kevin Flynn, an aging hippie who sought to change the world but ran afoul of a betrayal of Shakespearean magnitude. Cast out from the world he helped to create, he now wearily plots his revenge and mentors his rather beautiful apprentice (the jaw-dropping Olivia Wilde).

The Oscar-winning Bridges looks to be having fun in his role, although Flynn’s sudden transformation into a reject from the days of Woodstock doesn’t always mesh well with the events on-screen. First off, he disappeared in the late 80s, not exactly the free love generation. Secondly, his utterance of lines such as “You’re messing with my Zen, man,” aren’t nearly as profound as what you’d expect from a being that many Grid residents view as something akin to God. Still, Bridges has more than paid his dues over the years, so I’m not going to lambaste the personable actor for taking advantage of an easy paycheck; he’s earned it.

His double duty as C.L.U. is even more rewarding, as the hacker program turned cyber dictator is filled with conflict and confusion over his life’s mission. He turned on his own creator to fulfill the parameters of his programming, but his actions still hint at doubt and regret. But that doesn’t mean he won’t kill in a nanosecond, which provides a stark contrast to the passivity of his “father.” This is a story that could just as easily be a variation of the tales of God and Lucifer, each fighting for supremacy and the souls of everyone in the Grid.

The rest of the cast are equally enjoyable, especially Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund. Wilde imbues her character Quorra with a charming naiveté, and her fascination with author Jules Verne provides the best comic line of the film. She also runs, jumps, battles, demonstrates the capacity for self-sacrifice, and generally creates a character who’s both fascinating to watch and enchanting to behold. If there’s a sequel, I hope she has a much bigger part.

Hedlund isn’t bad himself, coming off like a more action-oriented version of Jeremy Sisto. While beefcake actors like Channing Tatum seem somewhat lacking in the personality department, our hero is more than just a handsome mug. He’s a freewheeling smartass who’s just as comfortable delivering dialogue as he is piloting a light cycle. Between this and his upcoming starring role in Country Strong, expect his stock to shoot straight through the roof.

I should also mention Bruce Boxleitner and Michal Sheen. The former was seemingly pulled off the Hollywood scrap heap to reprise his role as Alan Bradley, and he adequately demonstrates that long-forgotten actors are always just one break away from delivering an enjoyable performance. Sheen, meanwhile, more than makes up for his limited screen time by turning club owner Castor into a memorable character who oozes both slime and charisma in equal measure. He’s a digital Rick Blaine gone comically wrong, and Sheen throws everything at us but the kitchen sink (including a Chaplinesque waddle).

But despite the talented cast, the sequel still falls short of being a modern masterpiece. The Adam Horowitz/Edward Kitsis screenplay is spotty at times, and first-time director Joseph Kosinski fails to make the motion picture as downright cool as it could have been. The visuals are there to be certain, but the all-important action sequences often seem included only to further highlight the advances in CGI technology. Considering the quasi-Biblical undertones present throughout, perhaps the greatest thing missing from Tron: Legacy is the most essential ingredient of all: a soul.