TRON: Legacy is both distancing and oddly engaging. This 28-years later sequel could not be more similar to the first installment. It runs at a mild pace, is more technically impressive rather than thematically, and there’s not a whole lot of compelling drama. That’s not to say Joseph Kosinski‘s feature debut is soulless, because it’s not. There’s something admirable about striving for a genuine heart, even if it doesn’t succeed as much as it should and could have.
The original TRON by no means of the imagination is a genuine classic. It’s a B-level adventure film, sort of like the younger and less impressive brother of Star Wars. The original truly got by on having the advantage of the charismatic Jeff Bridges. His charms and likability sold the world of the Grid. Bridges made a goofy story-line believable and fun. This time around, for better or worse, Bridge’s Kevin Flynn is not our hero. Instead, it’s Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund). There was a lot of not-so-flattering buzz about Hedlund’s performance leading up to the release, and those early reports are false. Hedlund makes for a perfectly serviceable leading man. He’s more Han Solo than Luke; he’s not totally whiny, but instead reckless and sort of moronic.
Nearly 20-years after the mysterious disappearance of his father, Kevin Flynn, he’s the lead share owner of his father’s company, ENCOM. Kevin has no interest in running ENCOM. This set up runs nearly 20-minutes, and it’s a fine intro. A lot of it doesn’t feel totally tied to what’s going on in the grand scheme of things, but it works. It never feels overly long and there’s not a lot of aching to quickly get to the Grid, even though that world is far more compelling. And really, the Grid is the true selling point of the film, I don’t think anyone is going into TRON: Legacy is going for all the ENCOM corporate mumbo-jumbo talk. Kosinski and writers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis make a truly glorious, vibrant Grid. It’s visually stunning. All the vehicles to landscapes are beautifully crafted. This is eye candy at its finest.
The villain this time around is Clu, being played by a de-aged Jeff Bridges. Kevin Flynn’s disappearance completely stems from Clu, his own creation. Kevin Flynn created him to help build the perfect utopia, which didn’t quite pan out the way he expected. Kevin Flynn ended up getting trapped in the Grid, and Clu’s trying to track down the MacGuffin he needs for his world domination plan: Kevin Flynn’s light disc. As expected, Clu’s plan itslef is fairly ridiclous. That wouldn’t be so much a problem if it had any sense of stakes to it. Clu’s plan is to breakout of the Grid along with his “apparently” massive army to take over the real world — if I recall correctly.
The issue is that his Bond villain-esque scheme isn’t introduced until far too late in the game. Where’s the buildup? What would Clu’s plan, if it actually succeeded, do to humanity? No idea? Well, that’s understandable. Clu is an interesting idea of a villain, but he could have been a true menace. His plan never feels threatening and he never feels dangerous, even Kevin Flynn doesn’t seem all that worried about his diabolical plan. Clu himself looks finely rendered. There’s a few moments where the de-aged Kevin Flynn and Clu look slightly off, but the effect ultimately works. It strikes a balance between being both cartoony and lifelike.
The whole plot is basically a get from point A to point B adventure. It’s a fairly simple plot stretched out, the second act especially could have used some slimming down. When Sam finally meets up with Poppa Flynn, they scheme to escape. It doesn’t take Sam long to find his father (conveniently) once in the Grid, thanks to Quorra (Olivia Wilde). Wilde brings a childlike playfulness to the female heroine role. Quorra is charming, and she’s the only one I truly hoped for to make it out of this alive and well. Quorra doesn’t contain the meatiest of arcs and she doesn’t play in the action as much as she should, but she’s likable and charismatic.
TRON: Legacy makes for a fine spectacle. The action is well-crafted and much of the imagery is full of awe, and Daft Punk’s score makes a handful of those moments truly pop. If it lost 20-minutes, there was less comic-relief and one-liners and tighter and clearer plotting, this oversized popcorn film could have been something more special. It ends on the expectedly blatant sequel flag, which is usually bothersome, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with hoping for more adventures in the Grid. This feels like a second chapter in something big and better, and a climax is welcomed.