So I was going to review the anime classic Ghost in the Shell for my February Blindspot pick but I started it and it had too much nudity for me to be comfortable with. So, as a replacement I decided to watch the Disney sci-fi classic Tron.
The Blindspot project is where we watch and review a classic film we have never seen before. I had never seen Tron before tonight but had heard how great it was from many people. Now that I’ve seen it I can see why they like it so much. It’s a thoroughly unique, creative, entertaining sci-fi film.
Tron was made in 1982 and it’s pretty amazing when you think of the visuals involved. Just as a point of comparison, Pixar made their first short, The Adventures of Andre and Wally B in 1984, and that is about a minute and a half. This is a whole movie made 2 years earlier heaped full of visual effects both real and computerized. It’s incredible to watch and you can’t help but wonder ‘how did they do that?’
The story in Tron can be very confusing so it is perhaps better to just enjoy the visual experience, but I will try to summarize it. Basically Jeff Bridges plays Flynn a computer programmer who designs a video game but his boss played by David Warner stole the credit and passed the coding off as his work.
In an attempt to hack into the computer system and change the coding Flynn gets sucked into the computer itself. When he arrives in the computer world, he finds a system of subjugation where the MCP (Master Control Program) manipulates the programs and gets them to deny their belief in the Users (or humans playing the game).
As a User himself Flynn has the ability to use energy and change things for the programs. He and a program named Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) and Yori (Cindy Morgan) work to destroy the MCP before it destroys all the Programs.
Through destroying the MCP, Flynn the Programs can begin to communicate with their Users, Flynn is sent back and he is given the credit for his designs.
It is kind of convoluted but I didn’t care. I was able to keep track and found it creative and different. I see so much that feels the same that it is refreshing to watch something like Tron that is so out there. Kind of like Blade Runner, it is nice sometimes to watch a movie that is a little hard to figure out- that makes you think.
All the performances are good. I particularly liked Jeff Bridges who I thought was very attractive in the role! What a great smile! He was a great ambassador to this world and you felt like you were learning about it along with him.
I also liked Cindy Morgan, Bruce Boxleitner and David Warner. They are all good and elevate the material. This is not like Jupiter Ascending where the visuals apologize for terrible acting. They all do a good job.
The score by electronic musician Wendy Carlos is also a real standout. It merges synthesizer sounds with classic orchestra. I particularly liked the final number that uses a pipe organ. There are also 2 songs from Journey, which is kind of cool.
Tron won’t be for everyone. I am sure there are people who will think it is boring. It is kind of confusing but just go with it, just enjoy it. Some of the visuals look a little dated but it all works within the world of the movie and is consistent in its approach so that did not bother me. I really thought it was a cool sci-fi film and something different and unique.
Overall Grade- A-
Yeah, Tron has it’s flaws, but it is so inventive, it is certainly worth to watch. It is also a milestone movie, because it used quite a bit of CGI for its design and special effects. I think it would have deserved the special effects Oscar ten times over this year, but the academy felt that it “cheated” by using computers, if you can believe it. But without Tron, there most likely wouldn’t be a Toy Story.
I totally agree. Whatever won there’s no way it had better visual effects than Tron. Stupid academy!
Well, it got an achievement award years later to make up for it. But it is certainly one of the most obvious mistakes the academy made.
Even just the real effects are quite outstanding.
In a way they hold better up than the CGI ones. But the story is not that bad either, even if it is pretty generic in a way.
I agree!
Good post and glad you liked it! I can’t remember what I thought of this movie; it’s been so long.
I understand what you mean about ‘Ghost in the Shell’ being too uncomfortable for you. I tried watching ‘Cool World’, but gave up like 30-40 mins in, cuz I was too uncomfortable.
There’s something about TRON that always impresses me: it was such a groundbreaking film for its visual effects and the distinctive look and style of the world it presents; when you see that style in other media and you think “TRON”. Even though the performances are good and plot is decent (if a little complicated), I always remember the ways it visually drew me in and the way they create the world of the programs. It’s like a kid-friendly version of ‘The Matrix’ with the way the protagonist moves between the virtual and real worlds, as well as it’s own philosophical angles on religion, reality, the balance of power between humans and machines, and so on.
I agree. I can see its influence in many films.