‘Tron: Ares’ is lackluster addition to the ‘Tron’ universe | Movie review
“Tron: Ares” may look and sound pretty, but despite that I’m not sure I’ve been more bored in a film all year.
I’m not going sit here and say I’m a diehard “Tron” fan, but I will say that I’m very familiar with the world of “Tron” and enjoy the way this franchise pops in and out of relevance. I grew up at the perfect time to enjoy “Tron: Legacy,” as I saw it for my 11th birthday party. I wasn’t obsessed, but I remember seeing that movie for the first time and being enthralled by the visuals.
Like its predecessors, “Tron: Ares” looks and sounds great. The contrasting visual scheme in the Grid, again, hits different. Something about the landscape is sooooo satisfying. While it primarily looks the same as “Tron: Legacy,” there’s some new tech and weapons that are welcome additions to the Grid. I also have to mention the Nine Inch Nails score. It’s not as good as the legendary Daft Punk score from “Legacy,” but the darker tones from NIN truly add to what is a “dark side”-driven movie.
With all that said about how great the Grid looks and sounds, my biggest complaint is we never get to spend enough time there. The gimmick of “Tron: Ares” is that they are bringing the Grid to the real world. Though the visuals of the light cycles racing through a city is cool, it doesn’t hit the same. On top of that, I felt there isn’t near enough action. Not only does the film take forever to get going, when it does it gets bogged down by massive scenes of dialogue and exposition.
There are no acting stand-outs in this film. An actor is only as good as the writing, and the writing is not good. Jared Leto is already annoyingly one-note, but his performance feels even more stale than I was used to.
Even though the previous two movies aren’t perfect, “Tron: Ares” still isn’t a worthy sequel. If you’re a “Tron: mega fan, there are definitely some callbacks and plot points you’ll enjoy. “Ares” is far more of a “requel” than the sequel that “Legacy” was.
SCORE: “Tron: Ares” 2/5
“Tron: Ares” is rated PG-13 and is in theaters now! There is one mid-credits scene.
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