Tron: Ares Movie Review

I’m looking forward to number four. With the thrills, excitement, and just pure entertainment you get from this third Tron film, they’d be crazy not to make another.
Another reason to see this is that Jeff Bridges, the only actor who has appeared in all three films, is back. His part is small, but he does, oh so much, with it.

Tron: Ares boasts remarkable CGI, providing a mesmerizing experience that immerses you in the computer domain, their world, and our world in the future – a key element in making this story work. It promises that, and it delivers! The premise is that Ares (Leto), an advanced program sent from the digital realm into the physical world, marks humanity’s first contact with artificial intelligence beings. With this, it’s heavy on the nostalgia, but you won’t mind, especially if you’ve been around since the first film, “Tron” came out, when software engineer Flynn was first sucked into a computer.

He created a program named Tron to obtain proof that Encom CEO Ed Dillinger was stealing his work. Now it’s manic Julian Dillinger’s (Evan Peters) time to be the evil in the narrative. He wants computer programs to have permanence. He can create super soldiers that you don’t need to feed, and are easily replaceable. He can order them to do anything. He can also make practically indestructible vehicles. The vehicles and soldiers now come with a twenty-minute limit. Permeance ends that. Imagine that getting into the wrong hands. Eve Kim (Greta Lee) finds the code for permanence. When Julian discovers this, he’ll do anything it takes to capture it and her.  

As is his directive, Ares looks for information on Eve Kim and attempts to locate her. Being the MCP, or Master Control Program, he’s brilliant. He becomes aware of her and her ambitions. He understands and, oddly, listens to her. He hears a quote from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, “I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” He likes this. He doesn’t understand why, but begins to. When he does, he no longer wants to comply with orders. Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) steps into his shoes. He has to stop her from getting to Eve. Ares begins to care for Eve, so he helps her. Yes. It’s a love story of sorts. The effects and sound design are so impressive that you fall in love, too.

The disc battles and light cycle races from this point on are outstanding. I’m going to see this again, in IMAX only, because I must experience the excellent choreography and CGI that were created to bring this to me more than once. Any sci-fi fan has to. The script is adequate, the characters are, it feels strange to say, but realistic. Ultimately, the fourth is most likely being discussed. It should be made, especially if they can bring Nine Inch Nails back to work on the score and soundtrack again. This is one of the best movies of the year. Human connection is the essence of Tron. Whether computers or the future of them plays a large part of our existence or not, what ties everything together is blood, something Athena, a great warrior, can never learn.