Tron: Legacy

Synopsis

Sam Flynn spends his time riding motorcycles, annoying corporate executives and generally avoiding responsibility.

Which, coincidentally, is how many IT projects begin.

After investigating a mysterious message from his long-lost father, Sam discovers an entire digital world hidden inside a computer system where light cycles are fast, discs are lethal and apparently everybody agreed black leather was the correct dress code.

What follows is a visually stunning journey through The Grid, complete with gladiatorial combat, digital dictators, spectacular visuals and one of the greatest film soundtracks ever created.

What I Expected

I should probably start with a confession.

I watched this before I ever watched the original Tron.

Film critics may consider this a crime.

I don’t care.

What I Got

Because Tron: Legacy was my introduction to The Grid and, honestly, it was one hell of a first impression.

From the opening scenes, this film looks incredible. Even by today’s standards the visual effects hold up remarkably well. The Grid feels unique. The vehicles look fantastic. The light cycle sequence remains one of the coolest things Disney has ever put on screen.

But let’s be honest.

The real star of this film isn’t Sam Flynn. It isn’t Kevin Flynn. It isn’t even CLU.

It’s Daft Punk.

The soundtrack isn’t just background music. The soundtrack is the film. Every scene feels elevated by it. Every action sequence feels bigger because of it. Every emotional moment lands harder because of it.

There are very few films where I can remember the soundtrack years after watching them. Tron: Legacy is one of them.

If film reviews allowed bonus points for music, Daft Punk would be receiving approximately 500 out of 5 stars. The scorecard above shows a modest 5/5 purely because the schema won’t accept the number they actually deserve.

Review

The acting is solid throughout. Jeff Bridges effortlessly carries the mentor role. Garrett Hedlund does exactly what the film needs him to do. Olivia Wilde is excellent as Quorra and manages to bring warmth to what could easily have become a very cold, digital world.

The story itself isn’t perfect. If we’re being completely honest, it’s fairly straightforward. Good guys. Bad guys. Save the world. Try not to get derezzed.

But sometimes that’s enough.

Not every film needs twelve plot twists, three alternate timelines and a post-credit scene explaining the next ten years of cinematic universe planning. Sometimes you just want to switch off, sit back and enjoy the ride.

And Tron: Legacy delivers exactly that.

Final Verdict

Tron: Legacy isn’t a perfect film. But not every film needs to be.

It’s stylish. It’s entertaining. It’s visually stunning. And it contains a soundtrack so good that I’ve probably listened to it more times than I’ve watched the film itself.

Would I watch it again? Absolutely. In fact, there’s a reasonable chance I’ll finish writing this review and immediately go and watch it again.

Disney got this one right. And whilst it may never make anyone’s list of the greatest films ever made, it comfortably earns a place on my list of films I’ll happily revisit whenever I need a bit of escapism.

Sometimes all you need is a comfortable chair, a big screen, Daft Punk and a couple of hours in The Grid.