TRON: Legacy (2010)

            This is my first review, so why not start with a movie the critics did not like? TRON: Legacy, directed by Joseph Kosinski, is a coming of age film about Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) in the sci-fi techno world his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) created. Of course, the entire film is not in the TRON world. The beginning shows a young Sam (Owen Best) and a fatherly Kevin Flynn (CGI Jeff Bridges) and that scene is pretty decent. When Sam Flynn goes missing Owen Best does a really good job at showing how that affects young Sam. The movie then jumps several years later with a hard cut and an awesome Daft Punk soundtrack. Sam Flynn transitions from running away from his grandparents’ house to riding a motorcycle in the city. This sudden visual and audible change shows that Sam Flynn is older but he has not grown up; he is still the same young boy that misses his father.

            I will not talk about the rest of the film’s plot because I want to leave most of the film to be unknown so you can watch it by your own opinion. My next three paragraphs are going to be what I like, what are my qualms, and what I would do differently if I was the Director/ Co-Director. (Caution the Co-Director part contains spoilers because it deals with the ending.)

            What I liked about this movie was how beautiful and passionate it seemed to be. The atmosphere of how it was created seemed like this was the Director’s own child. The soundtrack was amazing. The backgrounds, set pieces, and scenes were visually spectacular. The CGI was very stylistic and creative for the most part and I bought into the whole world of TRON. Jeff Bridges characters, there is more than one, were well done and believable. Their motives and confessions of their thoughts showed that this film is deeper than just an action movie. Olivia Wilde’s performance as Quorra is perfect in her character’s perspective. The sprinkled concept of the users seen as Gods was very well done. When Kevin Flynn comes into the room the tide completely turns. The programs are his children and they worship him; the programs against the Flynns are under Clu’s command and barely stand a chance when the “Gods” enter the fray. Every character that has a name and dialogue is vibrant and exciting. The world is visibly shown and not dragged on with forced exposition. Over all this film was very enjoyable.

Now my qualms, at the beginning I did not really like the performance by Garrett Hedlund. He seemed like a cocky guy with a pretty face that wants to have fun. I believe I was supposed to feel that way because he has not grown up yet from his father-lacking childhood, but it seems a little too convenient when he begins figuring out what is happening to him. He throws the disc orbs as well as the contestants against him, which are programs designed to be perfect, and of course he is a hacker so he can ruin his own father’s company instead of take command of it. The light cycle sequence makes sense because he has a motorcycle, and in one of Jeff Bridges’ memories it shows young Sam tossing a Frisbee back and forth with him. Maybe that was a clue to say Father Flynn was teaching his son to be ready for this world? It is a stretch. Most of my problems are just nit picky; some characters I wanted to see more. Cough. Cough… Tron.

If I were randomly hired as the Co-Director of this film I would not change much. I might try to find a different actor for Sam Flynn, but not likely. What I would change is the character Rinzler. Right off the bat of his introduction he is a badass. Double disc throwing, ninja flipping, and silent killing badass. At the end of the film it is revealed that Rinzler is Kevin Flynn’s old friend, Tron. Flynn thought Tron was killed when Clu betrayed them, but turns out he was just corrupted the same way Clu was. Rinzler is a cool character, but later on when he accepts what his true reason is (being Tron again and helping the “users”) it is out of the blue and thrown in to make his character have more depth. If I were the Co-Director, I would have spent a little more time on Rinzler/ Tron. The movie does largely focus on Kevin Flynn/ Clu and those scenes are spectacular, but I would have spent just a few minutes showing the Rinzler has a struggle or something to make his change more believable.

Overall I thought this was a beautiful film that had interesting characters and a pretty good story. I have no idea why the critics were against it, but I am not paid to see hundreds of movies every month so I am not oversaturated by “basic movies.” TRON: Legacy had depth and character arcs so drastic that no one was the same by the end of the film. I am giving this film an 8/10 stars because I would probably see it again.