Tron: LegacyDirected by Joseph KosinskiScreenplay by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (based on chara

Tron: Legacy
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Screenplay by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (based on characters by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird)
USA, 2010

Watched on 22nd June 2014
First viewing

Having recently revisited the original Tron – a childhood favourite – I thought I’d finally give the sequel a try. It’s a slick CGI affair which shows just how far computer animation has come in the intervening 28 years, but it lacks some of the charm of the original. (Possibly just because I have fond childhood memories of Tron, and I’m seeing this through my jaded adult eyes.)

Also, the technology used to make Jeff Bridges (as evil computer program CLU) appear 28 years younger gives him the eerie doll-like appearance of a Polar Express character. This is especially noticeable when CLU is face-to-face with Bridges’ appropriately-aged human character, Kevin Flynn. Perhaps the difference would be less distracting if all the computer program characters were similarly CGI animated, but CLU is alone in his creepy dead-eyed appearance, with the exception of a brief cameo by Bruce Boxleitner as the eponymous Tron.

Michael Sheen’s Bowie-esque performance as a flamboyant nightclub owner is fun though. (Wait, computers have nightclubs? Computers have nights? Don’t overthink it…)