Title: TRON: Legacy Director: Joseph Kosinski Starring: Jeff Bridges Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1/1.44:1 Studio: Walt Disney Pictures Genre(s): Science-Fiction Rated:       (For sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language)   Buy From Amazon.com: a / a / a / a / a / a

CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, though intense at times the violence is bloodless. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

“TRON: Legacy” represents a bold new strategy from Disney: A new movie that launches a universe. This includes an upcoming cable series, online video game, comic book line, and future movies. This is a direct sequel to the original “Tron” that was released in the eighties and was responsible for creating an interest in computer animation. The legacy of that film aside, I never thought it was a good film. Slow to start, stupid storyline, and visuals that were an eyesore, no one was more surprised then me when I found myself eagerly awaiting the sequel. Now that we have it I have to give Disney props: “TRON: Legacy” is a visually stunning roller coaster! It’s exciting! It looks wonderful! The world created here is visually gripping and wonderfully shot!

This is the sort of film that delivers the kind of “out-of-body” experiences that are so rare in the movies these days. In the real world everything is flat and standard (Disney explains to viewers before the film that certain scenes are meant to be viewed in 2D instead of 3D). These scenes look flat for the sole purpose of making the rest of the film look better. The story stars Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) who is sort of a lost sheep of sorts. When he was a kid his dad Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) promised he’d come home the next day and take him to the arcade. More then twenty years later he’s still waiting, and his dad is nowhere to be found. When a mysterious page from the old Flynn Arcade shows up Sam goes to investigate and finds himself sucked into The Grid.

Once inside the movie gets extremely visual with an imagination world that turns to 3D. People who see this in IMAX will get an extra bonus of the film’s picture expanding to fill the full 70 foot screen for a total immersive experience. Once inside Sam finds Clu (Jeff Bridges) who looks like his dad twenty years ago, but is really a program designed by Kevin to keep peace in The Grid. But things go wrong (as they must if we’re to have a movie, I suppose) and Clu got power hungry and all that jazz. Now it’s a fight between Kevin Flynn and Clu and both sides fight to escape The Grid and make a way of life they see fit. If you want a textbook example of how to make a movie that sucks you in visually then “TRON: Legacy” is the one to see.

Everything about the look of this film is wonderful. This film has pioneered a new way to use 3D as a legitimate storytelling device and filmed the movie with camera’s and special effects worthy of the big screen. The original film looks in serious need of a cleanup job after viewing this. And the story...well folks, I wish I could say “TRON: Legacy” was a major improvement over the previous film in terms of it’s screenplay, but if there was a budget cut in this film it’s pretty obvious where it was. I don’t want to be too harsh on something that is so much fun to watch, but the story is...well, it’s stupid as hell. Outside of a brief scene where the creator admits to all his mistakes to his creation, the story goes nowhere most of the time.

When the characters stop to talk about the meaning of life and how everyone is connected to The Grid I wanted to go to bed. We’re talking about a world that doesn’t even have wi-fi, and somehow this computer world that takes place in an arcade game holds the meaning of life? Try not to laugh as you mull that one over. When Sam and Kevin meet again for the first time in yours their interaction is stilted, as if neither of them know how to be sad. I’m sort of at a crossroads here because the movie sucks you in with it’s overall experience, but the film has little heart to it. It’s like driving a nice looking car only to discover it runs out of gas after thirty miles. I guess I could tell you to shut your brain off, but chances are you’ll enjoy yourself more if you just leave it at home altogether. Let the eyes do all the enjoying this time around.