Fifteen years after Tron: Legacy, Ares fast forwards through decades of corporate ups and downs of fictional corporations ENCOM & Dillinger(success, leadership, purpose) who are competing for technological/AI dominance. Starring Jared Leto as AI Ares and Jody Turner Smith as AI Athena, The film launches well past where Tron: Legacy left off, but doesn’t avoid rehashing some of Legacy’s finer points. Ares and Athena share program directives, but deal with them in opposite extremes. Both enter the real
world from the grid with something to prove, and little time to do it. Ares struggles, predictably,
with human impulses. Athena’s conflict comes too late in the film and too closely resembles that
of Tron: Legacy’s zealous villain Clu. Gillian Anderson doesn’t get quite enough time to shine in
the role of Elisabeth Dillinger, as her character is fully engaged in tempering son Julian (Evan
Peters), the villainous, overindulged Dillinger CEO.
Tron: Ares’s plot is a lean, good vs. evil fight to be the world’s leader in Tech as AI duke it out
with humans. Despite a cast of nearly all new characters, the film struggles to deliver anything
new in the way of science fiction. The movie spends more time in the real world than on The
Grid, where sophisticated AI programs are personified. In ENCOM’s Grid programs are
developed for the betterment of human society, a mission in good hands with Greta Lee as Eve
Kim, ENCOM CEO. Dillinger’s Grid is all about perfecting weapons and warfare. No surprise that the chief Dillinger programs are AI named Ares and Athena, after the Greek god and goddess of warfare.
Expect, at least, some quality fight scenes.
Still, Tron Ares is fun to watch and does have some excellent moments. It’s action packed, has
great costumes, and real light cycles in the contemporary world add to the exhilarating pace.
Jody Turner-Smith kicks butt and her performance generally elevates every one of her scenes.
If there’s anything to take seriously in this installment of the Tron Franchise, it’s that, like its
predecessors, Tron: Ares is set to an awesome soundtrack. The original 1982 Tron was scored by electronic musician Wendy Carlos, and featured Journey and The London Philharmonic. Tron: Legacy (2010) was scored by electronic duo Daft Punk. Tron: Ares rocks with original music from Nine Inch Nails. Their electronic, industrial rock sound lends heart pounding intensity to the flashy action and overall mood of the film.
There’s also a love note to Depeche Mode who are no strangers to electronic music. It’s Leto’s
best scene and a memorable moment in the film that honors joy and imagination. It may be
that- like the prior Tron movies- Tron: Ares reflects on our need to explore what makes us
human, creative, and the complexity of emotions. It updates the franchise, but nods to Tron’s
beginnings, making for a fun nostalgic watch.
Rate this film (3/4) 🍿
Cast members interviews:
