No assembly RequireD

If there is one thing kids love its CEO’s battling one another in a race for the most powerful artificial intelligence that could both save and destroy the world. In an age of superhero declining and Minecraft chicken jockey rising, the Tron franchise could not return at a worse time. Almost fifty years after its original and often convoluted groundbreaking film “Tron” was released in 1982 and fifteen years too later after its less convoluted, but just as enjoyable sequel “Tron: Legacy” we are met with a third installment of the futuristic franchise, TRON: ARES. A film that on a technical level has all the makings of another classic or at least cult favorite, but on script has the naivety or refusal of never wanting to read the room. This isn’t to say this earlier on that TRON: ARES has no reason to exist, far from it, it is more focused on the idea that for many this long awaited sequel hit the part of no return to to eventually get a follow up with a less than welcomed lead and very little engagement with its predecessor seems less a continuation and more throwing things at the wall and hoping something sticks to the grid. But again it has those pesky CEOs that everyone is so fond of and a killer soundtrack so maybe going back to the grid to ride a super cool motorbike in an even super cool looking world is enough. Afterall technology no matter how great it is can only be as exciting as its user, and TRON: ARES greatly wants us to be a big fan of its product no matter how much of a beta stage it may still be in.

In case you needed a reminder of what the hell Tron is even about, fear not as TRON: ARES knows you do and opens up with a peculiarly animated prologue explaining that Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) the once owner of ENCOM, who went missing nearly twenty years ago has also lost its other CEO Kevin’s son Sam (Garret Hedlund in archive footage only) after he stepped down for personal reasons. “Tron: Legacy” and its aftermath is quickly rushed through to bring us to present day where ENCOM is at war with Dillinger Systems in a race for the best A.I. or in this case something called the “permanence code.” ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee) wants to use the mysterious code to help feed the hungry, cure the sick and grow the world far beyond its potential. On the flip side Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) wants to use the code to build the strongest military defense soldiers and sell to the highest bidder. In a film without any subtle behavior this setup is by far its most hysterical and upfront. Eve is kind and brave and Ed is, well a whiney little bitch. Eve travels far (all the way to Alaska to be precise) to find the code, while Julian uses a very elementary form of a possible code to introduce to world leaders his Ares program. A group of super soldiers that he can command and bend at his will. Their leader, the mostly stoic Ares (Jared Leto), who while at the beck and call of Julian is starting to feel and wonder about the world he is downloaded to protect. All this grows tiresome rather quickly mostly due to an ensemble that feels on autopilot and mostly unhappy to be a part of the film. Leto himself has claimed that the original Tron defined most of his creativity but you wouldn’t know it from his almost line reading delivery. Ares is meant to be a soldier and a robotic non emotional one at that but Leto is a robot curious about his world and seems more curious about the check he will be receiving. Greta Lee on the other hand is a charming lead with the minimal given to her but it also helps (and hurts at times) that her character is so defined by the goodness combatted against the evil CEO that the film does everything in its power to try and make you forget that she too is just another suit.

It doesn’t take long for TRON: ARES to introduce what appears to be another convoluted plot outline but instead it is merely a few couple scenes and locations stretched out to its furthest degree. Everyone is looking for the “permanence code,” Ares wants to become human and Eve wants to better the world inspired by her late sister who she believes was much better than she could ever be. There is also the second in command Athena (a criminally underutilized Jodie Turner-Smith) hellbent on completing the mission and finding the code destroying anyone in their way. But there is also an indicator early on that this film while deeply believing it has some intricate story to tell feels more like a visual album than anything else. “Tron: Legacy” is considered by its fans to also have one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. Perhaps it is what makes the film so appealing to so many. With Daft Punk’s synth score it showed that the ‘Tron” franchise had inspired far beyond just the cinema. One could argue that this began with the first film and the greats score by Wendy Carlos although less remembered. But still TRON: ARES keeps up with tradition hiring Nine Inch Nails who deliver a thunderous club thumping score. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are no strangers to movie soundtracks already being nominated for three Oscars and winning two of them. Their often haunting and futuristic beats have carried throughout their carrier and ARES is no different. Its soft piano keys echo throughout a stunning visual world of the grid only to switch gears and have a smashing element accompany flying motorbikes and spaceships. The visuals themselves are truly remarkable and when avoiding the real world Earth and focused on the Grid they deliver some of the most entrancing sights that Disney has ever produced since probably the last Tron or original Pirates trilogy. Yes they own Avatar now but in terms of their own originality the Tron franchise and especially ARES has them on their own unique success. But it also feels like a saving grace, or in better terms the best Nin Inch Nails concert you’ll attend that keeps getting ruined by interrupting plot device.

ARES also suffers from having some of the most binary emotional beats from a company that prides themselves in emotional manipulation. Eve carries the weight of her late sister, and both Ares and Athena greatly suffer every time they are vaporized and regenerated. But even with this the script never allows the time to give its performers a platform to speak or at least show this pain beyond some quick moments between throwing laser discs and punching in code. Leto as Ares definitely gets the bigger load as the program finds himself in an old grid and meets up with an old hero from long ago. It is here where the film slows down to reflect on the possibility and pain of an A.I. wanting to be more. But with all this talk of A.I. there is a curiosity on where the film stands. Its anti-A.I. elements are counteracted with its belief that if used for good that A.I. can help the world or bring peace. Something that may have worked better in the late 90’s in a Spielberg film, but at this point just another indicator that Disney itself wants to be fully A.I. so bad that its willing to let itself create a villain just so it can swoop in and be the hero as well. Instead TRON: ARES feels all too much like a response all too late and instead throwing out pieces so it can move on to the next thing which may even be the inevitable sequel it sets up or perhaps a step further towards a side where human emotions become even smaller in exchange for spectacle. Maybe we don’t need to ever journey to the grid, because Disney will make sure it is already here as they punch in code to distract us from reality.

C

TRON: ARES IS NOW IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE