Tron

[Silver Nemesis]

This slipped under my radar until now, but it seems there's a new Tron movie coming out in October titled Tron: Ares. I enjoyed the first two entries in the series. I don't consider either of them great works of cinema, but they're both enjoyable films that I'm happy to revisit from time to time.

The 1982 original was groundbreaking on a technical level, bringing cyberpunk storytelling to the mainstream and establishing a unique aesthetic that's never quite been replicated since. It was ahead of its time and helped pave the way for later cyberpunk movies like The Matrix.

Tron: Legacy delivered a worthy sequel courtesy of Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. It updated the first film's aesthetic for the 21st century while retaining its ontological themes and cyberpunk atmosphere. It's also noteworthy for showcasing one of the first prominent instances of digital de-aging in a movie, and for its memorable soundtrack by Daft Punk. All in all, a solid sequel.

And now here's the trailer for Tron: Ares.

I appreciate the time that's taken with the Tron films; Disney doesn't spam them out the way they do with some of their other franchises. There was a 28 year gap between the first two movies, and it's been 15 years since the last one. Tron is a rare example of a sci-fi franchise Disney built from the ground up, rather than simply buying it from another studio once it was already successful. It's also the only movie franchise where I don't mind the CG effects looking dated. It's supposed to look like a video game, and the digital graphics should reflect the time in which the films were produced. I hope the third movie lives up to its predecessors. I can literally count on one hand the number of films I'm interested in seeing this year, but this is one of them.

One thing that has me concerned about Ares is the absence of Tron himself, Bruce Boxleitner, from the cast list. I hope he is involved and that they're just keeping it a secret. Even if he's only supplying Tron's voice while a younger actor plays him physically, I'd like Boxleitner to reprise the title role in some capacity.