Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Tron: Legacy’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The great debate as to whether or not sequels or remakes to classic films and franchises should exist at all is one that will continue on for years to come. But whether or not you like or dislike them, we can certainly agree upon one thing. There is a curiosity piqued within all of us when it comes to films that fit this mold.

We always wonder what the classics might possibly look like when given the modern filmmaking treatment, especially when it comes to special effects and once someone poses the question of 'what if?' that's usually when a refresh of the story arrives. We either embrace it, or fire our disdain toward it; but once in a while these experiments in updates just so happen to surprise us all with top notch quality from top to bottom, as was the case with the long awaited sequel to Tron; Tron: Legacy.

Now this is a motion picture that quickly satisfies our curiosity and answers the question as to what the original would have looked like if it was made in the modern era with gusto; giving us a visual feast for the eyes with stunning color and special effects that quite frankly drop your jaw. But while the folks behind the scenes could have left it at that and called it good, they decided that this movie was an opportunity to move out from under the shadow of the original and provide the fans with an epic and sweeping story that would engage and engross the audience.

The end result of this decision was nothing short of spectacular because Legacy does indeed stand on its own thanks to its story. This rich world where programs have been allowed to thrive is absolutely fascinating, especially considering how human they have become after all this time. That of course lends to some thematic concepts regarding religion and the notion that if man was created in God's image, program was created in man's image and there was an opportunity to explore how the programs could potentially respond to the idea of man being their God...but the film never quite goes down that road, instead it lends it focus to a story of tragedy and limitation since Clu's journey is a heartbreaking one to say the least.

After all, he is a villain who doesn't quite understand right versus wrong. He is simply a digital man, one with a set of limitations programming wise that drive him to do what his coding tells him is right to allow him to create the perfect world and perfect simulation. He only knows what his program will allow and while the audience can certainly despise him for this, a second viewing evokes a sense of pity since this is all he will ever know and that equally makes the rest of this world a tragedy as well, since these programs only know how to function within the limits of their code. It makes for a brilliant film to say the least, one that is thought provoking and surprisingly philosophical. This is another one of those modern classics for certain, and while there are no current plans to bring a third entry in the series to the silver screen, let's not forget it almost took thirty years to bring Tron: Legacy to life, so here's to hoping that Disney eventually gives this story the sequel... or conclusion it so deserves. 

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