Tr2n trailer(yes that says Tron 2)*sorry bad quality*

[Bullwinkle]

Hey, Jeff Bridges was on Tonight Show yesterday. He's in the odd position of having two films (Tron on Dec. 17, and True Grit on Dec. 22) open within a week of each other. Bizarre, no?  

He talked a bit about the motion capture work to play the younger "evil" version of his character. An interesting thing he said was that the motion capture animators were trying to replicate his look in the 1984 film "Against All Odds" (w/ Rachel Ward and James Bridges, though it's maybe better known for Phil Collins' title track hit song), working off footage from it, rather than from the original Tron. Perhaps too much of the footage from the original film had funky lighting.

Maybe it was because he had a funky cap on for most of the movie.

From what I've been able to glean from the trailers, the flashback stuff actually takes place after the original Tron, so it makes sense that they're trying to match up to a slightly later film (though I don't know how much of a difference two years would really make).

[USMC Kato]

The movie rocks, and I will go see it again and again..... 

[PeteRock]

The movie rocks, and I will go see it again and again..... 

 

[Blackjack]

The couple mainstream reviews I've read (EW and Roger Ebert) have been surprisingly, relatively enthusiastic about the movie (B, 3/4 stars etc.) though maybe more as a visual experience than for a story or characters that's memorable, or an understandable plot. Which would mostly be in keeping with the original movie, so that's not necessarily a surprise or even a bad thing.

I'm still kind of surprised Disney-owned ABC isn't re-airing Tron this week. I really haven't seen it on TV much over the years.

[Blackjack]

Some fun Q&A with fans at CNN (the video at the top of the page in particular -- in Bruce Boxleitner's case, he uses an iPad to watch the video of the fan asking his question):
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/16/tron.go.irpt/index.html?hpt=Sbin

I gotta admit I was skeptical about all this but now I'm gradually warming up and wanting to see it soon.  

And of course I'm sentimental about the scrawny 17 year old me watching Tron by himself (I think I've mentioned my best friend and another pal just didn't think it sounded "fun") in July 1982. And about the cool Tron light cycle arcade game I played quite a bit my first year of collage -- I think it was in one of our two dorm buildings, and I walked over to the other dorm building quite a bit to play it.   Unfortunately, our building only had, I think, Donkey Kong and Joust. 

[Harkonis]

Saw it last night, liked it a lot.  first time seeing 3d and it was pretty impressive.  Good action, good effects, hot women, decent plot, lots of nice little nods to fans of the original.  I enjoyed it. 

Not going to win any non-special effects awards, but was a fun time.

Spoiler for Hiden:

  I liked how the ending was left open. Tron potentially still active under water, Flynn may or may not be totally gone or just transformed.

The younger effects on Bridges were definitely good, but disturbing.  However it works because it should be a bit disturbing in this case.  They are still a bit off from it 'working' in a different atmosphere though.

[Teggy]

I watched the original last night with my wife who had never seen it - she was too young when it came out and is geeky in a Doctor Who/Stargate/Harry Potter/SyFy shows way, but not in a Tron sort of way. She didn't fall asleep during it, so I guess that's a plus   Forgot that the original DVD (the one I own, rather than the anniversary edition) was non-anamorphic. Yuck.

[Blackjack]

I've been amused that some of the negative reviews I've seen are so much like the negative/lukewarm reviews for Tron in 1982 -- complaining it's too geeky, has too much cyber-babble, etc. The more things change, the more they remain the same.  

There was all this talk Pixar was brought in late to "massage" the storyline and beef up some characters, but I don't get the impression there's much in the story that's Pixar-ish.

Jeff Bridges was wonderful in his Oscar-nominated turn in Starman in the mid 1980s, and I think he's pretty good at playing someone seemingly not in the correct skin -- even without special effects to help him. 

[Blackjack]

So nobody saw it tonight? Thank God for You Tube. I'm watching the original film again in bits and pieces.  

Best Scene from Tron (Flynn getting indocrinated into light disc battles and the, uh, digital jai-alai games, more than 8 minutes of footage)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEU5Mk_pmlE&feature=related

Tron Lightbike Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ODe9mqoDE
imho, this still holds up nicely 28 years later. And hell, it's still cool to watch.   Though I can't help thinking a more experienced director than Lisberger might've developed a livelier pacing for the non-effects sequences.

[PR_GMR]

Watched it tonight.. and I wasn't dissapointed. I thought the film was very well executed. The visuals are impressive. And the Daft Punk musical score is just perfect. The whole movie has this austere.. or contemplative tone to it, but I thought that was very fitting since the first movie felt that way. Lastly, the skin job they did on Jeff Bridges is state-of-the-art, but felt very eerie and not quite real. All in all, this one is worth catching at the theater. Might go see it again.

[leo8877]

Is it worth seeing in 3D, or will 2D suffice?

[Harkonis]

3d definitely for this one.  It works well with the design of the world imo.

[Sarkus]

The professional reviewers seem to dislike the movie as a whole (Metacritic is below 50) and I've seen a lot of unhappy talk on other boards from people who were excited about the film.   So I'm not sure if I'm going to bother.  The weekend estimates are ok but not great for a big film, opening at $43.6m.  Even if it manages to accomplish the typical 3x opening weekend final US box office numbers, that's not a very good result from Disney's point of view.  And that assumes the bad word of mouth doesn't further depress results.  The only thing they have going for them is that so far December is not a good movie month.  For example, the other big weekend release of Yogi Bear looks like it's bombing.

[leo8877]

3d definitely for this one.  It works well with the design of the world imo.

Cool thanks Hark

[raydude]

I saw it in 2D with the wife (she can't handle 3D very well, makes her nauseous). I thought it was enjoyable (I loved the original Tron) in 2D. But I also think it was good enough to warrant another viewing in 3D with my friends.

[leo8877]

Really enjoyed the movie and highly recommend the 3D, I thought it was well done.

[Blackjack]

The professional reviewers seem to dislike the movie as a whole (Metacritic is below 50) and I've seen a lot of unhappy talk on other boards from people who were excited about the film.   So I'm not sure if I'm going to bother.  The weekend estimates are ok but not great for a big film, opening at $43.6m.  Even if it manages to accomplish the typical 3x opening weekend final US box office numbers, that's not a very good result from Disney's point of view.  And that assumes the bad word of mouth doesn't further depress results.  The only thing they have going for them is that so far December is not a good movie month.  For example, the other big weekend release of Yogi Bear looks like it's bombing.

EW pointed out that the CinemaScore audience surveys (which sometimes indicate if a movie will have any legs, or of its box office will collapse in 2 weeks) rated it B+, fwiw. It's probably going to need legs or some sold international box office to really turn a profit.

I assume a lot of people (esp. those who never saw the '82 film) hoped to feel like they did when they saw the first Matrix movie in 1999.

I do think that if Disney had really handed the keys to Pixar (even if Pixar isn't used to live-action per se) rather than just bring them in late for some attempts at story-character beefing-up, perhaps the result would've been something meatier in terms of story and character, rather than mostly being a brilliant effects show.

Although the original Tron was perceived as a flop, it had a not-so-crazy-for-1982 $17M budget (compared to say, $25M for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and $33M for Return of the Jedi in 1983), and gradually accumulated about $33M supposedly at the box office. It's just, compared to the money E.T. raked in that summer or other summer blockbusters of that era, Tron was a disappointment for Disney. Also disappointing at the box office that summer were Blade Runner and The Thing, but I think that just shows that sometimes box office "disappointments" end up feeling special later on, when they're judged as films rather than on the basis of "So, how much money did it make? If it didn't make $100M or set a weekend box office gross record, it must suck, right?"  

[PR_GMR]

Also disappointing at the box office that summer were Blade Runner and The Thing, but I think that just shows that sometimes box office "disappointments" end up feeling special later on, when they're judged as films rather than on the basis of "So, how much money did it make? If it didn't make $100M or set a weekend box office gross record, it must suck, right?"  

Exactly. All those three movies are now very well regarded. Box office isn't a clear indicator of a movie's quality. I also think the critics are missing the point about this sequel. It feels right on par with the first movie. It's basically an '80s movie'; that's what turning off some critics and audience members. It has a nice 'Kubrickian sheen' to it, too. A movie doesn't have to have over-the-top 'This Is Sparta!!!!' moments and hyper-frenetic action to be good. 'Tron: Legacy' got the job done. Watch it.. preferrably in 3D.

[kratz]

I think I'll go see it even with the reviews being bleh... but I'll watch anything Jeff Bridges does.  I even watched that horrible gymnastics movie when it was on HBO.  I could go for some fun.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Ok, let me jump in - I *loved* it.  I thought it was fantastic and I'm going to certainly see it again.  I saw it in 3D and the lightcycle scenes alone make it worth it.  Perfect?  No.  Awesome?  Yes.   And I have to completely agree on the soundtrack - Daft Punk really outdid themselves.

[ibdoomed]

I had trouble with the poor job done on Clu's head. They should have just animated the whole body. The mouth specifically was off and the head kept moving out of sync with the body. Often I couldn't focus on the words so I'll have to wait for it on BR so I can watch the subtitles and get the story. Overall I liked all the non-Clu scenes.

[Soulchilde]

I must say I disliked this movie and this is from someone that enjoyed Transformer 2. I can't put my hand on it, but I just felt like the movie was very weak.  3D was awesome, but the story was blah.   I had a real problem getting immersed into the story

Spoiler for Hiden:

I figured out who Rinzler was and his changing sides at that moment with no other type of lead up was just bullshit

[Zarkon]

I must disagree.  And yes, I enjoyed the movie.  I had a few nitpicky things, but nothing much.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Actually, the changing sides was pretty well choreographed.  At the beginning, you could see how Clu had turned the Grid against the users.  When it was revealed that Sam was a user, there was a /ton/ of booing.  Later, when Quorra (HATE HATE HATE that spelling) sent Sam to where he ran into the girl, it was mentioned that the guy always plays all the angles, which should honestly be expected of someone acting essentially as a spymaster.  He believed that it was better for him personally to be on Clu's good side as opposed to 'maybe' bringing Clu down.  After all, if Clu wins and you don't help him when you had a chance, your ass is toast.  It was a very rationally selfish decision, which didn't work out like he had hoped, but more as he had feared.

[kratz]

Went to the late show last night... it was hard to stay awake.  I was surprised at how light on action it really ended up being... there was a massive section of talking in the later half... not a good thing for a movie with dialog this bad. 

The visuals were obviously impressive, with the exception of fake Jeff Bridges, who has taken up permanent residence in the uncanny valley... I didn't think it worked at all.  If all non user characters had been similarly rendered, it would've made more sense, but just having one guy who looked like a plastic zombie head was terrible.  I'm surprised they can't do better 8 years after Gollum.

The plot was a mish mash of star wars, batman and lord of the rings with a sprinkling of inception on top.  People mostly talked in one liners, none of which were any good...

The main actor was nauseating to look at.  Chick was hot.  Couple action set pieces were pretty fun... I would've enjoyed an early show more, probably.  Thing is overlong.

[th'FOOL]

I must disagree.  And yes, I enjoyed the movie.  I had a few nitpicky things, but nothing much.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Actually, the changing sides was pretty well choreographed.  At the beginning, you could see how Clu had turned the Grid against the users.  When it was revealed that Sam was a user, there was a /ton/ of booing.  Later, when Quorra (HATE HATE HATE that spelling) sent Sam to where he ran into the girl, it was mentioned that the guy always plays all the angles, which should honestly be expected of someone acting essentially as a spymaster.  He believed that it was better for him personally to be on Clu's good side as opposed to 'maybe' bringing Clu down.  After all, if Clu wins and you don't help him when you had a chance, your ass is toast.  It was a very rationally selfish decision, which didn't work out like he had hoped, but more as he had feared.

You're confusing Castor with Rinzler

[th'FOOL]

Went to the late show last night... it was hard to stay awake.  I was surprised at how light on action it really ended up being... there was a massive section of talking in the later half... not a good thing for a movie with dialog this bad. 

It was a ton of action compared to the original, which I love in many ways but has never failed to put me to sleep in the last act for the last several viewings. That said, I went into this hoping for a decent popcorn flick with more coherence than the original and I got that in spades. Saw it 3D IMAX twice and look forward to adding it to my collection next year. Yes, there was a ridiculous amount of exposition, but three things:

1. Jeff Bridges' as techno-shaman= awesome
2. Daft Punk bringing their A-game and delivering a soundtrack that blended perfectly and providing the perfect texture
3. Olivia Wilde. Holy shit.

[PeteRock]

Saw this yesterday in Imax 3D.  First, I'm a big fan of the original.  One of my favorite Disney films of all-time.  Friends mock me, my wife doesn't understand it, but I continue to watch the original whenever the mood strikes.

When asked what I thought of Legacy, my response was simply, "Really.  Fucking.  Cool."  The light cycle race and the disc battles were really cool and action packed, the visuals were stunning and beautiful, the soundtrack added so much to the film (not really into techno, not sure I can see myself listening to the soundtrack without the accompanying film, but along with the movie the soundtrack was simply awesome), and the overall sound was theater-shaking goodness. 

My primary gripes were Flynn's transformation from an eclectic, brilliant programmer to a philosophizing hippie (too much of The Dude from The Big Lebowski in the character), some of the story developments were a bit cliche, once again the sci-fi elements were borrowed from a number of preexisting storylines, but overall the visuals, action, soundtrack, sound, and numerous nods to the original for fans like me all combined for a fantastic ride.  I'd like to see it again, but at $16 a pop at Imax I may just wait to shake my living room walls when it is released on DVD. 

Overall I simply loved it.  Really.  Fucking.  Cool.  I might even grab the soundtrack. 

[naednek]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

[Gratch]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

My feelings exactly, although the story was actually better than I was expecting.  Even Mrs. Gratch liked it...her exact comment was, "I was expecting some stupid cheesy geek movie, but actually really liked that."  The light cycle scene alone was worth the price of admission.  I was also very impressed with the "young" Bridges.  There were a couple scenes that looked a bit off, but otherwise it was amazingly well done.  That technology is rather remarkable.

Kicking myself for not picking up the soundtrack when it was $3 last week.   Normally can't stand Daft Punk, but they completely nailed this one.

[Harkonis]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

might be time to get your glasses checked (or get some if you don't)

[Gratch]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

might be time to get your glasses checked (or get some if you don't)

I'm not getting why everyone is drooling over her either.  She's quite average.  The chick in white (Gem?) was waaaaaaaay hotter.

[naednek]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

might be time to get your glasses checked (or get some if you don't)

I'm not getting why everyone is drooling over her either.  She's quite average.  The chick in white (Gem?) was waaaaaaaay hotter.

compare her to her character in house and you'll see how hot she can be. 

[Greggy_D]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

might be time to get your glasses checked (or get some if you don't)

This.  She was WAY bangin'.  I have overheard three separate chicks at work say they are getting her haircut from the movie.

[Teggy]

Her elbows are too glowy.

[CeeKay]

Her elbows are too glowy.

Plus you're so SCSI and she's totally FireWire.

[ScubaV]

I saw this last night.  Eh, it was mediocre.  I thought it was similar to Avatar in that the story was cheesy and cliche to the extreme, but the visual style and effects were very interesting.  Plus, Tron has an amazing soundtrack to go with it.  On the minus side, the visuals and 3D weren't nearly as jaw-droppingly impressive as Avatar.

[kronovan]

On the minus side, the visuals and 3D weren't nearly as jaw-droppingly impressive as Avatar.

I agree, from what I'd read I was under the impression that it would be on par with Avatar with similar OMG visual moments, but to my surprise it wasn't. I do think the visual effects were very good and it was worth the extra $ to see it in 3D, but I didn't come away thinking I'd just had a stellar visual experience. I though the CGI Jeff Bridges was excellent - almost flawless.

The story was actually a bit better than I expected, but I still felt it was below the 1st film. I had no idea about this,

Spoiler for Hiden:

The miraculous evolution of the ISO's and the genocide that CLU committed against them.

which I felt that was an interesting twist. I really liked the music, but my son surprised me in his disappointment that some of the original music wasn't worked into a more modern mix for Legacy. My biggest complaint is that the script just seemed to be missing the good flow that the original had. I was surprised that I actually felt bored at a few moments - something that's never occurred during my multiple viewings of the original. I'd still give a thumbs up, but I'd limit that to fans of the original or fans of SciFi film.

BTW, did anyone notice the awesome city the outdoor locations were shot in.  

[Nth Power]

I thought it was pretty good.  Agreed that the story was the weak point, but I liked the 3D.  This was only my second movie I've seen with 3D, so I was pleasantly surprised it looked that good, but maybe IMAX helped. 
and normally I'm not a huge Olivia Wilde fan, but she looked way hot. 

[rittchard]

I thought it was pretty good.  Agreed that the story was the weak point, but I liked the 3D.  This was only my second movie I've seen with 3D, so I was pleasantly surprised it looked that good, but maybe IMAX helped. 
and normally I'm not a huge Olivia Wilde fan, but she looked way hot. 

I took my nephew to see it and he enjoyed it   I liked it too, really brought back some nostalgia because I was obsessed with it as a kid.  Some of the effects were amazing, particularly the light cycle/plane sequences.  I think the problem with the movie was that it couldn't decide what it wanted to be, so ultimately it had trouble with it's "identity."  You can tell someone wanted it to be a serious, weighty, message-driven piece, someone else wanted it to be the next Matrix, and Disney wanted it to be a kid-friendly franchise.  So you get elements of all of that and I think that made it play overly long.  Overall still I had a good time.

[hepcat]

saw this last night.

I like it, story was quite weak, but the special effects were cool, as well as the 3D.  Disappointed in the hot factor of Oliva Wilde, she was just plain looking.

might be time to get your glasses checked (or get some if you don't)

I've come to the conclusion that I'd watch the Michael Jackson autopsy video if there were a remote chance Olivia Wilde would be handing the coroner the scalpel at some point.