REVIEW

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Synopsis

Set roughly 15 years after the events of Tron: Legacy, rival companies ENCOM and Dillinger Systems are in a race to perfect technology that can bring digital programs into reality. However, complications begin to arise when Ares, a highly advanced military AI program created by Julian Dillinger, begins developing sentience. Questioning his creator’s directives, his purpose — and ultimately, which side of humanity he should fight for.

*Minor spoilers for Tron: Ares ahead*

REDEFINING ‘REBOOT’ WITH EVERY ENTRY

So what kind of story should you expect from a 43-year-old franchise like Tron? Well, the answer is pretty close to what you would say about 2013’s Pacific Rim — which is 80% action spectacle (to the calibre of Kaiju-Jaegar destruction), 15% plot, and 5% of stuff like Idris Elba “Cancelling the Apocalypse!”.

But that doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards or shut off a part of your brain to enjoy this movie. Because while the plot of Tron: Ares may not push the boundaries of cerebral, high-stakes sci-fi parables, I’d argue that a unique franchise like this can get away with a lot thanks to its utterly rare ‘lightning-in-a-bottle’ release cycle.

As in, it’s probably the only commercial franchise that’s committed to creating big-budget feature films that centre around every leap in technological advancements. Effectively building its home on the cutting edge with every feature film it releases.

You have Tron (1982), which highlighted the advent of personal computers; Tron: Legacy (2010), which focused on the digitalisation of everyday life; and this instalment discussing the potential of AI (and the thin line that separates it from humanity).

That said, the latter of that bunch earns its place with a story that doesn’t besmirch its predecessors, and doesn’t pressure itself into a conclusive trilogy. All while supplying an interesting commentary on modern technology, and the state of the digital age.

So does this movie break new ground in the cinematic storytelling hall of fame? Probably not. But does it make for a great popcorn movie for Tron-and-non fans alike? You bet your ‘OS’ it does.

LIGHT TRAILS, HEAVY IMPACT

From the posters to the promo reels, it goes without saying at this stage in the franchise that every Tron film will undoubtedly come with visual spectacle and cinematographic mastery. Almost as though it’s hard-coded into its DNA.

From the awe-inspiring neon nature of the digital frontier, to the real-world technological updates that reimagine, revitalise, and revamp every new iteration of ‘The Grid’ — I’m happy to report that this third film is impressively (and exponentially ) on track when it comes to materialising face-melting visuals on the big screen.

And considering how the Light Cycles, Identity Discs, and ‘The Grid’ as a whole are somewhat proprietary to the franchise, that ultimately means you won’t get any neon action extravaganza like this anywhere else.

By ‘extravaganza’, I of course mean the ultimate [murder] frisbee, the two-wheeled action that even Tom Cruise can’t replicate (not that he has to), the spectacular world-building that’s as dynamic as the mind can imagine — and the list goes on.

THAT NINE-OUT-OF-NINE (INCH NAILS) SOUNDTRACK

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest hype factors surrounding Tron: Ares was the announcement that Nine Inch Nails (NIN) — consisting of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — would be producing the soundtrack for the film.

And while they have yet to achieve the eyebrow-raising effect of Hans Zimmer signing on to any project, they are still (without a doubt) the best movie-making decision for this franchise since the appointment of Daft Punk for the previous film.

With a composing track record for movies that includes David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010) and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024), the Rock duo ‘nails’ it again here by brilliantly synthesising dystopian-techno-futuristic sounds into a superb cover-to-cover soundtrack that overdelivers during (and well after) your viewing experience.

Truly radical, man.

PIECES ON A (MOTHER)BOARD

With regards to casting, it’s fair to say that Tron: Ares is more stacked (talent-wise) than it deserves to be — even if it’s nowhere near the ensemble of a typical Wes Anderson picture.

And I say that because — let’s be honest — although the protagonist is helmed by an Academy Award-winner (in the form of Jared Leto) and the franchise routinely celebrates its cornerstone character (à la, the various iterations of Kevin Flynn played by Jeff Bridges) — the ‘hero’ of the franchise is quite evidently the film’s digital frontier, ‘The Grid’.

Heck, even Tron — the humanoid program whom the original 1982 film is named after — was sidelined as an auxiliary character from the get-go.

So, well before we even talk about whether “the performance of a humanoid military AI program is insufferably one-dimensional”, I’d say to have any grievance about character development here (or lack thereof) would almost be like going to Burger King — emphasis on ‘Burger’ — and complaining about the soda selection.

Sodas with burgers are nice, but you’re kinda missing the bigger picture.

SUMMARY

Despite all odds (mainly the passage of time and box office numbers), the Tron franchise has entered 2025 with a modern visual upgrade that not only brings the digital world to life, but also preserves all the nostalgic glory that helped establish the classic franchise as a pop culture powerhouse throughout the decades.

It’s a celebration of the original, an homage to its sequel, and a jumpstart into a bright [neon] future for Tron films to come.

And if you’re worried about the treatment of multi-generational sci-fi franchises like this, just be glad that Tron: Ares didn’t pull a ‘Force Awakens’ (in reference to 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and just recycled a proven script before calling it ‘NEW’.

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P.S. Nothing against the Disney era of Star Wars — but they did decide that ”Somehow, Palpatine returned” was an acceptable phrase to drag the plot along by that trilogy’s third movie, so… yeah.