Elliot Kessler

I love the “Tron” series. From the original to the 2010 sequel and even the short-lived animated show “Tron: Uprising.” I love all of it, and I wish that we had more. But there is a big problem with it: it doesn’t live up to its potential. Sure, it has fantastic stories that it tells, but they feel almost half-baked. They have the ideas, and each story has an excellent foundation that can easily make something tremendous but rarely goes further.

“Tron” has always been groundbreaking, whether it’s the original being the first film to implement a large amount of computer-generated effects, or “Tron: Legacy” in 2010 paving the way for modern de-aging technology in cinema today, which has been used in recent projects by Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, such as “The Mandalorian” and “Avengers: Endgame.” These two films are fun and have some fascinating science fiction concepts that aren’t explored very much, and that’s a shame. It could easily explore how digitizing the human consciousness could work. It could explore what makes us human and if man can create new life using the Isos. There can easily be a thematic story on the consequences of playing God and having more power than one should. It could incorporate religious themes and demonstrate how religion shapes society and the dangers of eliminating it. This last idea is practically built into the world since the programs essentially worship Kevin Flynn and his son, Sam, as gods. We even see a program falling to their knees and putting their hands together in prayer as the two walk out of the End of Line club in “Legacy.”

Instead of looking at those exciting ideas and creating think-pieces in the same vain as “Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep?” or Isacc Asimov’s “Robot” series, Disney made “Tron” an action series with a lot of leftover potential. “Tron” could have become much more, but it isn’t. There are so many concepts and ideas that “Tron” introduces, but it never follows up. It doesn’t take any time to think about whether digitizing your consciousness makes you less human or whether sentient AI is a living being. I found more exploration of a digital life-form in Orson Scott Card’s “Speaker for the Dead” and “Xenocide,” two books about space rather than a digital world, than I found in any of the “Tron” series. There is so much “Tron” can explore, but it always resorts to a mindless action story that looks cool.

I’ve spent a lot of time complaining about the “Tron” series, but I said earlier that I love it, so I want to end this article by talking about the highs of the series and the things it gets right. The original film captured what it might be like to be inside a computer very well. It might be a strange, confusing film to some, but I think it’s an enjoyable film with an interesting premise. Jeff Bridges is, by far, the best actor in the movie and would be the best actor in the whole series if Bruce Boxleitner wasn’t so good in “Legacy” and “Uprising.” While the effects of the first film are dated, to say the least, I think the retro feel makes the computer world that much more immersive. It captures the feeling of being in a computer better than “Legacy.” But “Legacy” does look much better than the original. It has a very different atmosphere than the first film. But I’m not complaining. It looks incredible, making me wonder what happened to our CGI. While the story of this film might be simple, it does have some interesting themes that make some scenes heartbreaking after you understand everything that’s going on. Still, the film makes it hard to figure all that out, which is annoying but makes the rewatches all the more enjoyable.

The movies are great, but I think the best “Tron” project has to be “Tron: Uprising.” I don’t care for the weird animation style much, but I got used to it, and it was worth tolerating for the top-tier writing. The story of Tron training a new program named Beck to take his place as protector of the Grid is very engaging, and the characters are fun and exciting. There are some very interesting relationships between characters in the show, and it helps show the broader world of the Grid and explores a few more concepts that weren’t in the films. For instance, we learn that Tron had another apprentice before Beck, but he betrayed Tron, and Tron banished him to this strange hole, but the gap turns out to be the laser that Kevin Flynn used to transport himself into the Grid. There was a whole battle inside the laser and everything, which was really interesting. I enjoyed the show very much, even though no one else watched it, and it lasted less than one season. I hope Disney revives it for Disney Plus, but I know it’s doubtful unless the next installment in the “Tron” series does well financially. Even then, if they do a “Tron” show, it will probably be completely separate from “Uprising.”

The “Tron” series has been one that I’ve loved for years. The computer world of the Grid, the fast-paced, exciting light-cycle battles and disk wars, the intriguing concepts, and the emotional stories all add to something that holds a very special place in my heart. I look forward to seeing what Disney has planned next for “Tron,” and I hope to see an update on the Jared Leto project soon. Tron lives!

Thank you for reading! Have a fantastic day.