MyRating: YYYDirector: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Michael Sheen
MPAA: Rated PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language
For 20 years, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), didn't know why his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a well known innovative software programmer and a leading video game developer, suddenly disappeared. Despite left as a rich heir, Sam grows to become a rebellious young man, whose idealistic thoughts have made him against the corporate actions taken by his father's company, ENCOM, now led by his father's successors.
When Sam investigates a strange signal, that could possibly come from his father, sent from an old Flynn's Arcade, he unintentionally finds himself sucked into a cyber digital universe created by his father, the Grid, where his father has been trapped for the last twenty years. The Grid world is now ruled by Clu, a Program created by Kevin, whom forced a mutiny towards his Creator. Now, the father and son, with the help of Kevin's warrior confidant Quorra (Olivia Wilde), have to take a dangerous journey across the cyber universe, to fix what went wrong and to go back to the real world. But the amazing advanced cyber world has become their deathly home, with their deathly games, which will vanish their lives as easy as it is in a video-game.
This is the follow-up of the popular 1982 science fiction movie, Tron, produced by Walt Disney. A long waiting of 28 years. This sequel, Tron: Legacy, has a stunning special effects and amazing 3D. Interestingly, this movie was shot with both 2D (then converted into 3D) and real 3D cameras, with most of the scenes were shot in real 3D, only the beginning and the end of the movie were shot in 2D cameras. And when it comes into the real 3D part, you will feel the different, as it was much-much better. Actually, the 3D was awesome. The cyber world was mesmerizing with in-depth details. The fights and the races, both with cyber light-cycles and cyber light-planes were cool, especially the scene where Sam and his team have to race against the sentinel team in a deathly game with the light-cycles. It was a very exciting scene, as we know how to play that simple video-game.
The great visual effects and 3D were not followed by a good story though. The beginning of the movie was very promising up to near the middle of the film, with its wildly imaginative idea and settings, but somehow the story then faltered with weak plots and overlong unexcited dialogs. The storyline came flat and unable to develop further, with some boring moments. The pace then peaked up again in the final battle, but the story never really picked up until the end of the film. The actings were just okay. Garrett Hedlund seemed to equally fit his role as Sam Flynn. He is not outstanding, but also not bad. While Jeff Bridges played two characters, as the old Kevin Flynn and the much younger computer program, Clu.
This movie has a breathtaking visual effects, however it was hurdled by a lame script. I still recommend it since it brought something new and interesting in the visual department, just to spoil your eyes and for entertainment sake, and I suggest you watch it in 3D. But don't expect a good story. (MJ)
