Did anyone ask for another “Tron” installment?
The 1982 original famously failed before becoming a cult favorite. The 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy” proved modestly successful, with few clamoring for more.
Now, with the advent of A.I., it makes sense to revive the sleeping franchise, but “Tron: Ares” suggests a Grok-ian screenplay led the way.
The film is obviously linked to the 1982 source material, but much of “Legacy” is left behind. We see fleeting images of that film’s stars (Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde), little more than visual Easter eggs.
This story pits Kevin Flynn’s enduring ENCOM versus a meany corporation named Dillinger seeking to weaponize A.I. The problem? Whatever Team Dillinger creates in the real world turns to black dust after 30 minutes.
They need to find the Permanence Code to fix the situation and change the world.
ENCOM’s scrappy leader, Eve Kim (Greta Lee), thinks she has the solution, but Dillinger’s A.I. soldiers are tasked with stopping her at all costs. That includes Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith), and they’re not limited to computer screens.
They walk among us.
Athena is a generic bad-ass, but Ares swiftly shows signs of, well, more than just artificial life. Think Data from “Star Trek: TNG” or even Ah-nold from “Terminator: Judgment Day.”
More human than human? But why the rush? It’s not Leto’s fault. His performance intrigues, but he’s been saddled with cutesy dialogue that speeds through his “evolution.” Sorry, a few shout-outs to Depeche Mode don’t seal the deal.
The story itself is simplified in a way that doesn’t suit the heady themes in play. None of that matters, for a spell, due to the visual opulence ruling every shot. Director Joachim Rønning (“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”) and his crew of FX wizards have outdone themselves here.
New worlds. New visuals. Stunning, all stunning. The NIN soundtrack slots effortlessly into this cyber-realm, distracting us from the sad truth. This is a glib, crowd-pleasing sequel with all the depth of a Sunday morning puddle.
It’s never dull, and the able cast creates some tension that’s sadly lacking in the screenplay. Evan Peters isn’t up to the task of playing the film’s heavy – the head of Dillinger. His scenes with co-star Gillian Anderson, playing his common-sense Momma, come up as minor at best.
A few action scenes crackle, but they’re burdened with franchise call-outs. Why do those Tron bikes still leave a physical wall in their wake? Can’t we move on from those disc-like weapons?
The project feels like a contractual obligation, rather than a new story born from a fascinating but flawed ’80s feature.
That leads us to Jeff Bridges’ return, a glorified cameo that adds little to the proceedings beyond the obligatory member berries.
“Tron: Ares” looks like the future of filmmaking, but in more ways than one, it’s rooted in the franchise-heavy present.
HiT or Miss: “Tron: Ares” is slick and easily digested, but you’ll forget what you saw on the ride home from the theater.
The post ‘Tron: Ares’ Offers A.I. for Dummies appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
from Movies - Hollywood in Toto https://ift.tt/GKhAlVd
0 Comments: