Tron: Ares - Film Review Friday

Ever since I first watched ‘Tron: Legacy’ as a child, I’ve dreamt of seeing the battle between programs and users outside of the Grid. After 15 years, the dream has been realised in ‘Ares’. My hopes were high after watching the first teaser trailer, seeing the lightcycles in a high-speed pursuit against cops and using their stream to slice right through a police cruiser. As each piece of marketing made its way to me, I felt more and more confident that this would be the film that would bring the trilogy full-circle. The entry that recognised that spark of childhood imagination we all had, the sequel that would prove ‘Tron’ to be a landmark in sci-fi cinema. As I exited the theatre and as I write this review, I think to myself, “was it worth the wait”. Yeah, it was worth it.

‘Tron: Ares’ follows the titular program as he goes on an odyssey to find the permanence code, a file that could grant him a genuine chance at life beyond the Grid and unchain him from the shackles of Julian Dillinger, his creator. Dillinger is on the hunt to use the code to prolong his soldiers lifespans beyond 29 minutes, securing himself a business deal with the military, which would allow the use of AI soldiers on the frontlines. Ares’s journey turns deadly when he disobeys orders and goes AWOL, causing Dillinger to send out Ares’s fellow soldier, Athena, to eliminate him. Ares searches for Eve Kim, the only person who can access the code and Dillinger's rival.

The score, composed by Nine Inch Nails, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Each track feels as if it transcends the medium, seeping from one scene into another like a relay race. I was sceptical before watching, since Daft Punk’s ‘Legacy’ soundtrack has become religious to me. Every time I thought of ‘Tron’, I could always hear ‘Son Of Flynn’, ‘Derezzed’ and ‘Arena’, but after watching ‘Ares’, I now only hear ‘As Alive As You Need Me To Be’.

The Nine Inch Nails soundtrack feels like the perfect musical representation of corruption and restoration. ‘100% Expendable’ is a brilliant example. It sounds like a broken video game, something that can bring you joy and peacefulness but is almost too weak to carry out its purpose. I see ‘Infiltrator’ as a clear homage to ‘Derezzed’, though it adapted it to a more villainous theme, stripping away the synth melodies but keeping the powerful tempo. ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ is one of the standout tracks, adopting a more child-like melody with meditative lyrics, making it a perfect anthem for Ares.

“Voices calling someplace I could never go

Oh, I wish I didn’t know

If I could stay here, I could find a way somehow

Think I would be better now”

• ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, Nine Inch Nails

The visuals are absolutely stunning, but can be over-stimulating at times. While the Grid, vehicles and program's suit look as slick and stylish as ever, striking a sci-fi noir look, the brightness goes overboard during most sequences. I feel the command of hue ‘Legacy’ possesses is more superior – in calm, meditative scenes, the colours were muted and tranquil. ‘Ares’ doesn't have that same subtlety. Be prepared for a full ocular assault.

The Grid feels more lifeless in this film. While we have a large roster of supporting human characters, I would have loved to see the Grid get the same treatment ‘Legacy’ gave it. The only time we see opposing programs is in a sequence where Ares and his platoon infiltrate the ENCOM database (also the only time we see Cameron Monaghan despite his name being featured in the opening credits). Perhaps it would have overloaded the film, but I would have loved to see other programs living their own lives. It’s part of what enamoured me with the franchise in the first place. But perhaps that’s a hint at the lore; maybe all humanity was taken away from programs after the events of the previous film.

I don’t hate Jared Leto as much as the internet does. I feel he performs at least passably in the films I’ve seen, but I can understand why people are unnerved by his acting. He feels alien, not quite human as a person, but that makes him a great choice for a character like this. His unemotional, constantly observing demeanour means he nails his role as an AI program making first contact with Earth. Unfortunately, that also means he’s incredibly hard to see as a protagonist, as he leaves no emotional response to his purpose. Does he really want to live forever? I can’t tell.

Greta Lee plays Eve Kim, a programmer who is one of the few humans to ever see the Grid in person. She had true potential to pull off a stellar performance, but the writers held her back quite a bit. A protagonist’s reaction to seeing an unfathomable world for the first time is top priority and the script clearly robbed her of a fair chance. She may seem like a protagonist, but the writers have seemingly given her a supporting character role, becoming John Connor to Leto’s Terminator. The writers had the power to strike a dynamic like Sam and Quorra had in ‘Legacy’, with both having unique fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses. However, the dynamic presented here places too much strength upon Ares and too little helpfulness upon Eve

Evan Peters portrays Julian Dillinger, Ares’s creator and commander who is recklessly power-hungry. Peters plays Julian as childish, egotistical and vengeful, which works well. He's quite unpredictable, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat, anticipating his victory or surrender.I’m excited about the direction the character could go in the future.

So did this live up to my childhood dreams? Yes. There are a few things I take issue with, but they can easily be forgiven. They've delivered what every ‘Tron’ child had wanted from the start: a Terminator-esque battle film, pitting users against programs, humans against AI. I can't criticise. Thank you, Joachim Rønning. 8-year-old Mason is overjoyed.