TRON: Legacy (2010)

Production of LivePlanted and Walt Disney Pictures
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Starring Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett, and Michael Sheen.

In this sequel to the cult classic "TRON" (1982; is this really a sequel?  I can't figure it out), Kevin Flynn has become trapped within his own creation, leaving his son Sam to grow up and take over his multi-billion dollar software company, Encom.  When Kevin's trusted friend Alan gets a page from a disconnected number, Sam is informed, and led to his fathers old arcade.  After some snooping around and clever sleuthing, he is beamed into the very same creation his father was.  Now, he needs to save his father from his own programs, who have become self-aware. 



The first thing I have to mention is that, according to the wonderful IMDb, this movie took approximately a year and a half in post-production, while only two months of actual filming.  Its easy to see why; I would have to say that 90% of the movie takes place on The Grid.  Some of the big things they had to do included de-aging Jeff Bridges to look like he is in his thirties, in order to play the role of Clu.  Also, the suits they wore actually glowed.  Or is it "glew?"  Yeah, but they had problems.  The batteries only lasted 12 minutes, and the lights themselves weren't too flexible, so they broke when manipulated.  And costed $60,000.  I want one.

2010 was the year of Jeffrey Leon Bridges, what with "Crazy Heart," "TRON: Legacy," and "True Grit."  The man is one talented human being.  In "Legacy," he plays both parts of Kevin Flynn and Clu, the program he created in his likeness in the original movie.  Granted, there are scenes where he could have done a little better.  My favorite was the scene depicting Clu's takeover, in which Clu asks "Flynn!  Am I still to create the perfect system?" and he just responds: "...yeah?"  Kevin Flynn talks like a hippie though.  With lines like, "Bio-digital jazz, man!" or "You're messing with my Zen-thing, man!"  Perfect for Bridges, being old enough to remember that and all.  Garrett Hedlund was mediocre at best.  I feel his best scene in the movie was the opening scene, infiltrating and sabotaging his own company.  I wasn't too thrilled with him at all.  Michael Sheen's character "Zuse" also creeped the hell out of me.  His all-white appearance and psychotic dancing and cold killing and never stop smiling just plain entertained me.  He is the unsung star of this movie.  Olivia Wilde.  Kicks ass in the End of the Line Club.

Enough said.

This director, Joseph Kosinski.  I can't say I've ever heard of him before.  Chances are, neither have you.  "TRON: Legacy" was in fact his directorial debut.  I feel that he did a great job, though the acting was a little over the top, try-hard-esque on the parts of Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund.  Though I can understand the try-hard part.  The majority of the characters in the movie were supposed to be computer programs, so I can only imagine that they acted unoriginal, without much varied character at all.  I would be on the look out for this Kosinski fellow; he's got a remake of "The Black Hole" (1979) coming out in 2012.  It's got some potential, if not to see if Kosinski can actually direct without having a plan to fall back on.

"Legacy" was a pretty epic movie.  Even though the word "epic" has been officially declared overused and basically a dead word, it still an all around good word for this movie.  Its epic in the sense that its related to a cult classic older than me.  Its epic when it's pulled out of the ass of a video game.  It's epic to where they do it big.  Big fights, action scenes, major special effects, and a kick-ass babe.

"Change the scheme! Alter the mood! Electrify the boys and girls if you'd be so kind." --Castor