IR Film Review: TRON - ARES [Disney]

The perspective of "Tron" and its lore has changed over the years. The aspect is approach and relevance. And with what is going on with artificial intelligence, it would seem ripe for an updated take. "Tron: Legacy" was an interesting approach and moved more with nostalgia but definitely had its moments (despite the scenes of Michael Sheen's grandstanding). The main aspect against it is that the AI element of Clu had not quite caught up to us in 2010. "Tron: Ares" has the advantage of the technology and the story is not too bad but its real world connotation doesn't contain the necessary dread and its leading man is just not the right fit because he is too recognizable as himself. Jared Leto is of course at this point is the reason that the film has been made. His taste in material is not bad. "Morbius" was not a bad idea at heart but the script wasn't there. The script is better here but still comes off as B grade despite its budget. The problem is that Leto has one look and he doesn't quite move from that. As good of an actor as he could or can be, there is a problem with separation. "Tron Legacy" felt more A movie than this does. This has unfortunately more of a B storyline overall despite its concept.

The issue of permanence (which is central here) obviously makes a lot of sense. The interesting aspect is that what made the previous movies interesting (aka The Grid) is less in the forefront than bringing the grid to the real world here. Leto plays Ares, an AI soldier taken come the grid under the perspective of Julian Dillinger (the grandson of the original film's protagonist). Dillinger brings these aspects into the world as part of defense contract bid. The film in the beginning through a news montage prologue attempts to explain off Sam Flynn (Garrett Hudlund) who escaped the grid at the end of "Tron: Legacy" with a sentient AI named "Quora" (Olivia Wilde). This opened the world to a new idea but unfortunately this film barely touches on it (until the very end per se) which, beyond the set up, makes "Tron: Ares" merely a coda. "Ares" has an interesting concept for the path of Leto's character but having Leto as the lead just doesn't engage. He actually works fine for the first half of the movie when he is inside the grid but once he comes out ...the mythology of what he becomes and what powers he still possesses in the real world become murky and it more becomes trying to tell sarcastic jokes on the nature of real life which don't exactly land. That is where the filmm loses it. Would the film have worked better with an unknown like in Tron Legacy? Perhaps. But also Joseph Kosinski in "Tron: Legacy" had a much bigger fandom and deep cut perspective than Ares director Joachim Rønning who previously directed "Malificent: Mistress Of Evil".

Rønning is not a bad director but something like Tron needs a stronger auteur sense. Otherwise it is a big budget movie without a compass. Greta Lee, one of the stars of "Past Lives" plays Eve Kim, who apparently with her sister took over Enron and split it with Dillinger, specifically with his daughter (Gillian Anderson). Sam Flynn apparently disappeared for personal reasons (according to the prologue). For fans, it creates a bit of shoddy work. Kim's reasoning as Eve makes sense but we don't get a full sense of relevance. Anderson had a great platform but she ultimately is just supporting Peters, who is usually very good but seems a little more two dimensional here despite the set up. That said, Anderson, who could have really balanced in a Scully perspective instead of the ice queen is wasted for the most part. That said there are sequences that are interesting. One is on its own but in retrospect almost feels like the beginning of "Solo". It is cool and thrilling for what it is but also sets up the crux of the entire movie. The other one happens towards the end of the movie and is more based in nostalgia and is where Jeff Bridges comes back in.

The part is an attempt to connect it to the original but Bridges' story was really completed in the last one...and was supposed to play on in Alan and Sam...but that is mostly again ignored here. Jodie Turner-Smith plays an interesting bad guy ultimately in Athena and the thought of binary, of yes and no, plays into her character but the real world destruction doesn't carry any consequence per se...whereas Quorra first seeing the new world did. The movie seemingly was shot in Vancouver and that makes sense like the llast one. The final part of the puzzle which much of the marketing seemed based on was the soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, basically Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have done scores before together (see "The Social Network) but this was done under Nine Inch Nails for the hook. While it is more synth pushed and pounding than what Daft Punk did on "Legacy" (which wasn't bad), it is not enough to save the movie.

Leto's will (surprisingly) got the film made) but Cillian Murphy (who seemingly played the Dillinger son peripherally) in "Legacy" would have made more sense and maybe would have held until the script was better or carried more weight. But Murphy really didn't have his star power until after his "Oppenheimer" Oscar win and seemingly might not have used that juice to get this made. "Tron" is an interesting IP but even if, in its inception, it was an anomaly but it was one that was great for its age in 1982. "Legacy" did its best to duplicate it but didn't make the right culture/monetary dent to keep it going (see "Dune: Part I" which did). "Tron: Ares" is wishful thinking but despite its budget and approach feels B grade empty at times without a true sense of wonder. Think "Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania" ass well. This is an nteresting idea but not quite brought to bear but also because with Leto, despite his enthusiasm, cannot disappear as a leading man. That said, and this makes the point, he was fantastic in "Blade Runner 2049" which also failed but was a distinctly better scripted and executed movie despite the all too recognizable face of Ryan Gosling yet with a much more invested, sure hand in Denis Villeneuve. C

By Tim Wassberg