For some, “Tron: Ares” was one of the most anticipated movies this year. Whether you were a long-time fan of the series or were drawn in by the promised grand visuals, there were ample reasons to be excited for this release. Spoilers ahead here. The movie focuses on Ares, a Master Control Program who serves Julian Dilinger, CEO of the tech company Dillinger Systems, and his quest for self-awareness. Dillinger Systems aims to secure a military contract, while rival company ENCOM led by Eve Kim is researching to assist with the humanitarian crisis. Both corporations have developed a way to bring digital elements from the Grid, a digital world with programs such as AI soldier programs or actual food, into the real world, but the only caveat is that they last for just 29 minutes before they “derez” and die, leading to the search for a “permanence code” that was created and lost years ago. Ares is brought into the real world by Dilinger to try and steal the code after Eve Kim discovers it, but decides to help her after he realizes Dilinger is willing to kill her for it. The movie then follows Ares and Eve’s journey trying to get the permanence code after she initially destroyed it when captured. After viewing, it’s difficult to determine whether this film lived up to its hype.
The “Tron” series spans three movies over four decades, dating all the way back to the original 1982 film, with its use of computer-generated imagery while it was still in its infancy. This was subsequently followed by a 38-year gap until “Tron: Legacy” was released in 2010, revamping story elements with more advanced visual effects, supported by a highly acclaimed soundtrack by Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese. Now it’s “Tron: Ares” turn to offer audiences further continuation of the story, supplied with the most powerful CGI to date. The latter is undeniably the high point, the spectacle of visuals provided is incredibly engaging, and meshed with the unique electronic/rock soundtrack from the band Nine Inch Nails, makes for some great action moments.
As for the many other elements of the film, “Tron: Ares” fell short. Almost every other character besides the big three and a half, Ares, Julian, Eve, and another security program for Dillinger Systems called Athena, is nothing but complete filler, there to add either a weak comedic substance or act as a stepping stone plot point for one of the other characters. I can almost promise you that you won’t remember their names the moment after the credits roll. The acting involved also leaves much to be desired, especially since there was really a good setup to pull a deeper emotional depth from the characters. An AI trying to discover what it means to be alive, a sister doing everything she can to honor her passed siblings memory by striving to finish her work that would cure many world problems while also being the face of a tech giant, and another tech giant living in the shadow of his grandfather who is on the edge of company collapse pushing his moral lengths to their limits to get ahead. Again, the film’s prioritization of flashy action sequences abandons any further exploration of these honestly very interesting subjects, and no one’s performance sticks out as particularly powerful.
The homages made in the film feel done less out of respect for the previous work but more as a desperate ploy for nostalgia to pique your interest in the movie in the latter half, when it really is boring. There is an incredibly confusing subplot with Ares saving Eve Kim after being a prisoner of Julian, and possibly falling in love with her for the empathy she displays. This is also after Ares learns every personal thing she has ever done through her data being hacked by Julian to try and find the permanence code, leaving it completely unclear to the audience whether Ares’ goal is to seek connection or find his own life. Felt incredibly unnecessary and more of an afterthought of a producer to include a romantic point, which was present in the previous 2 films. Doesn’t work here, and if there was more focus on Ares self discovery it could’ve made for a much more engaging character. Because of this, the ending doesn’t really offer any greater satisfaction to the audience, as Ares, in his quest for basically becoming human, is boiled down to knowing life is precious and traveling to a foreign country. This movie really had incredible potential to display the potential view of AI .
