Year of Release: 2025
Director: Joachim Ronning
Starring: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Aaron Paul Stewart, Roger Cross
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Disney+
Synopsis and Review
Since his Oscar nominated feature "Kon-Tiki", director Joachim Ronning has taken a different path in his career, becoming a stalwart for any franchise Disney owns and that needs a solid and resourceful task master. He has tackled the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, the "Maleficent" franchise, and his most recent franchise has been "Tron" (which started with the classic from Steven Lisberger released in 1982). "Tron: Ares" focuses its narrative on a program by the name of Ares, created by Julian Dillinger, head of the organization with the name Dillinger Systems. Ares is created with the purpose of being an expendable soldier, though he begins to show signs of self awareness. Dillinger Systems and ENCOM are currently on a race to bring digital constructs to reality. While Dillinger Systems manages to bring theirs to reality for 29 minutes, Eve Kim and her associate Seth Flores from ENCOM, discover Kevin Flynn's original permanence code, which allows for digital constructs to exist for more than those 29 minutes. Ares is tasked with tracking Eve as she returns to ENCOM with the permanence code. Ares and Athena (another master program) track Eve throughout the real city, but are unable to capture her or the code - Julian eventually digitizes Eve into the Dillinger Grid. Ares manages to save Eve in an exchange for her to grant him the permanence he so desires. However Julian tasks Athena to track both Ares and Eve, get the code, and stop at nothing to realize her mission.
Here's another film to add to the list of feature films that are conceived, shot, and released, for no reason other than the familiarity of movie audiences with this particular universe. What I mean by my previous statement is the fact that this is yet another film that begs the question: does this really needed to happen and be shot? From this mediocre output, I'll go ahead and say no. This film isn't in reality a sequel to Joseph Kosinski's "Tron: Legacy" from 2010. It operates in the same universe, and even brings back Jeff Bridges for a cameo-like participation, but it chooses to focus its attention on different programs, and on a storyline that brings AI once again to the center stage, without bringing much of the whimsicality and inventiveness of the first film, or the slick sophistication from the second film. This film looks and feels like an attempt at mimicry of the films of this franchise, bares no soul or discernible point of view, and ultimately by the end of the feature, it feels as meaningless and devoid of substance much like the digital bits and bytes that is the core of most of these characters. About the characters of this film: there isn't much to say about any of them, since they're literally cardboard clichés, from the villainous CEO who stops at nothing to get ahead in business, the emotionally bruised but conscientious benign opposing CEO, and the programs who are logical, and yet bravely venturing into the real world, some experiencing an awakening, while others remain intent on following on their directives. It's baffling witnessing a film this expensive, and with such an impeccable production team, have so little to say about technology, AI, what it means to be human, and ultimately have a storyline that is exciting and adventurous. The cast is a bit all over the place, with Gillian Anderson and Jodie Turner-Smith being the only two who escape from this debacle unblemished, they make this film watchable, and dare I say it, tolerable. Jared Leto ads nothing to this film, the same going for Greta Lee. The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is fantastic, as is the cinematography from Jeff Cronenweth, with Darren Gilford's production design also featuring some inspired choices (the corporate offices for instance). It's a forgettable and mediocre endeavor.
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