TRON / TRON: Legacy 4K review by Bobby Blakey
In 1982 the world was introduced to TRON on the big screen. While the film now doesn’t seem all that impressive at the time of its release it was like nothing anyone had ever seen in films. Despite it doing decently enough and being a cult classic, it wasn’t until 2010 that the highly anticipated sequel TRON: Legacy finally hit the big screen. Now with the next chapter Tron: Aries preparing to return to the grid what better time to revisit the first two films on 4K for the first time.
TRON follows hacker/arcade owner Kevin Flynn who is digitally broken down into a data stream by a villainous software pirate known as Master Control and reconstituted into the internal, 3-D graphical world of computers. It is there, in the ultimate blazingly colorful, geometrically intense landscapes of cyberspace, that Flynn joins forces with Tron to outmaneuver the Master Control Program that holds them captive in the equivalent of a gigantic, infinitely challenging computer game.
The original film is not only groundbreaking and still holds up to perfection but also holds a special place in my heart. I saw this film when it originally came out and still have vivid memories of being blown away by what I was witnessing on screen. The film is still magic in its look and feel despite knowing the effect technology is so much better now. What they accomplished is amazing and with he enhanced hi-def looks even better. It’s a simple movie that changed the game and still holds up in its own unique visual style.
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TRON: Legacy follows Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, who looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 20 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant Quorra, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous. Meanwhile, the malevolent program CLU, who dominates the digital world, plans to invade the real world and will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.
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When this film came out, I was insanely excited as my love for TRON has never wavered. I know the feeling was mixed on this long-awaited sequel, but I love it. Of course, it doesn’t have the same magic as the original since we were already so invested in the more updated quality of the effects, but it still has that spark that took me right back to the grid in a fun new way. Getting the OG characters back made it all the better and further expanded the story in a way that just worked for me.
The high def transfer obviously enhances the film even further and looks fantastic although it does point out some of the less stellar aspects of the CGI. The digital effects of the young Jeff Bridges is the only part that doesn’t always work except when inside the grid for me, which is most of the time, looks like a computer-generated character as it should. The issue is that everyone around him doesn’t look that way, so it stands out and not always in a great way.
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TRON was digitally scanned and carefully restored by The Walt Disney Film Restoration team, who corrected dirt, warping, and other imperfections to ensure pristine image quality. The work was supervised by director Steven Lisberger. TRON: Legacy has been remastered in High Dynamic Range from the original digital sources under the supervision of director Joseph Kosinski. Meticulously remastered, both films transport audiences back to the digital frontier with an experience that is more immersive, dynamic, and visually spectacular than ever before.
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Along with previously released bonus extras, the TRON and TRON: Legacy 4K discs will generate an eye-popping collectible limited edition SteelBook® with custom artwork and packaging.
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Return to the grid and grab your copies of TRON and TRON: Legacy available now on 4K for the first time from Disney Home Entertainment.
