Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, James Frain, Beau Garrett
Rating: (PG)
4 stars (out of 5)
I am old enough to have seen the original Tron in 1982 but all I remember are the costumes with their glowing electrical circuitry. While this is called Tron: Legacy (Rialto and Hoyts) and stars Jeff Bridges reprising his original role, it may as well be a stand-alone film. The original audience is too old to bother and its natural audience of science-fiction geeks are unlikely to have seen the first.
That being said, Tron: Legacy makes a useful plot point of the long gap between films.
Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been missing for 20 years, leaving his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) to grow into a prankster/outsider who hates the fat-cat company his father's firm has become but is unwilling to knuckle down and take it over as his majority shareholding entitles him to.
Sam is forced to grow up when a mysterious message summons him to a deserted warehouse, the last place his father was seen. In the wink of an eye he uncovers what a massive search failed to do, his father's secret work space.
Once inside he is automatically scanned and transmitted into the electronic gamers' world of Tron and the ride begins.
Best thing: Normally it would be Bridges whose presence is able to elevate these characters from the one-dimensional but a cameo from Michael Sheen as a frenetic David Bowie clone is an unlooked-for delight.
Worst thing: Towards the end the plot morphs from a homage to The Matrix into a remake of Moonraker, the dopiest Bond flick ever.
See it with: All those who can quote their highest video-game scores.
- Christine Powley
