'Tron: Legacy'

'Tron: Legacy (PG) (3 stars)

Writers: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz based on characters by Steve Lipsberger
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, James Frain,
Bruce Boxleitner, Beau Garrett

In 1982 I was 14 years old and not a huge video gamer but a huge movie lover. A new movie was coming out that everyone was talking about. "Tron" was based on a video game and starred Jeff Bridges (still discovering one of my favorite actors then) as Flynn, a computer programmer zapped inside a video game. I was extremely pumped to see this movie because the previews looked so cool. I first saw it in a drive-in theatre but it was foggy and raining. I saw it again at a theatre inside and I was blown away. Now back then special effects weren't inundated with CGI and yes looking at "Tron" recently on DVD it is cheesy looking and there really is no deep plot. It bombed when first released but has become a cult classic. I still loved watching it last Christmas and it holds up in that cheesy way but I do totally think it deserves it's reputation. Back then this movie was actually a little ground breaking, going inside a video game. When I heard they were coming out with a new Tron I was psyched, with CGI and special effects the way they are this could be a new classic, better than the original!

I just saw the new "Tron: Legacy" at the Navy Pier IMAX and when the lights went down I was going back to my childhood and my heart beat faster and I was getting pumped up. After it was over I felt half disappointment and half a feeling of how cool it looked. I have to say this, if you see "Tron: Legacy" in regular 3D or 2D you are in for a letdown I think. If you aren't a fan of "Tron" you might like this new one better or you could think it was the worst movie of the year. This is a movie that begs to be seen in IMAX 3D because the movie looks breathtaking and awesome! These special effects are not cheesy, you are surrounded by state of the art visuals are beautiful and the movie is eye candy for the brain. The movie takes place years after "Tron" as programmer Flynn disappears on his son and goes back into the video game. His son, played by Garrett Hedlund gets himself into the game and takes over what his father started. He then runs into his dad who seems like he has turned into a Zen master. He also encounters Flynn's alter ego Clu who is Jeff Bridges, through CGI, looking 20 years younger. The younger Bridges looks creepy but I guess that goes with the movie's territory. Then Flynn and son have to battle Clu and his henchmen with the help of the beautiful Quorra played by the beautiful Olivia Wilde (TV's House).

Like the first "Tron" the plot didn't really impress me, I was just blown away by the visuals. So my suggestion is to see this on IMAX 3D because the story here is full of science fiction mumbo jumbo and that bored me. I am recommending this movie for the visual effects because I couldn't follow the science fiction jargon. The movie's huge weakness is it's middle section which is dull and full of wise sayings and a lot and I mean a lot of technical babble. Then the movie recovers with a exciting and action packed finale. I expected more out of this movie even though I loved watching the visuals and action. I guess the story weighs it down but on second thought the first "Tron" had that same exposition and jargon so this new one is faithful to the original I guess. So maybe the many "Tron" fans might find this as cool as the first one. I must say I loved Michael Sheen as a flamboyant henchman to Clu. I also think this would be a great movie to get drunk to or get high to (please, I am not telling you to get high). It is a trippy movie just like the first and that brings me to Bridges. His Flynn has some great lines of dialogue that are full of hippie sayings and I smiled, this is "The Dude" from "The Big Lebowski" stuck in a video game. Cool!

P.S. I guess I am saying if you want to see "Tron: Legacy" in IMAX 3D I give it 3 stars, if you don't see it in that format I give it 2 stars. Also those 3D glasses were so uncomfortable, can someone come up with comfortable glasses?