Movie Review
Animation giant Disney has always had its fair share of peaks and troughs. Of late, however, there has been little reason to applaud the famous studios. Apart from the ridiculous amount of unabashed merchandising and the launch of cringe-worthy TV-channels, Disney has been producing some mediocre live-action family dramas/children's films throughout the past decade.
As the film commences, we follow the progress of Kevin Flynn (an expertly digitized Jeff Bridges) as he plans to bring about a scientific revolution with his brainchild "the grid", a new milestone in free information technology. Alas, on the very eve of his discovery, he disappears. Twenty years later, his son Sam finds himself pulled into a virtual world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games, only to find that his father's been trapped there the whole time. Thus begins Sam's struggle to liberate himself and his father from what is obviously a digitized reimagination of an ancient Sparta/Rome.
Following last year's Special-effects extravaganza Avatar, this happens to be one of the first live-action films to have
implemented the 3-D technology during production. The result is quite apparent : the production design and visual effects are top-notch, and the 3-D, though sporadically used throughout the film, is way better than any of this year's kitschy visual gimmicks. Jeff Bridges's retro-look is expertly and deceivingly constructed. The only downside is that all of the technology is focused on creating a world overflowing with neon lights and grid lines and, no matter how hard the makers try to impress us with the film's faux technology, it simply can't match the thrill experienced from, say, an environmental utopia (Avatar/King Kong). Still, there are shots from action sequences that will leave you in awe of the film's aesthetics.
Which is where the positive facets of the film end. Tron starts and picks up swiftly, only to later suffer from an absolute lack of a good enough screenplay. The writing is so inadequate in fact, that at times, you'll find yourself about to doze off, despite the ground-breaking action. Almost each character is provided with a back-story, each of them being equally dull and emotionless. The acting is nothing special - Jeff Bridges unsuccessfully tries to fit into the "wise old man" archetype; Garrett Hedlund is hardly noticable, Olivia Wilde looks bored, and what in God's name is Michael Sheen doing in this dump of a movie?.
Tron:Legacy boasts of some great eye-candy, and even a momentary spark of a theme involving the limitations of a perfect world; the screenplay and dialogue, however, along with an overkill of Neon, bring the house down on this one. Don't bother.
As the film commences, we follow the progress of Kevin Flynn (an expertly digitized Jeff Bridges) as he plans to bring about a scientific revolution with his brainchild "the grid", a new milestone in free information technology. Alas, on the very eve of his discovery, he disappears. Twenty years later, his son Sam finds himself pulled into a virtual world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games, only to find that his father's been trapped there the whole time. Thus begins Sam's struggle to liberate himself and his father from what is obviously a digitized reimagination of an ancient Sparta/Rome.
Following last year's Special-effects extravaganza Avatar, this happens to be one of the first live-action films to have
implemented the 3-D technology during production. The result is quite apparent : the production design and visual effects are top-notch, and the 3-D, though sporadically used throughout the film, is way better than any of this year's kitschy visual gimmicks. Jeff Bridges's retro-look is expertly and deceivingly constructed. The only downside is that all of the technology is focused on creating a world overflowing with neon lights and grid lines and, no matter how hard the makers try to impress us with the film's faux technology, it simply can't match the thrill experienced from, say, an environmental utopia (Avatar/King Kong). Still, there are shots from action sequences that will leave you in awe of the film's aesthetics.
Which is where the positive facets of the film end. Tron starts and picks up swiftly, only to later suffer from an absolute lack of a good enough screenplay. The writing is so inadequate in fact, that at times, you'll find yourself about to doze off, despite the ground-breaking action. Almost each character is provided with a back-story, each of them being equally dull and emotionless. The acting is nothing special - Jeff Bridges unsuccessfully tries to fit into the "wise old man" archetype; Garrett Hedlund is hardly noticable, Olivia Wilde looks bored, and what in God's name is Michael Sheen doing in this dump of a movie?.
Tron:Legacy boasts of some great eye-candy, and even a momentary spark of a theme involving the limitations of a perfect world; the screenplay and dialogue, however, along with an overkill of Neon, bring the house down on this one. Don't bother.
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