Tron: Legacy Reviewed by Tron Guy Himself [Video]

Jay Maynard, aka Tron Guy , reveals his very emotional reaction to Tron: Legacy .

I’ve been waiting 28 years to work out if the alternative shoe would ever drop on the Tron universe. It has, and the end result is visually stunning, intellectually engaging and emotionally exhausting.

As you would imagine, Tron: Legacy, which opens Friday, was a must-see movie for me. When the original Tron came out in 1982, I had just begun working as a mainframe systems programmer. I’d been working with computers for a decade, first at school and then professionally, so I knew a good bit about them. Tron fascinated me because it was the first try to show what happens inside a computer. In doing so, it pushed the bounds of filmmaking, both technically and artistically, in exactly about every way imaginable.

The original movie was seen as a flop, mainly because Disney pulled its marketing efforts shortly before the theatrical release. Tron made money, eventually, but not in blockbuster numbers, and most people forgot in regards to the film.

It sat behind my mind for plenty years, until my Tron costume – patterned after the illuminated suits within the movie – became a web sensation, earning me the nickname Tron Guy and landing me on TV shows and even a South Park parody.

That fame had the arena asking if I might be involved with Tron: Legacy the moment the sequel became more than just a persistent rumor. Unfortunately, Disney gave the impression to take great pains to separate the recent film from the original, leaving me out within the cold. I’m not the single one; Cindy Morgan , the fantastic lady who played Yori and Lora within the original, was omitted of the movie, although she did get to perform a little promotion.

Even so, I was really excited when Wired.com arranged for me to look an early screening of Tron: Legacy. Here, eventually, was the outcome of the entire labor, massive computing resources and money spent on bringing the Tron universe to a new generation. I walked in, expecting to be blown away both from what I’d seen before and from what I knew in regards to the production.

I was not disappointed.

Jeff Bridges (left) reprises his role as Kevin Flynn in Tron: Legacy, and digital trickery slaps his reverse-aged face on Clu.

The motion picture industry has undergone several revolutions in past times 28 years. All of them had been dropped at bear on Tron: Legacy . The end result is a very fantastic experience.

From the moment Disney’s trademark Sleeping Beauty Castle rezzes up at first of the film, it’s obvious it truly is not the usual movie. The graphics take a back seat to nothing, but they light cycles and other powerful visuals look natural with actors in them. The 3-D just isn’t overpowering, either: It was done gently, understatedly, lending a subtle sense of depth to the scenes without the same old in-your-face excess. There’s a lot of eye candy for even one of the most jaded addict.

The score by Daft Punk is phenomenal. I’d heard of the French duo before, but knew little about their work. After seeing Tron: Legacy, I’m going to seek out more.

The score, like Wendy Carlos’ music within the original film, isn’t just electronica. It makes use of an entire orchestra, in ways that never detract from the action on the screen, just as a movie score should. I’ve already bought the album.

For the geeks among us, Tron: Legacy serves up lots references, both to the original movie and to fashionable geek culture. They’re not obvious unless you’re searching for them, and they fit in well, but there’s one more little bit of fun there when Sam Flynn says, ” Now that’s a tremendous door!” as he breaks into Encom headquarters.

During one incredibly well-done dogfight scene, I half expected Kevin Flynn to assert, ” Great, kid! Don’t get cocky!” after Sam shoots down a fighter chasing them. That scene could easily had been used in Top Gun. Despite the setting, it was entirely plausible as a 5-on-1 jet fighter furball . The filmmakers even go to date as to reveal a (mostly) accurate re-creation of a SunOS 4.0.1 X console . (The simplest blooper was that the machine type was an i386.)

With all of this, many folk would expect the story to suffer. It doesn’t, unless you’re a movie critic. It’s a logical continuation of the original, although you’ll need not have seen Tron to grasp what’s happening now. Strong performances by Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde and Michael Sheen should prevent the type of complaints about wooden acting that surrounded the original movie. The end result delivers an unexpected emotional impact, especially at the ending.

Perhaps the emotional ending influenced my final reaction. As the credits rolled, I had to fight off tears. I’d had been deeply honored and pleased to have my name associated with Tron: Legacy come what may, although the sequel had stunk up the theater. With the film as outstanding as it actually turned out, that might had been an experience like no other. Instead, I walked out of the theater to my cold truck, determined to not let my feelings show. Nobody there would have understood.

Disney’s marketing machine has pulled out your entire stops for Tron: Legacy. I feel this one will escape being regarded as a dear flop, the best way the first one was. It deserves to. It’s enough to make me really, really disappointed Disney didn’t inquire from me to have anything to do with the sequel’s production or marketing.

There’s already talk of a third Tron movie. Disney, could you throw me a bone for being in some part chargeable for awakening the franchise from the dead within the minds of the public? Please?

Maybe an official Tron: Legacy costume of my personal so folks that inquire from me to make appearances get the most recent film in their heads. That might give fans a miles more direct connection to the movie.

Plus, that way I’d be all able to appear within the next one.

Photo credit: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Wired.com has been expanding the hive mind with technology, science and geek culture news since 1995.

Source

This post is tagged: computing resources, emotional reaction, mainframe systems programmer, marketing efforts, persistent rumor, theatrical release, working with computers