‘Tron: Ares’ is certainly a story set in the Tron universe

By Carly Shaner

I watched both “Tron” movies for the first time this past summer, and I don’t know why I didn’t sooner. My expectations going into “Ares” were just as high as when I first watched “Legacy.” Were they met? Yes and no.

“Tron: Ares” begins fifteen years after Sam Flynn left ENCOM for personal reasons and handed it off to the new CEO, Eve Kim (Greta Lee). Rising against them is Dillinger Systems (yes, the 1982 Dillinger), run by Edward’s grandson Julian (Evan Peters). Both companies race to bring their AIs to the material world, but there’s one problem: the digital material isn’t lasting. When Eve finds something called the “Permanence Code” in her late sister’s work, Dillinger sends two AIs, Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith), to retrieve it. When Ares interacts with Eve, it sparks his curiosity for the material world. The movie follows Ares’ growing interest in the real world and Athena’s unquestioning obedience to Dillinger in retrieving the permanence code.

With programs brought to our world, “Tron: Ares” balances the elements of sci-fi and action. When a giant battleship from the digital world called a Recognizer crashes into buildings and neon Lightcycles streak across freeways, I didn’t feel pulled into one genre more than the other. 

The two consistently praised things about every “Tron” installment have been the sound and visuals, and “Ares” is no exception. Nine Inch Nails brought its own gritty sound and style while still matching the music’s feel to that of the “Tron” universe. The familiar neon of the Grid, the realm inside computers, lights up the real-world night scenes; the red and black contrasts well with the soft white and yellow of the city lights. The few scenes we get in the ENCOM and Dillinger Grids appropriately feel like being inside a modern computer. I appreciated that in the short moments we got in the 1982 Grid, the visuals weren’t modernized and it felt like watching the original “Tron.”

Bringing an almost completely new set of characters into the Tron world is a risky move, but the actors served their roles well. Jared Leto brings the flat naivety expected of a militaristic AI. Evan Peters’ emotional moments illuminate Julian Dillinger as a dangerously ambitious CEO. Greta Lee allows us to feel both sides of Eve: a CEO of one of the world’s top tech companies, but also a human trying to live her and her sisters’ dreams.

As the movie progresses, Ares finds himself wanting to stay in the real world. Though the audience never receives a concrete answer as to why Ares wants to be real, his journey to find a purpose beyond what he was told to be feels relatable. While “Tron: Legacy” focused on the imperfection of our world, “Ares” centers on the impermanence of life. It’s a good central theme, but I found it strange that Ares seems to easily accept the impermanence of the real world.

The pacing of this movie was definitely something that could’ve been improved. Most of the movie comprised of slower parts that could’ve been sped up and faster parts with almost no time to process before moving on.

What really disappointed me was the integration from the existing “Tron” universe. A well-done modern change was the term for getting killed in the Grid: it was changed from “deresolution” to “deletion.” But the only characters from the “Tron” franchise that made a return were Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and a short mention of Sam Flynn at the beginning. No previously important “Tron” characters are mentioned, program or user. Not even TRON, the character who gave the franchise its name. “Tron: Ares” left too many questions from the existing universe that were never brought up or answered.

As a fan of the “Tron” franchise, I liked the modernized take on AI and the callbacks to both of the movie’s predecessors. Is “Tron: Ares” an entertaining movie? Absolutely. But I wish it expanded on its own story or the stories in this universe that came before. 

I give this movie a 6.5/10.

“Tron: Ares” is currently playing in theaters.

Carly Shaner is a junior Professional Writing and Information Design Major. She loves coffee and spends her free time reading books, attempting to write them and playing games of all kinds.

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios