In theaters on October 10 via Walt Disney Studios is ‘TRON: Ares’, the third entry in the franchise about artificial beings existing on a computer grid.
WgcJH0Zv93ssQ3nT4Jtgz2Directed by Joachim Rønning (‘Young Woman and the Sea’), the new movie stars Jared Leto (‘Suicide Squad’), Greta Lee (‘Past Lives’) Evan Peters (‘X-Men: Apocalypse’), Gillian Anderson (‘Scoop’), Jodie Turner-Smith (‘Queen & Slim’) and Jeff Bridges (‘TRON: Legacy’).
Related Article: San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘TRON: Ares’ Heads Off the Grid for a Panel
Initial Thoughts
The ‘Tron’ movies have always been about humanity’s connection to –– and issues with –– technology, and as AI dominates headlines, the time seems right for a new entry to the venerable franchise, which has so far only put out two entries.
Yet the latest suffers from some very basic issues, especially when it comes to its script, but does have enough entertainment value.
Script and Direction
The new movie’s script, written by Jesse Wigutow (David DiGilio receives a “story by” credit) makes the whole affair feel like a video game that has some impressive graphics, but not quite enough power to make it work fully. It’s loaded up with coincidence and contrivance along the lines of many basic would-be blockbusters.
And while it doesn’t lean too heavily on nostalgia, there’s a chunk of it near the end which, while it allows for a welcome return, does tend the drain the tension.
Director Joachim Rønning, meanwhile, has experience with this sort of big scale movies, but he can only do so much to inject humanity into the overall result.
Cast and Performances
Jared Leto actually tones things down, Ares naturally being a more muted character until he starts to evolve. He’s perfectly serviceable in the role, and even funny towards the end.
Greta Lee enjoys some decent moments, but is mostly saddled with a character you feel like came straight off the peg in terms of story arc.
Evan Peters has fun as the villainous Julian Dillinger, but spare a thought for poor Gillian Anderson who pop ups for a couple of scenes as his mother but is essentially a walking cliché.
Final Thoughts
‘TRON: Ares’ goes down as a decent, if sometimes uninspired threequel, mostly notable for a booming score from Nine Inch Nails.
If your biggest idea is “life is impermanent,” you might want to consider a rewrite before heading to production.
‘TRON: Ares’ receives 65 out of 100.
What’s the story of ‘TRON: Ares’?
‘TRON: Ares’ follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares (Jared Leto), who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
Who is in the cast of ‘TRON: Ares’?
- Jared Leto as Ares
- Greta Lee as Eve Kim
- Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger
- Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena
- Hasan Minhaj as Ajay Singh
- Gillian Anderson as Elisabeth Dillinger
- Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘TRON’ Franchise:
- ‘Tron‘ (1982)
- ‘TRON: Legacy‘ (2010)
- ‘TRON: The Next Day‘ (2011)
- ‘TRON: Uprising‘ (2012 – 2013)
