Tron Legacy: Right up Liv's alley?

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 11:14 am

Knowing Liv's love of flash and eye candy (otherwise known to the world as Michael Bay films), it appears that she has a nice movie treat ready for her approval this Christmas season: Tron Legacy.

I recall seeing the first Tron movie in the theater, and thinking "Yeah, the special effects were pretty awesome. Just wish they had found a way to add a story." Based on the reviews so far, I'm guessing that its re-birth suffers from the same malady.

I hope to go see it, simply because I don't mind a little mind-numbing fun complete with popcorn and sodas on a cold afternoon. But it might be worth Disney's time some day to investigate the possibility of waiting on putting together a cool movie until they have a god story to tell in it.

by **Liv** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:02 pm

I've seen the original Tron, but it has been ages therefore I'm being re-introduced to the story again through the new one. Visually this looks spectacular, and I own like 2 blu-rays... this may make my third. Just looks like it will blow your mind.... but visually I'm generally less impressed, over a good story. The idea of a self-manifested universe that you get locked in, is an oldie- but a goodie.... ironic, poetic.... and hopefully well-done in this case. As with everything Disney, usually they fall short of impressive for some reason or another, but I'm still looking forward to the new Tron.

Betting it will be huge over the Holiday.

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:05 pm

I would not be surprised if it has a good run in theaters. Holiday movie-goers are just plain suckers for the spectacular.

by **Sanjuro** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:14 pm

Went to see it in IMAX on Friday. Truly a fun movie that was ultimately empty.

The sad thing is this: It had tremendous potential. You could almost see the hack marks in the film where some Disney exec decided something should be inserted.

Here is the spoiler free rundown...

A been-there-done-that story about a troubled 20-something kid that "is meant for something greater".

Too much exposition to set up a story which is almost completely removed from the original film.

They fail to set up the rules for "the Grid". You never get a clear picture if the "programs" are really sentient or not, what their purpose is, etc. So you end up not caring about what happens to them and are kinda scratching your head when out of nowhere someone says something like "I fight for the users". What?

Character motivation is particularly weak. Clu's whole driving force is revealed, but it is never clear as to how or even why he wants to do such a thing. Aforementioned "programs" don't seem to be developed in the least. In particular there was a WTF moment at the end where you are left wondering to yourself "Where did THAT come from??"

If you've seen Tron, The Matrix, 2001, Star Wars and The Big Lebowski you've pretty much already seen Tron: Legacy. If spending your hard earned money, the only way its worth seeing is on the IMAX screen in 3D.

by **Liv** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:25 pm

Well I couldn't afford to go, but I watched the original TRON for the first time in about 20 years and loved the hell out of it... looking forward to seeing this one... but will probably have to wait till after the 1st.

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:25 pm

Sanjuro wrote:Went to see it in IMAX on Friday. Truly a fun movie that was ultimately empty.

Yeah, I kind of expected that. Your description sounds like it could pretty well cover the original Tron. So I'm guessing this will be yet another sad asterisk in the catalog of Disney movies... they might compete for an Oscar in special effects, but they will remain conspicuously weak in terms of scripts, direction and acting. Ho hum... enjoy the eye candy.

by **Sanjuro** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:18 pm

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:
Sanjuro wrote:Went to see it in IMAX on Friday. Truly a fun movie that was ultimately empty.

Yeah, I kind of expected that. Your description sounds like it could pretty well cover the original Tron. So I'm guessing this will be yet another sad asterisk in the catalog of Disney movies... they might compete for an Oscar in special effects, but they will remain conspicuously weak in terms of scripts, direction and acting. Ho hum... enjoy the eye candy.

The original Tron did a MUCH better job at explaining the world they inhabited I think. Even with that, this was a "whole new grid" which means the rules didn't necessarily apply.

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:56 pm

So you're saying that the new movie was written by even worse hacks than the first? Terrific. Maybe I'll take my earphones and listen to good music while watching the cool visuals...

by **Sanjuro** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 5:02 pm

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:So you're saying that the new movie was written by even worse hacks than the first? Terrific. Maybe I'll take my earphones and listen to good music while watching the cool visuals...

I wouldnt. The sound effects are quite well done (at least in the IMAX theater).

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 2:47 am

Ok, so I went to watch this movie with my family today. As advertised, the visual part of the film was stunning, even in 2D. But I had to think for a while about why I disliked the film so much. Talking with my son, he started the ball rolling in my softened brain.

Basically, you would like to think that the movie named "Tron" would be somehow about the character named Tron. It wasn't. There were a lot of things the film COULD have been about. But in the end, it wasn't really about any of them. It really wasn't about anything as such. It was just a script that put together a series of lines that gave some rather flimsy excuses for cool fight scenes.

You know, when Disney went out on a limb to make a movie based on an amusement park ride, I had grave doubts about its viability. But they put together a killer story line and intelligent script to make the "Pirates of the Caribbean" a resounding success. Sure, it didn't win any Oscars for the screenwriting, but it was a good, entertaining film because they had a fun story to tell.

Whatever Disney paid for Tron's script, they got ripped off big-time. Seriously, I hope someone at Disney movie studios reads this post, because I am formally saying that I could knock out a script in ONE AFTERNOON that not only gives them around 90% of the justification for the cool visuals they had in the film, it would be a far stronger and more coherent STORY that people could understand and talk about as they leave the theater.

What can you talk about after you see this film? Certainly not Jeff Bridges giving some empty political speech to a "crowd of programs." I feel certain there was not a single line in the whole 2.5 hours of rubbish that any viewer could quote immediately after the start of the credits. Disney can be proud of the technology and special effects of the film, but whoever was in charge of the writing should hang his/her head in SHAME for the hackery they approved and sent into production.

It just makes a writer who cares about the craft and art of writing weep to see... :evil:

by **Liv** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:31 pm

While I haven't seen it, and often Hollywood does hire some very crappy writers, let us not forget there is a line of editors, producers and directors that leave piles of good writing on the cutting room floor, and can destroy a coherent story-line into oblivion.

However, I'm saddened to hear it's so bad.

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:21 pm

It's really not bad overall. It's just that if you try to pay attention to the lines the actors are saying, you'll prolly go mad trying to figure things out. My advice is to go, look at the cool moving pictures and imagine a story that fits them on your own.

:think:

by **Liv** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:17 pm

I looked at the credits of the writing staff, and at least 3 out out of the 4 are former LOST veterans.

I will say this, especially after seeing 'Ashes to Ashes' ending, and the parallels between Abrams brands and popular UK shows seem oddly peculiar. I realize Abrams isn't involved in Tron, but if his staff received notoriety from their time copying un-original content, it could explain the lack of ability.

Yes I'm aware Ashes to Ashes and LOST ended almost simultaneousnessly but they do seem redonkulously similar. Then the Fringe vs Torchwood parallel....

I'm just saying... If you had LOST to your screen-credits, then that's what might have landed these writers in their respective positions. Considering TRON had a huge post-cinema cult following, perhaps Wachowski children would have been a better choice for re-scripting a second masterpiece?

by **SouthernFriedInfidel** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:46 pm

Really? Lost writers took part in this debacle? Sad.

I'll say however, that there are signs of editor hacking in this film. It is possible that the original full script had a lot of the stuff a movie needs, and the editors cut some vital stuff out to keep the film under 3 hours. It has been known to happen, and it is a sorry sight to see.

For instance, in this film, we see a real world conflict showing up in the corporate board room, one that never manifests in the world of the grid. How could Lost writers put in such an obvious set-up and fail to follow through? Only if they were junior writers who never took part in actual story crafting. Weird...

by **Liv** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:38 pm

Finally watched it last night: Perfect movie, minus one caveat: the ending.

I'm still not content with dad "supposedly dying". He should have came home... but other than that... perfect movie.

by **Liv** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:20 pm

WANT, WANT, WANT!!!!!