By May contain spoilers for both Tron 82′ and Tron Legacy.
As I’m sure you’re more than well aware, Tron Legacy has been whipping up quite a hype-storm for the past two years, ever since that fateful (and freaking awesome) test footage was shown two Comic-Cons ago to many cheers and whoops. Fans and casual passers-by alike instantly noted the slick, unique design and massive creative potential behind the impressive visuals, and promptly started getting excited. This puts Legacy in stark contrast with it’s predecessor, the original Tron, which was released in 1982 to minimal buzz and equally minimal box-office success. Well, we’ve seen them both now; but behind the generation gap and contrasting development process’, which finished film is really better? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out…
Let’s start with the most obvious comparison between the two and, lets be honest, the most notable thing that makes them both The visual effects. Both movies represent, more or less, the pinnacle of Computer Generated Imagery at the times they were released. And, yes, tha
WARNING: May contain spoilers for both Tron 82' and Tron Legacy.
As I'm sure you're more than well aware, Tron Legacy has been whipping up quite a hype-storm for the past two years, ever since that fateful (and freaking awesome) test footage was shown two Comic-Cons ago to many cheers and whoops. Fans and casual passers-by alike instantly noted the slick, unique design and massive creative potential behind the impressive visuals, and promptly started getting excited. This puts Legacy in stark contrast with it's predecessor, the original Tron, which was released in 1982 to minimal buzz and equally minimal box-office success. Well, we've seen them both now; but behind the generation gap and contrasting development process', which finished film is really better? Well, that's what we're here to find out…{{page_break}}
Let's start with the most obvious comparison between the two and, lets be honest, the most notable thing that makes them both special: The visual effects. Both movies represent, more or less, the pinnacle of Computer Generated Imagery at the times they were released. And, yes, that means that Legacy has the extreme edge over 1982' in the visuals department, at least in terms of visual detail. Tron is notable for pioneering as the first full-length feature to use special effects so heavily but, lets be honest here, there are Windows 98' screen-savers with far better graphics than those seen in Tron's stand-out lightcycle sequence. Watching a scene from Tron today is like looking at hand-drawings on the walls of caves from before artists had their brushes and sophistication: Primitive, but also strangely compelling; Tron's now-dated visuals actually contribute to the film's retro-game theme and, oddly, work in the films favour, making the computer-world seem more believable as a projection of what a 1980s virtual reality might look like, whether through deliberate intention on the part of the film-makers or not.
Now, this is usually the part of an article like this where the newer version of a movie might be scorned for simply leisurely using modern computers and CGI to create it's visuals and not showing the same hand-crafted imagination and innovation the original had. However, while it's true director Joseph Kosinski and Tron Legacy's computer artists may not have had quite as much of a hellride painstakingly painting each frame because of more advanced technology and techniques, not to mention more support and understanding from the film industry at large (Tron was famously denied the Best Special Effects Oscar in 82' because it 'cheated'), on the evidence of Tron Legacy they cannot be accused of lack of imagination: The film features some of the most unique, arresting visuals in years and an instantly recognisable, trademark slick style that has already become pop-culture imagery; expect to see a dozen movies try to mimic the film's aesthetic over the next decade. Tron Legacy is the coolest depiction of a computer-world since The Matrix, and the top-notch visual effects, which with the exception of an overly waxy-looking young Jeff Bridges are impressive even to post-Avatar eyes, only serve the film's design; from the neon-lit costumes to the luminous set-design to the cyber-noir cinematography to the mind-blowingly cool stylistic tics (the drinks in the End Of Line club have ice pixels, rather than cubes), Legacy's cool, cold cyber-punk atmosphere is simply unforgettable. Add to this some of the cleverest use of modern 3D yet seen (the real-world scenes are in 2D, giving a Wizard Of Oz-effect) and Tron Legacy is truly a marvel of creative design and execution.
And so we find ourselves at something of an impasse when comparing the visuals of the two Trons: Both films have recognisable, impressive design aesthetics but Legacy has the extreme technological edge, and had all of the tools to (with the exception of Waxy-Bridges) fully realise it's ambitious design. Tron, on the other hand, was severely limited by the technology it was pioneering, and director Steven Lisberger actually stated that the lack of pixel power during Tron's development forced alterations to the original designs, namely the iconic lightcycles which, Lisberger states, were originally designed to look more like those seen in Legacy, with the driver exposed and appearing to be partially 'fused' to the cycle; man and machine as one. Instead, the lightcycles had to be rendered in a more simplified, chunky form, presumably so as to not explode the computers of the early 1980s. So on the surface Legacy has the better visuals in every way, with the better CGI technology allowing for better action sequences and a more fully realised, easy-to-familiarise with digital world. However, when judged on design alone it's something of a draw between the two movies, with the choice between Tron's neon-ciruitry and Legacy's ice-pixels more a case of aesthetic preference than landslide victory. Both designs are unique and ambitious, and both actually compliment each other when viewed in comparison, but the competition between CGI in 1982 and 2010 is a silly one. Nonetheless, Legacy gets the point, if not through forfeit.
While the comparison between visuals and design may be partially decided by personal preference, quality of story and characters most certainly isn't. If you remember the story of the original Tron…well, first of all you have my respect, but bear with me while I offer a quick recap: Bizarrely, and as many people seem to forget, the film is actually a (rather boring) tale of corporate espionage, as an under-developed hero, Kevin Flynn, has to fight his way out of a computer system he’s become trapped in while also looking for the evidence to copyright work that has been stolen from him. On his journey, Flynn meets a whole cast of computer-program characters, including the titular Tron and a nefarious villain who I've forgotten the name of so for the purposes of this article will be called 'Darth Vader', because that's basically who he is. Darth Vader is just one of a whole host of cardboard cut-out characters who don't have anything good to say, don't leave a lasting impression and the audience never really cares about. And that's the biggest problem with Tron's story: It never makes you care.
The script is only half-responsible, although it is an issue with the film unto itself. There is not a single aspect of the story in the film feels developed enough to engage with the viewer and make them invest in the movie. We're never given a real reason to care whether or not Flynn succeeds in getting his work back, or even escapes from the computer-world; when Flynn is first transported to the Grid, he gawps for a second and then instantly adapts to the games, sense of wonder or danger totally absent. The big bad Darth Vader's big bad scheme is not explained very well and, really, seems pretty in-consequential. There are baffling plot developments, cheesy dialogue (try out this sampling: “What do you want? I’m busy!” “Busy dying, you worn out excuse for an old program!”) and plot threads that don't lead anywhere, chiefly Flynn's real-world supporting cast, Alan Bradley and Lora Baines, who we are told are on a daring mission at Encom headquarters when Flynn is pulled into the computer and then…that's it. Really, we never see them again excluding one helicopter shot at the film's ending. What could have been a side-story adding real-world peril to the proceedings in Tron-world is ditched entirely for the whole remainder of the film. Weak. Add to that a direly boring pace and disinteresting set-pieces and Tron adds up to a pretty dull story.
The script is only half-responsible, although it is an issue with the film unto itself. There is not a single aspect of the story in the film feels developed enough to engage with the viewer and make them invest in the movie. We're never given a real reason to care whether or not Flynn succeeds in getting his work back, or even escapes from the computer-world; when Flynn is first transported to the Grid, he gawps for a second and then instantly adapts to the games, sense of wonder or danger totally absent. The big bad Darth Vader's big bad scheme is not explained very well and, really, seems pretty inconsequential. There are baffling plot developments, cheesy dialogue (try out this sampling: “What do you want? I’m busy!” “Busy dying, you worn out excuse for an old program!”) and plot threads that don't lead anywhere, chiefly Flynn's real-world supporting cast, Alan Bradley and Lora Baines, played by Bruce Boxleinter and Cindy Morgan respectively, who we are told are on a daring mission at Encom headquarters when Flynn is pulled into the computer and then…that's it. Really, we never see them again excluding one helicopter shot at the film's ending. What could have been a side-story adding real-world peril to the proceedings in Tron-world is ditched entirely for the whole remainder of the film. Weak. Add to that a direly boring pace and disinteresting set-pieces and Tron adds up to a pretty dull story.
The script is bad, but it's only half the problem. The more immediately noticeable issue with Tron is the acting. Once the action moves entirely into Tron-world, the performances come across as muted and awkward. Yes, even Jeff Bridges gives a performance with no real characterisation, and the rest of the cast don't do much to liven the proceedings. Even David Warner's sneering Darth Vader is a bit vanilla in his menace. The drab portrayals are forgivable, or at least understandable, seeing as how they are playing computer programs for most of the time and they were working in conditions no film actors had worked in previously: With no set, costumes or even props to aid them, all of the above being inserted digitally at a later date. It was a new, some would say revolutionary style of film-making, and clearly the actors were still adjusting to the changes.
While Legacy still has one of the main problems the original had – style over substance – it's a vast, vast improvement over the original in terms of characters, acting, story and pacing. The characters seem much more natural, aided greatly by the fact that the actors seem much more comfortable in their surroundings. The main protagonists, played by Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, have genuine, believable characteristics and develop a good rapport. We genuinely care about Sam Flynn's plight to try to find and save his father. Jeff Bridges greatly expands upon his character from the first film, and his interactions with his son lead to scenes of genuine human emotion that the first film sorely lacked. Other memorable characters include Michael Sheen's Castor, a Ziggy Stardust-esque digital nightclub owner who brings some welcome OTT, delightfully devious antics which lead to, whisper it, some genuine laughs. It may be a tad on the side of predictable and heavy on the exposition but, unlike the first film, Legacy has a heart, and it's firmly in the right place. The only weak link is baddie Clu, the Waxy-Bridges of the piece, whose cold eyes and overly animated facial expressions leave a weird disconnect with the viewer. Still, he's much more defined than the previous film's Darth Vader, and while his diabolical plan is still pretty vague the sense of peril and scale is dramatically raised.
The excitement factor is also massively raised in Legacy from the first film, with a much quicker pace leading the viewer from one dazzling spectacle to the next. It's literally impossible for even the most fidgety viewer to get bored of Tron Legacy, as the film hops from disc-wars to lightcycles to an emotional reunion between son and long-lost father. The humongous gap between Tron 82' and Tron Legacy in terms of sheer crowd-pleasing factor is staggering. The audience feels more of a connection to Sam, and so the film succeeds more in dazzling us with the weird and wonderful alien landscape and marvelous set-pieces, all played out to Daft Punk's score, as much a character of the movie as the visuals and possibly another unfair advantage Legacy had over the original Tron.
It seems no matter which way the comparison is cut, Tron Legacy is the better movie. Both films are visually and technically ambitious, and both have relative success with the technology they were working with. However, while Tron 82's visual short-comings are forgiveable because of the limitations of it's time, the forgettable story, poor writing and dull characters are inexcusable flaws. In comparison with Legacy, the characters, performances and sense of adventure in the original Tron seem unbelievably flat. So if you only have time for one movie with 'Tron' in the title, make it Tron Legacy.