Tron: Legacy is a genuine sequel to the visually impressive but dramatically underwhelming Tron, in form, failings and flash. Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn has been stuck inside his computer program for 20 years, a dispirited hippie with an attractive digital companion, Quorra (Olivia Wilde). His grown son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) finds his way into the super-sexy, Daft Punk-scored world, eventually uniting with his father and friend to oppose the elder Flynn’s dark side avatar. As with the original, the computer environment dazzles while logic and potential depth—such as the totalitarian dangers of our own tech—is glossed over. And why do computer programs go to the disco? We may never know. But for those who love cutting edge eye candy, here be sharp sweetness.
This article appears in Dec 23-29, 2010.