Sequel Saturday: Tron Gone, by Mat Bradley-Tschirgi
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Not every movie has to be part a trilogy that sits on the shelf of your local Borders (wait, those don’t exist anymore). If Hollywood Reporter’s story is to be believed, sources say that “Disney has chosen not to move forward with a third installment in the [Tron] series.” Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion) was set to direct with some cast members from 2010’s Tron: Legacy lined up to reprise their roles. Allegedly, the soft box office returns of Tommorowland influenced this decision.By all accounts, the Tron series is one I should enjoy but I’ve found it to be quite boring in every incarnation to date with the exception of the original arcade game from 1982. I respect the original as a technical marvel for its pioneering special effects wrapped in the dull hippie narrative of a programmer striking back at a corporation. Several of the performances in Tron are stiff, but it’s the squalid pacing that really sink the flick.Tron: Legacy is a slick, shiny sequel that felt as lifeless as a Kubrick film. A pulsing, hypnotic score by Daft Punk is a highlight in a lifeless story that is too convoluted for its own good. Yes, it’s fun to see Jeff Bridges (K-PAX) and Bruce Boxleitner (Gods and Generals) return, but it’s not THAT fun. The tie-in animated series Tron: Uprising lasted only a season and works best as an insomnia cure.I’m sure there are people out there upset at the kibosh Disney has put on a third Tron flick. I’m not one of them. I’d like to see a new sci-fi flick grab us by the throat and have us begging for sequels. The Wachowskis appeared to have failed to reach that goal with Jupiter Ascending, but someone else will succeed.
Not every movie has to be part a trilogy that sits on the shelf of your local Borders (wait, those don’t exist anymore). If Hollywood Reporter’s story is to be believed, sources say that “Disney has chosen not to move forward with a third installment in the [Tron] series.” Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion) was set to direct with some cast members from 2010’s Tron: Legacy lined up to reprise their roles. Allegedly, the soft box office returns of Tommorowland influenced this decision.By all accounts, the Tron series is one I should enjoy but I’ve found it to be quite boring in every incarnation to date with the exception of the original arcade game from 1982. I respect the original as a technical marvel for its pioneering special effects wrapped in the dull hippie narrative of a programmer striking back at a corporation. Several of the performances in Tron are stiff, but it’s the squalid pacing that really sink the flick.Tron: Legacy is a slick, shiny sequel that felt as lifeless as a Kubrick film. A pulsing, hypnotic score by Daft Punk is a highlight in a lifeless story that is too convoluted for its own good. Yes, it’s fun to see Jeff Bridges (K-PAX) and Bruce Boxleitner (Gods and Generals) return, but it’s not THAT fun. The tie-in animated series Tron: Uprising lasted only a season and works best as an insomnia cure.I’m sure there are people out there upset at the kibosh Disney has put on a third Tron flick. I’m not one of them. I’d like to see a new sci-fi flick grab us by the throat and have us begging for sequels. The Wachowskis appeared to have failed to reach that goal with Jupiter Ascending, but someone else will succeed.
