Tag Archives: Light cycles

Tron Legacy

My brother Brian took me to the cinema a lot when I was a kid; we both saw Ghostbusters together and I can still remember being quite freaked out by everyone chanting Ghostbusters! in the cinema at various points during the film.

I also vivdly remember walking home in the snow from the cinema in Purley with Brian and sharing some of his Lamb Doner Kebab (my first) after we’d seen Rocky knock Ivan Drago’s teeth out.

When I think about it, I was very lucky to have an older brother because I probably wouldn’t have seen half the films that I did growing up. And that long list includes one of my favourite films; Tron.

I was 5 when I saw Tron. I remember being utterly absorbed by the animated computer graphics and being quite scared of the digital master control face! Along with all the Atari and arcade games that came out around the same time, Tron is undoubtedly one of my strongest and favourite childhood memories.

Angelo and I went to see the sequel tonight, Tron Legacy ; and seeing the film took me way, way, way back to the good old days.

Waiting for the film, I sat nostalgically remembering the light bikes scenes and Atari game (clearly an influence into why I love motorcyles so much) and wondered if the sequel could ever live up to the original? Amusingly, Brian text me words to that effect just before the trailers kicked in.

The film was utterly gorgeous in IMAX 3D; it is the perfect film to see in the format. Don’t hesitate.

There are certain films which stick in my mind for their epic qualities; Tron, Blade Runner and even The Chronicles of Riddick. The visuals are instantly familiar to the original , but updated with exceptional clarity. I can’t wait for the home release so that I can see how they were able to conceptualise and produce such a vision.

The electro soundtrack was perfect and created an atmosphere befitting the electronic entertainment age that ruled my life during the 80’s and early 90’s. I felt a genuinely pang of sadness when I saw Flynn’s arcade delapidated and abandoned; such places were my playground growing up and now they are no more.

Xbox live has many ‘pros’, but it’ll never be able to compete with the feeling you got stepping into a deafening arcade and running to a machine like your life depended on it.

The story is perhaps the element that surprised me the most; it tied up perfectly with the original and made the 28 year age gap between both films felt both fitting and justified. Jeff Bridges is bloody excellent amongst a fantastically cast film.

I am curious to see whether I dream of Electronic Sheep tonight or not; personally, I’d much prefer that I end up dreaming of riding one of the Tron Legacy light cycles……….. Not in the snow obviously……

Ignore the mixed reviews; Tron Legacy is just that. 10 out of 10.