Tron (Movie Review)

Yesterday (07/09/2017) marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the theatrical release of the movie Tron, a film that I am not even slightly embarrassed to proclaim as one of my all-time favorites. A truly imaginative and spectacular looking science-fiction movie that has proven to be far ahead its time and perhaps more influential than most people would think.

The story is about a young software engineer who was pushed out of his job with a major computer and technology company after a less talented designer stole a number of video game programs from him. Flynn, the talented young engineer, has been repeatedly hacking into the system in an attempt to prove that Dillinger, the other programmer, committed theft when he presented the video games to the company that he is now running. Flynn eventually breaks into the corporate headquarters of his former employer as a last-ditch effort to uncover the proof that he needs, but Dillinger's Master Control Program (an all-powerful computer program which seems to possess both artificial intelligence and a stronger desire for power than even Dillinger himself) catches Flynn, and digitizes the young man sending him into the virtually reality world that exists within the computer realm. In this world the Master Control Program (AKA the MCP) is just that, the master of everything, and the MCP has enslaved tons of programs that are forced to physically play video games until they actually die playing. Flynn join forces with another program named Tron and together they attempt to defeat the MCP.

Jeff Bridges' performance as Flynn does nothing to hide the obvious amount of fun that the actor was having. David Warner in the dual role of both Dillinger and the program Sark is appropriately menacing and evil. Honestly Warner is the kind of actor that could play these roles in his sleep. Bruce Boxleitner plays both Tron and his human counterpart the programmer Alan Bradley, as Alan, Boxleitner is fine, but as Tron he is far more stoic, and appropriately heroic.

The direction by Steven Lisberger is tight and visually stunning. It's hard to believe that his only directorial efforts before this film was an animated television movie called Animalympics and a single short from the early 1970s. It's even more shocking to find out that Lisberger only directed two more movies after Tron.

If you've never seen Tron and this review has mildly piqued your interest, do yourself a favor, and seek it out. In that summer of 1982, the nine year old me must have gone to the cinema a dozen times to see this film. And, I've probably watched it dozens more times over the last thirty-five years. 

-Jay