Tron (1982)

(Director) Steven Lisberger

(Writer) Steven Lisberger

(Producer) Donald Kushner

(Distributor) Buena Vista

Six-hundred and two. This is how many registered votes I have accumulated on the Internet Movie Database. If you take away several handfuls of television shows while giving back roughly a hundred or more forgotten films, that number would likely rise to around seven-hundred. Some might consider the number to be astronomical, while others may not care or shrug it off as mediocre. Regardless of the amount of films I've seen there are inevitably a few which have passed me by and I've never gotten around to viewing. These are the films that, when brought up in conversation, invoke an astonished look upon the faces of my peers. The films that I never have a good enough reason for not seeing. "You haven't seen The Godfather?!" "How in the hell have you not seen Psycho?" ".....you've never seen Being John Malkovich....what's wrong with you?". "Casablanca", "Fight Club", "Citizen Kane" and "Schindler's List" fall into this category as well. Even though I have every desire to watch these films, they have managed to stay pretty low on my priority list over the years. Amongst these films is another nostalgic gem I've been avoiding for many years, simply due to lack of interest. An issue arose though when a few months ago I saw the trailer for the film's sequel. I gained immediate interest and became overwhelmed with giddiness but was brought back down to Earth when my wife asked a very important question: "How have you never seen Tron?!?!?!"

"Tron" takes place in a reality where computer programs have personalities of their own; each with a visual persona representing their creator or "User". Encom, a rapidly evolving computer security corporation, has developed a high-tech software named "Master Control Program" which has recently developed a mind of its own and has been dictating the computer world in hopes of dispelling the need for humans. In the real world a rivalry has been rekindled as Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), an ex-employee of Encom, tries to hack his way into the company's mainframe in order to steal priceless information; infuriating Flynn's once partner, now Encom Exec. CEO, Ed Dillinger (David Warner). After his malicious attempt is foiled by the MCP, Flynn teams up his ex-flame Lora (Cindy Morgan) and her new boyfriend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner), both Encom employees, to make another attempt at his information retrieval by sneaking directly into Encom and hacking one of their computers. Flynn gets a little more than he bargained for though once the MCP sucks him into the computer world. Now he must fight his way through a sub-space landscape in order to survive.

In the beginning "Tron" is plagued with near awful direction, some empty character development and really shoddy pacing issues. Not that there isn't problems in the latter of the film, it's just that the beginning feels really awkward. The first twenty minutes play out like a vintage auctioneer; moving at what feels like a hundred miles per hour and only slowing down for important "Tron" universe lore before speeding back up again. It's this problem throughout the film that causes the emotional aspects to be laughable; due to the viewer not getting enough validity from the character's motives or feelings. Beyond Flynn, the rest of the cast feels rushed through the motions and aren't given enough time on screen to make any sense; causing them to feel like empty cliches. Regardless, the acting is a surprising saving grace and really helps fill in the gaping hole between the characters as real, breathing beings and ideas on paper. Once the film catches up with itself and is able to identify what's going on in the story, the pacing picks up and becomes a major improvement.

Once the segway to the rest of the film is out of the way things begin to pick up. The visuals are immerse, surreal and refreshingly unique. They give the film a face of its own and help to create a unique tone. If you were a fan of video games in the eighties and always wondered what it'd be like to step into a virtual world at the time, this film would probably be the closest you could get. A wonderful job was done at making the landscape complex, vivid and foreign, not resembling much of anything on Earth. The costumes made for the actors become a science fiction nerd's wet dream and I'm now damn well tempted to buy myself a "Tron" suit hoodie. Even in 2010 these computer generated affects are genuinely breath taking and a feast for your eyes. The entire world emits an enticing, glowing light that easily keeps the viewer sucked in.

From beginning to end there are some cliche' gags such as a cheesy side-kick, an over-the-top death, tourettes style verbal reactions and confusing decisions made by some of the characters. What's charming about this film is that even with the problems, its carried along by a very rich story that doesn't lie to itself or its audience. The plot is developed really well and there's always an end goal in sight, giving every moment some sort of purpose and validation. This setup creates a constant craving for more information, more progress in plot, more curiosity about the environment and the viewer becomes attached to the film regardless of its flaws. "Tron" is one of those movies that almost warrants a re-make because you get the sense that if it was produced in this day and age with more competent writers and more room for development, maybe it wouldn't have these blemishes at all. It's a film where you WANT everything to progress, you want it to be better and bigger and full of life and to only improve. A constant thirst for a unique world where humans can never embark and a never-ending sense of life risking adventure.

"Tron" is fun, strange, unique and a visual treat. It provokes you to think about how our world has become so dependent on computers, what would happen if computers no longer needed us? There's some deep religious and historical undertones that give the film a very adult feel. Once you're able to work around the awkward delivery, there's a fascinating world waiting for you on the other side. You might find yourself wishing it had been more but its very easy to really enjoy the story for what it is. Now pardon me while I go impatiently wait for "Tron: Legacy".