Film Review – Tron: Ares

Disney elected to return to their past with the 2010 release of “Tron: Legacy,” giving the 1982 cult classic an event movie makeover, looking to compete in the blockbuster marketplace with a high-tech take on computer program wars and family ties. The endeavor did good business, but not “Avatar” business, shutting down corporate interest in maintaining franchise momentum on the big screen. “Tron” continued in video games, an animated series, and even a Disney Parks roller coaster, and now time comes for the company to try again. “Tron: Ares” is the second sequel, and while it offers ties to the previous picture, screenwriter Jesse Wigutow is tasked with finding a new rhythm for the series, which updates tech and characters, and even purpose as war is raged in the real world and on the grid. “Ares” comes loaded with chase sequences and incredible visual effects, and while it doesn’t quite reach the wonderful scale of “Legacy,” director Joachim Ronning (“Kon-Tiki,” “The Young Woman and the Sea,” but also “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”) makes a proper thrill ride with the offering, which remains immense fun as it figures out a new way forward for the saga while playing with its past. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com