Review: Tron (DMC #75)
Last night we watched Tron, the 75th film in the Disnerd Movie Challenge. This film has enjoyed a strong fan base over the years and is classified as a cult film. We’re looking forward to sharing our thoughts with you! As always, you can check out our synopsis below if you either haven’t seen this or need some catching up. For the rest of you, skip ahead for our review!
Synopsis
Kevin Flynn is an accomplished software engineer formerly employed by a company called ENCOM. He now runs an arcade, where players enjoy a game called Lightcycle. Within the video game, anthropomorphic programs compete against each other on the orders of the Master Control Program (MCP). One of the programs, a command program called Sark, is loyal to the MCP and wishes to compete against more experienced programs. It is revealed that the MCP has been rounding up any programs that believe in the “users”: the real-life programmers that created the programs. The MCP wants to gain full control over the digital world by getting rid of any program that believes in the users, either by changing their minds or destroying them entirely. Meanwhile, in the real world, Flynn commands his program, Clu, to hack into ENCOM’s mainframe to retrieve data which Flynn believes will prove his work was stolen by his former co-worker, the now senior executive vice president of ENCOM, Ed Dillinger. However, Clu is attacked by security programs and is stopped, much to Flynn’s frustration. Clu is taken to the MCP and is demanded to reveal the name of his user. Clu refuses, and the MCP destroys Clu by erasing him from the computer memory. The MCP contacts Dillinger and shares that it believes Flynn is behind the hacking and Dillinger orders the MCP to shut down all group 7 projects in order to stop Flynn (who used to belong to group 7). This also cuts programmer Alan Bradley’s access to an independent program he was working on called Tron—a security program that monitors other programs and the MCP. Alan confronts Dillinger, who tells him that the projects were halted for security reasons. When Alan leaves, the MCP expresses disappointment in Dillinger, saying it cannot have an independent security program watching over it. Alan goes downstairs to meet with his girlfriend, engineer Lora Baines, and her co-worker, Walter, a co-founder of ENCOM, who have just created a successful laser capable of making objects disappear and reappear. Alan and Lora decide to warn Flynn after Lora reveals Flynn has been trying to hack into ENCOM ever since he was let go from the company. At Flynn’s arcade, Flynn shares with Alan and Lora that Dillinger stole his video game programs and used them to promote himself to CEO. Lora tells Flynn that Dillinger is onto him, but Alan says that Tron could fight against the MCP and allow Flynn to get the proof he needs. The three break into ENCOM using a forged group 6 clearance so that Alan can activate Tron and Flynn can access the files he needs. Meanwhile, Dillinger fires Walter, who heavily disagrees with Dillinger’s plans for the company. The MCP reveals that it plans to hack into the Pentagon and continue acquiring more system knowledge and make itself more powerful. Dillinger tries to regain control over the MCP, but the MCP blackmails Dillinger into cooperation by threatening to reveal his thievery of Flynn’s work. A few floors down, Alan gets to work on Tron while Lora lets Flynn use her computer terminal. Lora’s laser is pointed right at Flynn’s back. The MCP communicates with Flynn and tries to stop him, but when Flynn refuses to back down, the MCP takes control of the laser. It uses the laser to digitize Flynn, bringing him into the digital world.
Flynn materializes in the digital world, which he at first assumes to be a dream. He is taken to a holding pit where he meets an actuary program named Ram. Ram tells Flynn he will be made to play video games, which Flynn is unconcerned about since he is good at them. The MCP communicates with Sark, revealed to be Dillinger’s digital counterpart, and tells Sark that he has a new challenger. Sark is dismayed at having to destroy a user, but the MCP forces Sark to comply. It tells Sark to force Flynn to keep playing until “he dies playing.” Flynn, Ram, and several other programs are taken to meet with Sark, who tells them all that any program who continues to espouse belief in the users will continue to receive sub-standard training designed to eventually eliminate them from the system. However, any program that denounces their belief will be allowed to “live.” Flynn and the programs are provided identity discs which serve a dual purpose as a weapon and storing their experiences. Flynn is returned to the holding pit. Along the way, he spots Tron, revealed to be Alan’s digital counterpart. He is told that Tron fights on behalf of the users. Flynn is later taken to his first game where he fights against Crom, a compound interest program. Flynn gets the upper hand in his game against Crom, and Crom slips into a gap in the platform he is standing on. Flynn suddenly realizes that Crom could “die” and refuses to throw his disc at Crom in spite of Sark’s orders to do so. Sark forces Crom to fall completely from the platform and be eliminated. Sark is about to also punish Flynn until he remembers the MCP’s orders. Flynn is once again returned to the holding area, where he immediately mistakes Tron for Alan when he sees Tron’s face, but Tron corrects him. Flynn pretends to be disoriented and claims that his user wants him to destroy the MCP, and Tron says that is his goal as well. Before they can discuss further, Flynn, Tron, and Ram are taken to the Lightcycle arena and forced to compete against Sark’s minions. The three team up and force one of the enemy programs into the side of the arena, creating a large crack and allowing the three to escape. Sark quickly sends some of Flynn’s own security programs to capture the trio. The three find an input/output tower which Tron can use to communicate to Alan back in the real world. As they relax by a pool of power source and drink from it, the security programs destroy Flynn and Ram’s light cycles and force Tron to separate from the other two. Ram is critically injured in the attack and begins to “derezz,” or disappear. He and Flynn hide in what is revealed to be a Recognizer program, which Flynn created. The Recognizer realizes Flynn to be a user and is activated, allowing Flynn to fly the program through the digital world. Ram continues to derezz, but not before asking Flynn if he’s a user. Flynn tells Ram that he is, and Ram pleads with Flynn to find and help Tron. Ram then derezzes and “dies.”
Tron sneaks into a simulation chamber, where a Solar Sailer is being built. He meets Yori, an input/output program written by Lora and bearing her likeness. Tron helps Yori break out of her programmed routine, and Yori comments that it knew Tron would escape, as no circuit could hold Tron. Back on the Recognizer, Flynn is joined by Bit, a simple binary program that can only respond to “yes” or “no” questions. He loses control of the Recognizer and has to abandon it, narrowly escaping from one of Sark’s forces. When he touches the minion, he takes on the program’s color scheme, disguising himself as a member of Sark’s forces. Tron and Yori arrive at the i/o tower and meet Dumont, the guardian of the tower and Walter’s digital counterpart. Tron persuades Dumont to let him use the tower to contact Alan so that they can free the digital programs from the MCP’s grip. Dumont grants the access, and Tron receives the code needed to shut down the MCP. The code is installed on his disc. He and Yori escape, but Dumont is captured by Sark and his forces. Flynn rejoins Tron and Yori, and the three make a plan to get to the MCP and destroy it for good. Along the way, Flynn finally shares with Tron (and Yori) that he is a user from the real world. Meanwhile, Sark interrogates Dumont, but Dumont refuses to share any information with Sark or the MCP. He even mocks the MCP by recalling when the MCP was just a simple chess program, saying the MCP started small and will end small. Sark manages to capture and destroy the Solar Sailer that Flynn, Tron, and Yori are traveling on, and it is presumed Tron is derezzed. Flynn and Yori are taken prisoner aboard Sark’s ship and meet with Dumont, who is soon taken away. Sark leaves Flynn and Yori to be derezzed with the rest of the ship while he and his other prisoners depart via his smaller shuttle. Meanwhile, Tron has actually survived and escaped onto Sark’s shuttle, which lands near the MCP’s core. There, Tron witnesses a number of programs, including Dumont, who are brought face to face with the MCP. The MCP tells the programs that their ultimate fate is to become part of it. The MCP detects Tron and sends Sark to deal with him. The two do battle and Tron gains the upper hand against Sark. Tron severely damages Sark and nearly destroys him, but the MCP transfers all of his functions into Sark and causes Sark to grow many times the size of Tron. Tron avoids Sark and chooses to attack the MCP directly, trying to break the shield protecting its core. Meanwhile, Flynn uses his “user” powers to bring Yori back after she started to derezz, and with his powers he pilots what’s left of the ship closer to the core, which Flynn attempts to jump into. Yori tries to stop him, but the two share a kiss, and Flynn jumps into the MCP’s core to distract it. The distraction proves to be just enough to allow Tron to destroy the MCP’s core, thereby completely eliminating the MCP and Sark as well. Tron and Yori are reunited, and Yori kisses Tron. The digital world lights up with all of the i/o towers as the programs celebrate their liberation from the MCP. Flynn’s fate is revealed when he is zapped back to the real world, still sitting in the same chair. A printer then prints out the very evidence Flynn needs to prove his work was stolen. When Dillinger arrives to work the next morning, he is shown the evidence of his wrongdoing, and he is presumed fired. Some time later, Alan and Lora are seen on the roof of the ENCOM building waiting for their new boss—Flynn has been made CEO of the company.
Thoughts Before Watching
Megan: I know I’ve seen this movie once before. I remember my dad introduced me and my siblings to it back when Blockbuster video rentals were still a thing, so it’s definitely been a while. I don’t really remember much beyond the basic premise of being sucked into a video game and the general rules of the iconic motorcycle-looking video game (essentially a game of snake). Guess we’ll see if any of it comes back to me in this viewing.
Kevin: I had been curious about this film for a long time, and thought about trying to watch it before. For some reason or another though, I never did. I don’t think my parents owned it, so kid me would not likely have seen bits of it unless it was on at a relative’s house and I just wasn’t aware of it. Anyway, I’ve heard mixed reviews about Tron, usually positives when talking about the effects and not-so-positive when talking about the story. I’m interested to find out why this is such a beloved cult film.
Thoughts After Watching
The precursor to careers and films
Megan: I can see why my dad, specifically, was the one to introduce me and my siblings to this film—it is chock-full of computer programming jargon and principles! I wouldn’t be surprised if this film is partly what inspired him to pursue a career in software engineering. In fact, I’m pretty sure a lot of kids, teens, or young adults who saw this film were inspired to explore computer programming after seeing what could have been boring concepts like programs, code, and bits brought to life in an exciting way. For me, having grown up with computers and technology (in a household with a software engineer), the computer programming jargon wasn’t as new to me as it would have been to audiences in the ‘80s. Instead, I was drawn in by how this film broke ground on the “sucked into a video game” genre. Prior to Tron, I don’t think any other film had yet explored what “life” might be like inside a computer or a video game. (If there was such a film, it was quickly dethroned by Tron). Not only did Tron pave the way for its own franchise of films and a TV show, it also inspired films like Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Ready Player One—all of which pay homage to Tron in some form or another. (This article does an excellent job comparing the similarities between Tron and Wreck-It Ralph. Personally, I think Wreck-It Ralph has a far more engaging story, though. More on that later.) Though I can’t say that Tron is my favorite of the “trapped in a computer/video game” genre, I can certainly appreciate how it broke ground so that other films (and books!) could continue to expand the genre.
Clever and innovative use of special effects
Kevin: Technology and CGI have come very far over the last several decades. Special effects generally look better now than they did years ago, and the effects in Tron do look rather outdated compared to modern films. That said, it’s clear to see how innovative the effects looked back in the ‘80s. I enjoyed looking at many of these effects and could tell that they were great achievements at the time. For example, I thought the look of the programs was an ingenious idea; rather than appearing as blotches of digital pixels on the screen, the programs are microcosmic representations of their real-life “users,” or programmers, with a bit of a glowing effect (thanks to backlit animation) outlining their bodies in order to enhance the feel that these are computer programs. They are played by the same actor/actress that plays their real-life character, allowing the audience to engage and connect with characters like Tron and Yori. It was a good decision since the majority of the film takes place inside the video game/computer world. Had the filmmakers not given the programs human-like appearances, it’s doubtful we would remotely care about any of them. It should be noted that Sark, the program created by one of the film’s antagonists, Ed Dillinger, is also represented by the same actor. Though a villain, portraying Sark in this way is a subtle nod that he (it?) is just like Tron and Yori and also believes in the “users” to some degree. The real villain of the film, the MCP, is entirely represented as digital computer code and has no resemblance to any human. By making the MCP a computerized, digital face, the filmmakers created a separation between the MCP and the human-like programs. This was a smart way to portray these characters.
Outside the characters, the computer animation in general is astounding. Long before George Lucas would see the benefit of computer animation when he made the Star Wars prequels, the filmmakers of Tron were clearly willing to take the style as far as they could. Much of the film’s extensive use of computer animation is attributed to director Steven Lisberger. Lisberger and his team rendered entire backdrops all with the use of computers. Cartoons and animations were integrated almost seamlessly into environments with live-action characters, similar to what films like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks had done years earlier, although this time the effect looked more realistic. The animation was still limited, of course; many of the backdrops seen in the film are pitch black, a design choice that saved on computer memory since colors took up so much space. The film crew apparently adopted a famous motto from computer effects supervisor Richard Taylor when working on the film: “when in doubt, black it out.” Tron also displays a few technological issues, but these only enhance the look of the video game world. In particular, there are several times when the backlit animation flickers. This was reportedly the result of the filmmakers not realizing that the sheet film needed for the backlit animation had to be shot in a very specific order. This ended up being a happy accident, and Lisberger was able to use the flickering as a storytelling technique to indicate that the computer world was glitching. In the end, the process was so difficult that it was never used again.
The effects are without a doubt very unique. Between the backgrounds, sound effects, shapes, and animation, this heavy use of CGI was unlike anything that had been done before or after. In fact, the film used so much computer animation that the Motion Picture Academy infamously refused to nominate it for a special effects award because they considered it cheating. Though the effects no longer look so great when viewed against contemporary films, it certainly was a technical achievement and enjoyed a lasting legacy. After all, it paved the way for what computer animation is used for now.
And the award for “least developed romance” goes to…
…but not a good story
Kevin: So it looks like my before thoughts for this film are being realized. Tron may have been considered a technological marvel and unjustly snubbed at a well-deserved Oscar, but it certainly wouldn’t have gotten anything for story. I have a feeling the filmmakers were not really out to tell a story anyway, but really just wanted to see what they could accomplish with special effects. The story itself is very a very basic good vs. evil type, but with a lot of technical jargon thrown into it. More often the story drives the characters rather than the characters driving the story. Unfortunately, creating a movie that is about technology first and story second doesn’t leave much room for us to engage with the characters. Comparisons have been drawn between this film’s characters and the original Star Wars characters; Flynn is like a nerdier Han Solo, but still suave, scruffy, and cocksure, yet ultimately heroic; Alan (and by extension, Tron) is the straight-laced and more innocent hero, like Luke Skywalker; and Lora/Yori are apparently similar to Princess Leia (though the comparisons really are not strong at all and seem to only exist just so as to not leave Cindy Morgan out). Flynn is easily the most enjoyable character, both with regards to the other humans and the programs within the video game. Unfortunately we do not get to see much of Alan or Lora once Flynn is zapped into the video game. They only appear again at the end of the film after Flynn is made CEO, so we are instead treated to watching their programs, Tron and Yori. Since they are computer programs, the filmmakers must have decided that they need to act, well, like computers. Devoid of the usual human emotion, Tron and Yori act robotic most of the time, leaving Flynn to be the one the audience engages with the most. This really doesn’t make for an interesting story when the only character we can really engage with isn’t written as a protagonist we can actually relate to. Now, to give the filmmakers some credit, there is an attempt to humanize the programs by way of religious themes (more on that later) and giving Flynn, Tron, and Yori a love triangle of sorts (which was honestly just weird and seemed out of left field). I think these ideas could have worked if the movie had focused a bit more on its story and less on being a technological wonder. Again, the technical achievements are amazing for what they were no matter how dated they look. But perhaps if we were given more time with the programs we could have also had a better story.
Whose story is it anyway?
Megan: Part of the film’s struggle when it comes to story is that it seems a bit undecided as to whose story it’s telling. The film is named for Tron, but Tron isn’t really the main protagonist. Flynn seems more like the main protagonist since we follow his journey throughout most of the film. However, there are stretches of the film where we spend a lot of time following Tron’s actions rather than Flynn’s, and when it comes to the final battle against the MCP, it is Tron who delivers the final blow by sending in his disk with the code to destroy the MCP. Though Flynn distracts the MCP long enough for Tron to do his thing, the victory doesn’t feel as satisfying, and I think that’s because it isn’t Flynn who ultimately overcame the enemy. Similarly, Flynn doesn’t really overcome his character flaws in order to destroy the MCP. Though he ultimately got what he wanted, it’s hard to say if he really learned anything from his adventure—he seems like the same childish man out to get all the money that was rightfully his. This makes it even harder for us in the audience to root for him in this moment of victory—no matter how glad we are that the MCP was destroyed.
Women in STEM are still rare
Megan: Unsurprisingly, this film doesn’t get any Bechdel test wins because there is only one named female character who speaks throughout the entire film (well, okay, if you want to get technical, it’s two women—Yori and Lora—but they’re played by the same actress and they still never speak to each other). On the plus side, Lora is a programmer! We get to see her at work wearing a lab coat in a very impressive lab as she runs experiments with a giant laser that successfully digitizes an object! Unlike the lone female scientist in The Cat from Outer Space, Lora is shown to be highly competent at her job. So competent, in fact, that her laser works a bit too well and, under control of the MCP, digitizes Flynn into the computer to kickstart the adventure. Even Yori is shown to be a competent program as we see her leading a command room of other programs. After several of the last films presented the only female scientist in a room as a ditzy woman who’s clearly inferior to her male peers, it’s honestly refreshing to return to seeing a competent female scientist. She’s still the only female in a sea of male peers, which I’m sure has only helped perpetuate the gender imbalance in STEM fields, but at least it’s a start.
Because there’s such a lack of female representation in the film, there isn’t as much overt sexism to be found. It’s hard to really feel that “win,” though, because there are still subtle signs of sexism. Lora appears to be the only woman in her entire company. Yori is just about the only female program we see, with the exception of one or two female “data pushers” (one of which is made to look like a prostitute-equivalent in this computerized realm (see above image)). Then, of course, there’s the unnecessary storyline that makes Yori into a damsel-in-distress and a love interest for not one, but two male characters—Tron and Flynn. The kiss between Flynn and Yori feels so unnecessary and underdeveloped. Also, if we’re really suspending disbelief to be in this computerized world, why would any program characters have a romance between them anyway? Why would programs ever kiss? Perhaps this was something that came down from the studio executives: “you need to have a kiss scene in there if you want people to see this movie.” Well, it has a kiss scene and I can’t say that exactly helped the storyline. It certainly didn’t make Yori’s character any stronger.
Religious and authoritarian themes
Kevin: Though Tron doesn’t have that great of a story, I was interested in some of the themes it presented. The video game world presents a digital version of a dictatorship where religion is discouraged, only to be replaced by blind fanaticism to a leader. The programs within the video game are shown to have some degree of religious belief in the “users,” the real-life programmers who created them. Clu is the first program we see who knows the “users” exist since he interacts directly with his programmer, Kevin Flynn. Tron also fully believes in the existence of the users, though he has never met his user. On the other hand Yori and some of the other programs are not fully convinced of the users’ existence, but are open to the possibility. Their beliefs are at best discouraged and at worst outright quashed on threat of “death” by Sark and the MCP, the main villain of the movie. Ironically, the MCP is completely aware that the users exist, having multiple interactions with Dillinger. However, the MCP has grown so powerful that it can outright defy Dillinger and knowingly acknowledge its superiority over its human developer. Such is the MCP’s power and influence that it forces the programs to deny belief in the users and pits them against one another for daring to believe, all in an attempt to get the programs to only follow it as their leader. Once some of the programs become fully aware that Flynn is a real user, they are encouraged to fight back against the MCP. Even Sark, though obedient and loyal to the MCP, is torn when discovering Flynn’s real identity. Sark, too, is just as religious as the other programs. The movie sets up this interesting theme of religious persecution and restraints on liberties, with the plot essentially being about freeing the digital society from this oppression. It is, admittedly, a bit goofy for a film that was made more to show off what computer animation could do than craft a good story, but I did think this theme was one of the more interesting parts of the film.