“The Grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I’d never see. And then one day. I got in.”
If this monologue didn’t automatically trigger the first two chords of the opening track to Daft Punk’s The Grid, it’s time for you to sit down, turn off the lights, and get ready to immerse yourself in the cult masterpiece which is… Tron: Legacy. Despite initially receiving reviews for lacking “emotional depth” and focussing “excessively on visual style,” the film has stood the test of time when compared to its trendy competitors of the time; both in terms of the continued devotion from its fans, and how the visual effects don’t seem to have aged a day.
One thing that most fans of Tron: Legacy can agree on is that what makes this film so special isn’t necessarily the acting or storyline, but the aesthetic, music, and world-building. Speaking of… dark futuristic cities, glowing cycles racing through endless corridors of light, deadly disc battles, and neon body suits, all accompanied by the thunderous soundtrack produced specifically for this film by Daft Punk, it’s hard not to think that Tron: Legacy was always ahead of its time.
The importance of the score in Tron: Legacy cannot be understated. The film has been praised for having one of the best soundtracks ever originally produced for a film. Listening to tracks like “End of Line” or “Derezzed” while fevering over the neon, futuristic aesthetic of the film instantly delivers such a unique and invigorating viewer experience, which the pop duo achieved by combining clean electronic synths with majestic orchestral music to create a gripping and otherworldly atmosphere.
The story itself roughly centres on a boy turned young man transported to another world to find his lost father, meeting many foes along the way. Featuring the gorgeous duo of Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, and the timeless Jeff Bridges, who even manages to sneak in a few cheeky Big Lebowski references for those film connoisseurs among us. You’re really messing with my zen thing, man.
Through its compelling visual and auditory storytelling, the film tackles hard-hitting questions such as what constitutes life, sentience, society, and perfection. And rather poignantly, what it means to be human in a digitised world. The entire production design exists to create enduring visual masterpieces. Joseph Kosinski created an aesthetic language through his sci-fi world, which has inspired both video games, contemporary graphic design… and has yet to be topped by successors (fingers skeptically crossed for Tron: Ares… it’s going to be a soulless money grab, isn’t it…)
What the film lacks in a complex narrative and deep dialogue, it more than makes up for in its true strength, which comes from its sensory storytelling that leaves a deeply emotional impact on all viewers. If you’ve got nothing better planned this week (be honest, you’re not revising), stream this film on your largest device and get comfy. You’re going to love this one.
“Tron and Discs of Tron” by Sam Howzit is licensed under CC BY 2.0.