Tron: Legacy Review Round-Up: A Mixed Reaction (At Best)

Tron Legacy pops up in your local movie theater today, and the question on everyone’s mind is: is it rubbish? If you ask the critics, then yeah: it’s really not that good at all. Shock. But when was the last time “the critics” saw eye-to-eye with the American people? Give Joe Public some cool special effects and you’re easily making $100 million.

The Establishment

Associated Press: While director Joseph Kosinski’s feature film debut is thrilling and cool-looking for about the first half, its races, games and visuals eventually grow repetitive, which only draws attention to how flimsy and preposterous the script is from Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz…

Dallas Morning News: That’s all the movie has going for it [the special effects], and in just about every other way a movie can fail, Tron: Legacy does…

Daily Mail: Overblown, overlong and an utter waste of money and time, it is a super-catastrophic Disney folly aimed at sad geeks…

Chicago Sun Times (Roger Ebert): The plot is another matter. It’s a catastrophe, short-changing the characters and befuddling the audience. No doubt an online guru will produce a synopsis of everything that happens, but this isn’t like an opera, where you can peek at the program notes….

New Blood

Slashfilm (G-Baby from Ron & Fez): To describe any film as “a roller coaster” is a complete cliche, but TRON: Legacy is almost begging for it. Director Joseph Kosinski, whether he knows it or not, has constructed the film as such: There’s the quick build at the beginning, a whole bunch of action at the front, a lull in the middle and an exciting twisty, turny finish. But, like a roller coaster, the slow parts are forgivable because the ride is so much fun and that’s what TRON: Legacy is, one of the most fun films of the year…

IGN Movies: What viewers will get, regardless of their relationship with the 1982 film, is a thrilling, moving 3D adventure that will leave you wanting more…

AV Club: The original Tron was by no means perfect—it was barely adequate, for that matter—but it nonetheless had a sense of fun and adventure, turning on the adolescent fantasy of arcade junkies being inside the games they play. Director Joseph Kosinski teases the audience with updated light-cycle and discus-game showdowns, but it’s only an homage; his Tron pretends to greatness in ways that snuff out any flickers of joy…

Screen Junkies: Tron Legacy is great because of the story, not the effects or style. It is full of pretty ladies, impressive physical specimens and wild characters. I love Quorra (Olivia Wilde) the happy program, and all the quirks Castor (Michael Sheen) lets loose just because he can. This is a world you’ll want to revisit again and again…

Twitter Reaction

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Ladies. If you forced your man to see ‘For Colored Girls’, or any Tyler Perry movie for that matter, you’re required to go see Tron Legacy.less than a minute ago via Echofon

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IMAX 3D is awesome every time. The 3D is at least 2x as good and Tron shakes the floor in the booth and rattles the trash cans in the hall.less than a minute ago via txt

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I don’t think I’m gonna have time to ramble about TRON: LEGACY anytime soon, so I’ll just say I dug the fuckin’ flick. Imax 3D that shit.less than a minute ago via web

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If you want to get your eyes a Christmas gift, take them to see TRON Legacy. You shall be blown away by the visual splendour.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone

Lastly, TechCrunch itself reviewed the movie two weeks ago:

One of the members of the TRON team said not to over analyze it and get lost in the world, and that’s my advice as well. Try to become a child again and imagine being a 5-10 year old and being blown away by the light cycle races. Imagine what’s ticking in their mind and what seeds are being planted.

So, again, mixed reviews. Some people are geeking out over it, which is their right, particularly if they saw and enjoyed the first film, while others wince at the idea of being told by the film’s producers not to “analyze” it. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

But, if you like shiny colors!