MovieMonday.com - TRON with Jeff Bridges, David Warner, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Dan Shor

Techno Films

TRON (B-)

STARS...
Jeff Bridges, David Warner, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, and Dan Shor.

PLOT SUMMARY...
A video game creator is transported into an electronic computer world.

QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "Ghost in the Machine". TRON features action and FX. David Warner is great as a computer world bad guy. Many of the scenes, set in the computer world, have a dark, ugly look, which is not very viewer friendly. Some of the FX, particularly scenes involving computer generated tanks and motorcycle races, look great.

DIRECTOR: Steven Lisberger
YEAR & RATING: 1982 (PG)

BEST BETS:

Lawnmower Man
Colossus-The Forbin Project
SYNOPSIS...
A video game creator has had his game stolen. When he "hacks" into his former company's computer, he is zapped by a laser, and transported inside the computer.

He meets other "people" inside the computer, including Tron, an electronic warrior. The video game guy takes part in "real life" video games, with life and death stakes.

The video game guy escapes back into the "real world". After getting proof that the video game, "Space Paranoids," is in fact his, he takes control of his former bosses' company.

Review:

Director/Writer Steven Lisberger's, TRON, is a sometimes entertaining, but ultimately disappointing Sci-Fi yarn.

The best looking visual effects take place early on, during the opening main title sequence, and when Bridges is transported to the computer world. Robert Abel and Associates get the credit for the nifty looking visuals.

Once Bridges enters the computer world, the film takes on an ugly, garish look, combining grey sets, washed out skin tones, and fluorescent armour. The overall look is dingy and depressing. Since Director/Writer Lisberger gets a "Visual Effects Composed by..." credit, he must take the lion's share of the blame here.

Jeff Bridges ("White Squall", "Starman", "The Fisher King") is usually a warm and engaging performer. Initially effective in the film's early scenes, he gets overwhelmed by the Special Effects once he enters the computer world, and never quite recovers.

David Warner ("Time After Time", "Star Trek 6") under Lisberger's flaccid Direction, is too subdued during the film's "real world" scenes. Inside the computer, however, Warner's electronic doppleganger is a grand villain, bringing to mind his evil "Time Bandits" bad guy.

My favorite scene depicts the motorcycle races across geometric tracks. They have a clean, crisp look not found elsewhere in the dark computer world. It's also the scene which most closely simulates a real, computer/video game.

Director of Photography, Bruce Logan, does fine with the film's few non-computer world scenes. Inside the computer world, however, Logan delivers unattractive, non-eye pleasing visuals. I'm sure he did the best he could, under the circumstances, but ultimately is doomed by Director/Writer Lisberger's murky vision of an electronic world.

The Music, by Wendy Carlos ("Switched on Bach") features her usual great synthesizer stuff. While appropriate to the computer generated world most of the film is set in, it doesn't add much like to a rather bloodless movie.

TRON will be fairly watchable for some Sci-Fi viewers. Those expecting eye filling computer generated visual treats, like in "The Lawnmower Man", will be sorely disappointed.

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TRON (B-)
	STARS... Jeff Bridges, David Warner, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, and Dan Shor. PLOT SUMMARY... A video game creator is transported into an electronic computer world. QUICK SCAN... This film could be compared to "Ghost in the Machine". TRON features action and FX. David Warner is great as a computer world bad guy. Many of the scenes, set in the computer world, have a dark, ugly look, which is not very viewer friendly. Some of the FX, particularly scenes involving computer generated tanks and motorcycle races, look great.
DIRECTOR: Steven Lisberger YEAR & RATING: 1982 (PG) BEST BETS: Lawnmower Man Colossus-The Forbin Project	SYNOPSIS... A video game creator has had his game stolen. When he "hacks" into his former company's computer, he is zapped by a laser, and transported inside the computer. He meets other "people" inside the computer, including Tron, an electronic warrior. The video game guy takes part in "real life" video games, with life and death stakes. The video game guy escapes back into the "real world". After getting proof that the video game, "Space Paranoids," is in fact his, he takes control of his former bosses' company.
Review: Director/Writer Steven Lisberger's, TRON, is a sometimes entertaining, but ultimately disappointing Sci-Fi yarn. The best looking visual effects take place early on, during the opening main title sequence, and when Bridges is transported to the computer world. Robert Abel and Associates get the credit for the nifty looking visuals. Once Bridges enters the computer world, the film takes on an ugly, garish look, combining grey sets, washed out skin tones, and fluorescent armour. The overall look is dingy and depressing. Since Director/Writer Lisberger gets a "Visual Effects Composed by..." credit, he must take the lion's share of the blame here. Jeff Bridges ("White Squall", "Starman", "The Fisher King") is usually a warm and engaging performer. Initially effective in the film's early scenes, he gets overwhelmed by the Special Effects once he enters the computer world, and never quite recovers. David Warner ("Time After Time", "Star Trek 6") under Lisberger's flaccid Direction, is too subdued during the film's "real world" scenes. Inside the computer, however, Warner's electronic doppleganger is a grand villain, bringing to mind his evil "Time Bandits" bad guy. My favorite scene depicts the motorcycle races across geometric tracks. They have a clean, crisp look not found elsewhere in the dark computer world. It's also the scene which most closely simulates a real, computer/video game. Director of Photography, Bruce Logan, does fine with the film's few non-computer world scenes. Inside the computer world, however, Logan delivers unattractive, non-eye pleasing visuals. I'm sure he did the best he could, under the circumstances, but ultimately is doomed by Director/Writer Lisberger's murky vision of an electronic world. The Music, by Wendy Carlos ("Switched on Bach") features her usual great synthesizer stuff. While appropriate to the computer generated world most of the film is set in, it doesn't add much like to a rather bloodless movie. TRON will be fairly watchable for some Sci-Fi viewers. Those expecting eye filling computer generated visual treats, like in "The Lawnmower Man", will be sorely disappointed.