Review - Tron: Ares (2025)

       Hey guys, Chuck here, and I can hardly believe it's finally here. Tron: Ares, the long awaited third film in the Tron franchise, is finally here. Directed by Joachim Rønning, this movie stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Jeff Bridges. 

      The movie introduces us to Dillinger Systems head Julian Dillinger, grandson of Edward Dillinger, who has created an artificial soldier known as Ares. But, when other Programs and vehicles from the digital world of The Grid emerge and attack the world of the Users, it's up to Ares and ENCOM CEO Eve Kim, who has been seeking Kevin Flynn's Permanence Code, to save both worlds. 

      Okay, so, how did this movie pan out? Well, the story, while inherently clunky in the earlier points, was mostly decent. The idea of two rival software companies, ENCOM and Dillinger Systems, both going after the same code, Kevin Flynn's Permanence Code, for two different reasons is neat, but also too generic. For instance, ENCOM wants the Permanence Code to help the world with various breakthroughs in crops and other beneficial science applications, while Dillinger wants it for military applications. 

       As for the performances, I will say that Jared Leto as Ares, while certainly a slight downgrade from Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn, was a decent enough protagonist, complimented by Greta Lee as Eve Kim. Eve, despite what a bunch of reactionaries on YouTube might say, is a decently written character with an understandable motivation: her aim is to carry on the work of her sister, hoping to save countless lives with ENCOM's technology. The two antagonists of the film are, ultimately, Julian Dillinger, played by Evan Peters, and Athena, played by Jodie Turner-Smith, and they are passable for sure. Julian, as mentioned, is seeking the Permanence Code for military applications, while Athena is essentially following her programming when Ares begins to break from his. The two big names, Gillian Anderson as Elisabeth Dillinger and Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, has decent moments, but served very minimalist roles in the film. 

      HOWEVER, there is one thing that most EVERYONE dissing Tron: Ares has forgotten: the Tron franchise has always been a VISUAL franchise. In other words, it's all about the VISUAL storytelling. And, on THAT level, Tron: Ares was incredibly successful. The visual designs for the Grid, in all three instances, is absolutely fantastic. The visual effects used to bring vehicles from the Grid into the User world looked absolutely fantastic. And, let's be clear, there are three different Grids in this movie. On one hand, we have the Dillinger Grid, which is dark with predominantly red Grid lines. Then there's the ENCOM Grid, which is brighter with predominantly blue Grid lines. And, finally, there's a version of the Flynn Grid, which is a recreation of the classic version of the Grid from the original Tron. And, by giving all three Grids a very distinct look, the movie allows the viewer to identify each one and not confuse one for the other. But, seeing things like Lightcycles, a Recognizer, and other Grid vehicles in the real world and how they interact with the real world was easily the highlight for me, especially in an epic street chase involving two Lightcycles. 

      But, the key thing is in regards to the movie's score. Given the fact that Tron: Legacy had a legendary score composed by Daft Punk, the score for this movie had a lot to live up to. And, having listened to the soundtrack weeks before seeing the movie, I must say that I absolutely LOVED the score for this movie, which was composed by Industrial Rock band Nine Inch Nails. The work that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross did was absolutely fantastic, combining their skills of composing film score with that Industrial Rock sound they put on display as Nine Inch Nails in a way that really fits the tone this movie is going for. 

      Overall, like the first two Tron movies, Tron: Ares is an imperfect but visually breathtaking film with a kickass soundtrack. Is it worth seeing? Yes. And, I definitely recommend checking it out in IMAX, because the visual pop is enhanced in the IMAX format. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.