A highly sophisticated AI Program known as Ares (Jared Leto) is sent into the real world to capture the “permanence code”. The next step in the digital technology war being played out by giant technology corporations ENCOM and Dillinger. 

Tron is a rather odd franchise for Disney in that it is a series only loosely held together by Jeff Bridges, many decades of technological advancement in the real world and for its recent two outings an absolutely thumping score. 

The original released in 1982 written and directed by Steven Lisberger may feature outdated computer graphics but still retains enduring imagery of Light Cycles, Identity Discs and suits with rather snazzy light motifs. A cult favourite for people who this latest film is not really aimed at. 

The 2010 sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun Maverick & F1) brought back original stars Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner alongside new heroes played by Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde. Most memorable perhaps though was its phenomenal score by Daft Punk. It is a particular favourite for me as far as Blockbusters go and something that needs to be watched on a big screen with the volume up. 

This third entry in the franchise a mere forty-three years since the original and fifteen since the sequel tries to incorporate some of the connective tissue from those movies whilst also being completely standalone in a way that it does not alienate anyone wondering if they need to have seen the other films first. Its opening fifteen minutes are dedicated to news headlines bringing everyone up to date with the broad strokes of the other movies whilst explaining why no one from those films will appear here. Even Jeff Bridges’ return is a very brief and late cameo. 

The plot is this… ENCOM is a “good” tech company whose computer programs appear in blue highlights. Dillinger is a “bad” tech company whose computer programs appear in red highlights. ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee) is trying to find the permanence code to bring tech programs into the real world for good. Dillinger CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) is trying to find the permanence code to bring tech programs into the world to make weapons that he can sell for vast quantities of money. Until they find the code, those programs brought into the real world only get twenty-nine minutes to do their thing before collapsing into digital dust. 

Cue a multitude of against the clock action set pieces as Eve, Ares and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) race around chasing each other, mostly set in the real world,  trying to secure the MacGuffin that is the code! 

Yes it is silly when you think about it, but it has some very big things in its favour. Firstly, it has a phenomenal score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross under their band name of Nine Inch Nails. Full disclosure, I have been a NIN fan since the early 1990s when I very much idolised the likes of Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor and I even went to see NIN this year on their Peel It Back tour. So take it with a pinch of salt when I say it is ear splittingly brilliant and whilst very different to Daft Punk’s score for Tron: Legacy it absolutely achieves the same goals. Secondly, it looks pretty spectacular in terms of its special effects. The various Tron mainstays exist here in terms of incredibly cool modes of transport, snazzy suits and Identity Discs, they are just transported into the real world. And finally whilst the majority of its performances are fairly ordinary (Jared Leto I am looking at you here!) it does feature two rather sumptuous villains in Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson. Peters’ CEO sports some lovely Matrix code tattoos as he screams at his creations to do his bidding, whilst Gillian Anderson plays his ice queen mother who looks down on his every action. 

The end result is fine. It is pretty looking and incredibly LOUD. Something that will work in the cinema to great effect. But I suspect it will not have the staying power of Legacy given its mainly perfunctory lead characters and its inability to maintain momentum throughout. 

Tron: Ares is absolutely fine as blockbuster fun. Just do not go looking for much more and make sure the music is turned all the way to eleven.