by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
After fifteen years, Disney returns to the digital frontier called the Grid with a bold new vision called Tron: Ares.
It’s been years since Sam Flynn left Encom in the hands of the Kim sisters. Under their leadership, the company has focused on producing more video games, staying largely on the surface of digital innovation. Meanwhile, their corporate rival, The Dillinger Corporation, has ventured into the darker, more dangerous corners of the digital world, engineering powerful programs like Ares, an AI-driven super-soldier designed for combat. Ares possesses formidable strength and stamina but is tragically limited to just 29 minutes of existence in the real world.
Evie Kim is on a quest to unlock a mysterious algorithm called “Permanence,“ a code that could extend the lifespan of digital constructs beyond their current limitations. The key to this code lies within the encrypted Flynn Files, and Evie is the only one with access. Unfortunately, Julian Dillinger has access to her.
Tron: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning, is the third installment in the Tron saga. The film boasts a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow, based on a story by David DiGilio and Wigutow. The ensemble cast includes Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson, with Jeff Bridges reprising his iconic role, making him the only actor to appear in all three Tron films.
Rønning crafts a visually breathtaking world, skillfully contrasting the gritty realism of the human world with the stylized spectacle of the digital realm. Tron: Ares is tailor-made for IMAX, and the director uses shifting aspect ratios to add visual intrigue and accentuate the duality of the film’s two realities. The result is a movie that feels designed for the big screen, as every frame is meticulously composed and saturated with detail.
The film’s score, composed by Nine Inch Nails, marks a unique moment in cinematic music. Though Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have scored numerous acclaimed films (including The Social Network, for which they won an Oscar), Tron: Ares is the first time their work has been credited under the Nine Inch Nails name. It’s a bold but logical choice: the band’s industrial, cybernetic sound meshes well with the stark, high-contrast visuals of the film.
However, the score’s impact is inconsistent. Where Tron: Legacy featured a warm, emotionally resonant soundtrack from Daft Punk, Ares leans colder and more mechanical. Reznor and Ross’s work here lacks the driving energy found in their Challengers score, and at times, the music feels disconnected from the action on screen. Ironically, it’s Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” that injects the most emotional depth and tonal complexity into the film.
Depth, in fact, is where Tron: Ares stumbles. Set fifteen years after Tron: Legacy, the story reintroduces audiences to “The Grid” but this time, it’s not Kevin Flynn’s luminous blue realm. It’s Dillinger’s Grid: a menacing digital landscape bathed in ominous reds and blacks, a thinly veiled cue for villainy. While the visuals are striking, the metaphor is heavy-handed, and the narrative lacks the subtlety and sophistication fans might expect after such a long wait.
That said, the film offers a refreshing twist on the standard AI narrative. Instead of presenting AI as a looming threat to humanity, Tron: Ares takes a more introspective approach. It seeks to honor humanity, to measure and preserve it. This thematic pivot sets it apart from other entries in the genre.
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, Tron: Ares is a visual triumph with a simple, sometimes shallow story. That’s not necessarily a criticism; its spectacle is undeniably compelling, but viewers should be aware: this is not a standalone film. A solid understanding of the previous Tron films is essential, as Ares dives right in without much narrative hand-holding.
Grade: B-