TRON: THE ORIGINAL CLASSIC
(PG)
MOVIE: ****1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
I was in grade school when “Tron” first hit the theaters in the summer of 1981, and while the story was rough and the pacing was awkward, it was a mind-blowing experience. I remember sitting in the theater after the film and asking my mother if movies would be made in the future without actors and sets. Little did I know that full CGI films were only a few decades away.
“Tron” is essential 80s, and it’s glorious in that respect. Everything about this film screams that decade – from the matte-work designed to look like computer generated images to the actual ultra-perfect look of the digital frontier. The music is so pop synth for the time that it sounded futuristic but is horribly dated, and that’s part of the charm. For someone like me who grew up on a steady diet of Pac Man and Donkey Kong, this was the coolest movie around, and it marked the future of digital cinema. When the sequel was announced, it was impossible to get your hands on a copy of this film, but now it’s on glorious Blu-ray, and it’s a hoot and a half to revisit.
The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack, which includes the DVD with most of the bonus features. These include audio commentary, deleted scenes, plus several featurettes: “The TRON Phenomenon” and “The Making of Tron,” both lengthy and informative about the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is “Photo Tronology,” which features director Steven Lisberger and his son looking over photo memories of this Disney classic.
whats with the fat guys at the movies shade thing coming up when I scroll down?
That’s part of the WordPress theme. Not wild about it myself. Might get rid of it when the site is redesigned.