A video game designer trying to prove a big time executive stole his idea is sucked into a corporation's mainframe where programs are personified counterparts of their writers and users.
Jeff Bridges is a blast to watch in this movie with great supporting roles from Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan. The triangle of friendship and respect between the their characters was very believeable.
I remember wanting to see "TRON" as a kid, but I actually didn't get the opportunity to watch it fully until I was a teenager. My thought then was that "TRON" seemed dated, but still worth the wait for a video game fan like myself.
I probably enjoy this flick more than most people. Although, I believe that the right attitude is a must ... for instance: don't expect to see a timeless classic, but rather a retro 80's classic. The look and sound are right out of an 80's arcade. In fact, there is an incredible scene in the movie of an arcade with every game imaginable.
Tron Trivia:
* In "TRON" when a person writes a program, the program in the cyberworld looks like its user in the data world! This is how Flynn recognizes Tron and Yuri in the data world, because they look like his friends Alan (Boxleitner) and Lora (Morgan).
*Jeff Bridges is truly the main character, yet the film is named after Bruce Boxleitner’s security program? But that makes sense, since a film called “Flynn” is more likely to be mistaken for a pirate picture. TRON is a lot cooler and clearly conjures up images of computer and data in one’s head.
* All the live action that occurred inside the computer was filmed in black and white, and colorized later with photographic and rotoscopic techniques.
* Flynn's program is named "Clu". CLU is an old programming language.
* After Flynn escapes from the light cycles arena, it is possible to hear a "Pac-Man" video game and see a graphic on the map he is watching.
* In the "solar sail" sequence, you'll see, for a brief moment, the silhouette of Mickey Mouse.
*The poster in Alan's cubicle reads, "Gort Klaatu Barada Nikto" (a reference to the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, and also used in the movie Army of Darkness).
I might not have seen the movie as a kid, but that didn't mean I didn't donate a few quarters at the aracade trying to play it!
Anyone a fan or been reading up on the sequel/remake "TRON Legacy"?
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Cool thread. I liked the vintage Neon SFX and love the game itself but was never a big fan of the movie. IMO it was overshadowed by two better films which were released soon after: For Arcade fantasy adventure The Last Starfighter won hands down in '84 and for all the computer geek, programming stuff along came War Games in '83.
Here's a link to the game in case any Rewinders want to go head-to-head on TRON
Awesome link! I actually agree that "WarGames" and "The Last Starfighter" are better movies, however "TRON" was kind of unique at the time.
Would there be a "Matrix" without "TRON"?
[ 05. September 2011, 18:19: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
We'll all play head to head on TRON.
I feel the need...the need for a grid without an overbearing MCU presence!
quote:Originally posted by Valley: Would there be a "Matrix" with "TRON"?
Good point, now that you mention it; the identity disc foreshadows the download new skills into your brain programme and the whole MCU vs. User scenario was a prevalent theme in The Matrix Posted by Secret Admirer (Member # 3574) on :
I love Tron, Valley. Great post. Watched it as a kid and it was easily one of the coolest movies I'd seen. Made a big impression on me. It is still unique to this day. The arcade game was just as cool and unique.
Posted by P a u l (Member # 1022) on :
And don't forget the new Tron is out at the end of the year......
Youtube Trailer Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Fine piece with striking pictures, Valley.
I viewed "Tron" as a child moreover and I wouldn't mind seeing it once again.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Tron is nostalgia. No other movie looked or sounded like it. Wendy Carlos' score underlines the unique visuals. It's something of a letdown in terms of pacing and story development, and the background of the world was severely limited by the technology of the time, but it's still a real stick-your-neck-out-and-try-something-different piece of family entertainment. I don't even try to compare it to movies like 'Wargames' and 'Last Starfighter' - Tron was a much more ambitious (and risky) movie.
I was bought the video as a gift for Christmas in '89. I hadn't seen it since it first came out on video several years earlier. Watching it was like time-traveling to being a child again. Wonderful feeling. I had flashbacks to being in Junior school and a kid showing me his Tron Lightcycle toy and wanting one really badly!
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
logan5.. I think it's time to get that TRON Lightcycle 2010 style:
I can´t remember if i´ve ever seen Tron. I gotta order the dvd and check it out...
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:I can´t remember if i´ve ever seen Tron. I gotta order the dvd and check it out...
You'd know if you had! The DVD is loaded with special features.
quote:logan5.. I think it's time to get that TRON Lightcycle 2010 style
Is it me, or are toys just a million times better than they were years ago? Never mind. I'll only ever have a nostalgic buzz for the original toyline. Tron Lightcycles were one of the first things I ever bought on ebay so that little itch got well and truly scratched!
Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
Great thread Valley, but then most of your are...
The thing that this thread reminded me of was all of the movie tie-in books that I would buy when I was a kid. Tron came out when I was 12 and I remember buying the book out ahead of the movie and racing through it, like most of them before the movie hit the theatre's. They don;t print those as much anymore, but back then they were ubiquitous and i loved them. I woul also, cut out the quarter page ads which were nothing more than small scale replicas of the movie poster and I would tape them all in note book all summer long and just look at them all the time.
It's movies like Tron that, like you said, are not timeless classics, but rather 80's classics so perfectly, that remind me more than anything of being a kid and that in itself is as fun as anything... Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
I have a thread for novelisations somewhere on the forum.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
quote:Originally posted by logan5: I have a thread for novelisations somewhere on the forum.
I had a look. It is 80's movie novelisations -- the Big List.
Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
That's awesome Logan! I will look for it because I found that my parents still had all of these old books! (The Goonies, Raiders, Santa Clause the movie, Star Trek II, Batteries Not Included, etc., etc.,)
Parents must never throw away anything of their kids...too funny. I will look at it and post there...
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Your tittle of this post bears a stricking resemblance to the "safe word" that turns "GORT" off. Gort was the robot in "The Day The Earth Stood Still", the old movie from the early 50's.
Didn't they remake that one???
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Has anyone seen "Tron: Legacy" and what did you think?
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
quote:Originally posted by Billybob: Your tittle of this post bears a stricking resemblance to the "safe word" that turns "GORT" off. Gort was the robot in "The Day The Earth Stood Still", the old movie from the early 50's.
Didn't they remake that one???
They did definitely remake it, all right. Worse luck!
quote:Originally posted by Valley: Has anyone seen "Tron: Legacy" and what did you think?
Whilst a little light on plot, I really enjoyed it. The effects are stunningly well done - they keep the feel of the original whilst bringing everything bang up to daye. Loads of very recognisable features and the update of the disc games was really cool.
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