Tron

I have no idea who Tron was aimed at.

On the one hand it appears to have been aimed at hip computer-savy teenagers, as that's who the main characters are.

On the other, much of the film is set in a fictitious universe where computer programs all have their own society and personalities, which would suggest it's aimed at the under 10s.

Unfortunately, these are not two premises that can easily share the same film. I mean of course they CAN, they DO, I mean this film is proof of that, isn't it? But how many 'cool' teenagers were going to buy into a magical virtual universe inside the world's computers?

Yeah, twenty years later, I've really lost this argument, haven't I?


What does impress me about Tron though are the absolutely stunning visuals, and you can't help but laugh at director Steven Lisberger's later soundbite on the subject:

"In the year it was released, [1982] the Motion Picture Academy refused to nominate Tron for special effects because they said we 'cheated' when we used computers..."

What impresses me even more than the effects though, is the writer's uncompromising vision of the programs' universe and society.


However the greatest source of enjoyment, for me, must be David Warner as the villain. Every time he speaks, it's like listening to the Lobe threaten Freakazoid.

Where did his career veer so off course and into ironic science-fiction?

Oh, that's right, with this.

Available here.
Review of Tron: Legacy here.