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In 2010, “Tron: Legacy” opened with a disappointing box-office performance and an equally disappointing critical reception. But behind Disney’s dissatisfying, somewhat-bland story and weak character writing was the makings of a cult classic. With its distinct visual style and beautiful CGI (minus the de-aging), coupled with the legendary score by Daft Punk, the movie developed a special place in many viewers’ hearts, including my own.
News of another “Tron” in 2025 created immense excitement among fans. Unfortunately, “Tron: Ares” is ultimately another let-down in the midst of Hollywood’s blockbuster creative drought. It is the latest installment in the long line of recent Disney reboot slop.
The plot revolves around the chase to bring AI to life from the digital world. Fifteen years after “Tron: Legacy,” tech corporations ENCOM and Dillinger Systems are racing to bring digital constructs to the real world. Eve Kim, played by Greta Lee, believes that she has found the “permanence code,” that will allow these programs to survive past the time barrier of 29 minutes before dissolving. Motivated by the endless possibilities of this technology, Eve sees a future of clean energy and cured cancer, while Dillinger’s CEO, Julian, played by Evan Peters, sees the militaristic potential. Julian creates the perfect expendable soldiers, named after the god and goddess of war, Ares and Athena (played by Jared Leto and Jodie Turner-Smith, respectively). As the story progresses, Ares begins to align himself with Eve, becoming an altruistic protector, eerily similar to the Terminator movies. He gains more self awareness and curiosity, and turns on his own coded nature.
You get the gist. It is an interesting concept, but not one we haven’t seen before. Going into the movie, I knew to be skeptical but my hopes remained high. With so many directions to take this world, it makes sense that they would go the timely route of AI, but its narrative sweeps its own legs out from under itself.
A story about programs crossing into the real world and artificial intelligence trying to exist amongst humans in the time when AI is constantly being shoved in our faces should have made for something worth paying attention to. Instead of thoughtfully engaging with that tension, “Tron: Ares” settles for unoriginal plot tropes to show “robots with feelings.”
Part of this struggle is due to the way the characters are written. Take Ares, the sentient AI created to be a soldier and weapon of war. If the writers wanted to showcase a computer yearning for autonomy and introspective of its own nature, it would have been better shown through actual interactions or moral conflicts that implicate its code. Instead, the writers give him feelings out of nowhere.
Everyone has an AI chatbot in their pocket. The companies making these chatbots promise that our lives will be better for it. Despite all of the issues that are arising with the boom of AI use, Tron wants to say that AI is not to be worried about because they will be curious, mellow beings. The reality is that as AI becomes more and more integrated into our lives, its effects seem to be anything but benign.
But maybe this is a reflection of its creators. Like Ares’ creator saw the potential for weapons, real-life CEOs see the potential for profit. We are at a moment where we ought to consider the ethics and consequences of AI before AI companies embed it into every corner of daily life. The movie fails to draw a parallel between the CEOs in Silicon Valley and the CEO in “Tron.” In place of any exploration of the real nuances of AI our society faces, “Tron: Ares” simply edits together a series of loosely connected chase scenes.
So, if you are a Tron fan, you will still appreciate some of those great visuals and epic songs from the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, but don’t expect it to be on par with the original. If you are a casual moviegoer who is increasingly annoyed with the AI content on your Facebook feeds, don’t expect Ares to say anything interesting. Instead, expect an attempt from Disney to draw in fans from the “Tron: Legacy” for a quick buck.
