I have never seen the original 'Tron', nor do I really know much about it really. I've only heard the movie referenced on occasion (like that one episode of The Simpsons where Homer's trapped in the Third Dimension and he asks if anybody saw the movie 'Tron', and everyone says "No."). The previews for 'Tron: Legacy' looked visually stunning, and I'm happy to report it does not disappoint in that regard. Everything seen inside "The Grid" is a wonder to behold, a visual feast. But is this the only thing the film has going for it? Well...yes and no. As far as the characters/actors who portray them are concerned...
Garrett Hedlund is good as Sam Flynn. Yes, he has to utter some clunky dialogue along the way and is a bit stiff at times, but he serves the role well enough. At times he reminded me of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (what with the pulling out of lightsabers...I mean discs, donning of cloaks, etc) - though not half as bad as him.
Jeff Bridges gives a solid performance as Sam's dad, Kevin Flynn. The only thing that detracts from his acting is his digitised clone, Clu. No matter how hard they have tried to create a youthful-looking Jeff Bridges using computer magic, he still looks like a "cartoon" (as someone in the audience put it). While it's annoying, it would have at least been tolerable if it had been limited to just the scenes inside The Grid. However, the movie starts in the the real world with a "young" Kevin Flynn telling his son the story of Tron/The Grid, and you can plainly tell the drastic difference between a real and fake Jeff Bridges. It's so obvious, and very distracting.
Olivia Wilde kicks butt and looks great doing it (in her skintight catsuit with neon highlights and her asymmetrical wig) as the warrior, Quorra. She seems to be having a lot more fun with this role than she does with that of Thirteen on 'House'. Quorra has a slight naivety about her in regards to some things, and displays a sense of childlike wonder on occasion (especially the end), which gives her some depth. Wilde and Hedlund share some good scenes together, and her character at least gets *some* development - which is more than I can say for the albino-like "Siren", Gem (Beau Garrett).
Michael Sheen is memorable as Castor. While he does tend to "ham it up" a bit, it's nonetheless a delightful performance.
Apart from the animation of Young Kevin Flynn, there are a couple of other 'minuses' of the film, like the dialogue (which is oftentimes average) and the fact that the film itself does seem to drag in spots/go on for a bit too long.
However, the visuals *do* almost manage to make up for most of the film's faults (almost). The movie looks stunning - after we get past the kinda boring beginning and are transported along with Sam inside The Grid. Light Cycles, Light Runners, all mode of "Light" transportation make for thrilling action/chase sequences. Then there's the "games", that mostly seem to involve throwing discs - which resemble Xena's round killing thing - at each other, causing those who are hit to "derez" (ie. cease to exist). Another 'plus' for this film is its excellent score. It adds SO much to the movie.
The film is entertaining enough, but probably not the non-stop action some people are expecting/hoping for. If you're looking to kill a couple hours watching something that's visually pleasing (but, at the same time, may give you a headache/sore eyes thanks to the 3D), then 'Tron: Legacy' is worth checking out. Fans of the original may or may not like this movie, I'm not sure, but I know that for someone like myself - who's being introduced to the world of 'Tron' for the first time - it was quite something.
