Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
After another long break, the “Tron” franchise gets new life. Some years after the events of “Tron: Legacy”, Encom and Dillinger continue to be competing companies. They both have dreams of controlling The Grid, fighting tooth and nail to gain an advantage of the digital world. Dillinger creates a highly advanced form of artificial intelligence, where humanoid programs can be printed into the real world. This group is led by Ares, a highly intelligent program who starts to formulate a mind of his own. As his ambitions clash with Dillenger’s, he finds that working with Encom’s CEO (Eve Kim) is the best path forward for digital development. Can Ares and Eve stop an uncontrolled digital threat from emerging before it’s too late?
Positives:
It brings me great pleasure to say that “Tron: Ares” is one of the best surprises of 2025! As someone who struggled to connect to the “Tron” franchise, this exceeded my expectations. It has also created excitement for possible future entries in the franchise. The idea of the series has always been fascinating but the execution has been a mixed bag. But this entry makes it more accessible for non-fans to get invested in the story. Director Joachim Rønning gives some quick exposition about the history of the two competing companies and how The Grid has potential to change the world. While it helps to have seen the previous films, it is not a requirement to enjoy the story. The film gives audiences a glimpse at the state of the world, revealing that controlling artificial intelligence development is the key to the future. This is timely on many levels as we see the rapid growth of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives. The narrative takes the concerns many in the public have while creating a story that gives a multifaceted look at the technology’s development. This is a welcomed evolution of the franchise that makes it an engaging viewing experience.
I also enjoyed how the film changes up the formula from the previous films. Where humans would enter The Grid in the earlier “Tron” films, the technology is now transported to the human world. This keeps the DNA of the franchise in check but also explores the evolution of this advanced technology. It’s realistic to assume that technology of this nature would evolve and learn at a rapid rate. In this vein, it explores the positives and negatives of such development. But we also see the arrogance of humanity in wielding such a power. Evan Peters plays Julian Dillinger, a tech bro style character whose intelligence and ambition put humanity at risk. He does a nice job here, conveying the selfishness and moral superiority over those who “just don’t get it”. Countering him is Greta Lee’s Eve, who continues the legacy of Encom after Sam Flynn resigns from the company. Her desires are to use this technology in a way that is more beneficial to humanity’s future. But the permanence code is what these two companies are fighting for, allowing the victorious party to have greater control over this program. Jared Leto plays Ares, the master control of The Grid’s new artificial intelligence program. He does a nice job at conveying the robotic nature of the character while displaying a fondness for humanity’s complexities. As he studies Eve’s life and the multifaceted experience of being human, he begins to make decisions of his own. Ares is presented as a piece of technology that could be dangerous but also has potential for lots of good. This mirrors real life artificial intelligence, where the positives and negatives are both becoming more prominent as the technology evolves.
But the main reason “Tron: Ares” succeeds is due to its game changing special effects. Genuinely, this is one of the best IMAX 3D experiences I’ve ever had. The visual effects are top tier, perfectly blending the computerized imagery within the world of the film. The bright red hues combined with the sleek suits of the A.I. characters flesh out this world even further. The sharp color grading is also prominent on the weapons and machines used throughout the film. The action sequences play like an intense laser show extravaganza at a concert, intensifying the experience for the viewer. The 3D effects are impressive, adding another layer of immersion as we get sucked into the world of The Grid. From the opening shot of the Disney logo, I knew this experience would be special. The 3D effects combined with the revolutionary VFX make “Tron: Ares” one of the strongest big screen experiences imaginable. We can’t forget about the excellent score by Nine Inch Nails either. Their booming techno style works perfectly for the tone of the film. It almost acts as a character on its own, elevating the immersive nature of the film. This is an example of a big budget movie putting every penny on screen, making the experience for the viewer worth a trip to the theater.
Negatives:
Although “Tron: Ares” is a nice surprise, there were a few areas of improvement that could have elevated the film even further. The main aspect that weakens the film is the script. Several goofy spouts of dialogue exchanges could have been refined to make certain scenes flow better. Greta Lee’s Eve is a victim of bad dialogue a few times throughout the film. Her performance is also one of the weaker ones which is surprising considering her work in “Past Lives”. I also wished the film slowed down during certain points so that we were able to see Ares processing what it means to be human better. This would have made his revolt against Dillinger feel more organic. His exchange with Eve as they discuss her feelings towards her sister is probably the strongest example of understanding what it means to be human. If more scenes were given this treatment the emotional resonance could have been stronger.
Conclusion:
“Tron: Ares” is one of the biggest surprises of 2025. It gives audiences an excuse to get invested in the franchise, creating a story that feels timely as artificial intelligence continues to evolve. I enjoyed seeing how the film brings this technology to our world rather than transporting the human characters to The Grid. This makes the story feel more relatable as these technologies are integrated into human life. As expected, the special effects are some of the best ever put on film, flawlessly integrating the world of “Tron” onto the big screen for audiences to experience. A killer soundtrack and amazing 3D immersion make this one of the most impressive special effects driven films I’ve ever seen. A nice continuation of the franchise lore combined with top tier spectacle make “Tron: Ares” a must see on the big screen, specifically in IMAX 3D. This is why we go to the theater…take my word for it!
