I liked the movie. I read the critics (who seemed to hate it) and listoned to friends (mixed, if passionate reviews either way). As with the original Tron, this is about a man's quest to overcome obstacles in order to get home. I liked Garret Hedlund's character, Sam Flynn. Emotionally scarred after losing his father at a young age, Sam comes off as devil may care, reckless and unambitious, at least that is how he wants to come off. In reality, he is more. Sam clearly has his father's smarts, he is brave, and though he does not want to appear it, earnest, sabotaging some of the ambitions of Encon's board members who ridicule his principled mentor, Alan Bradley. Opposite Bridges, Hedlund appears sad, bewildered, a little angry but clearly still very much loves his father. Though young, he is very much a young man with some years under his belt. His face reflects a life that includes some difficult experiences. I also liked Olivia Wilde as Quarra.She is a fierce fighter, but is also very much the little girl who looks at Keven Flynn as a father figure, a man she loves and respects and is fascinated by his stories about the outside world. Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprise their roles and Keven Flynn and Alan Bradley/Tron respectively. Unfortunately, the part did it for me the least was where they portrayed younger selves. Where Bridges and Boxleitner played their characters with corresponding ages, it worked, but did not work quite as well with the CGI younger versions of theirselve, Bridges as Clu and Boxleitner as Tron. CGI may still have a way to go. Bridges in particular impressed me. As Kevin Flynn, he was definitely the grieving father who never lost his love for his son and the twenty years of seperation have affected him. Those who wondered how he got his "Jedi" powers forget he showed similiar powers in the original Tron. I think CGI affected Bridges' portrayal of Clu, who is relentless, cagey and an ambitious antagonist, but the CGI does not capture nearly enough nuances of his facial expressions as Bridges was able to do as the elder Flynn. I was glad to see Boxleitner brought back to his old role, but the role was too underdeveloped. He clearly respects the elder Flynn and as a result is not popular with the rest of the boars. He has also taken the effort to look after the younger Flynn. Still, I missed the presence Boxleitner brought to the earlier movie.
I liked Tron Legacy. I am no critic. The special effects were great, and as in the original Tron, they are part of what sells the movie, and complements the story. Having said that, I liked this movie. I found the story interesting. I thought the story moved along, the characters were fleshed out (that part I really liked), and as in the original Tron, there were subtle subplots and subtle cautionary themes. I enjoyed the movie. I was entertained, I was never bored, and when it was over, I felt watching this movies was a pleasant way to spend two hours
