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Tron's wild ride
Garrett Hedlund finds himself in the digital world of Tron, where he encounters Olivia Wilde. -myp
Thu, Dec 16, 2010
my paper
By Yong Shu Hoong
TRON: LEGACY (PG)
Sci-fi/125 minutes
3/5 STARS
PERHAPS naivety is bliss when it comes to appreciating abstract sci-fi flicks.
I remember liking Tron when I first watched the film in the 1980s (this was before I took up Computer Science subjects in university), and I had no problem with how a human in the shape of software programmer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) could be digitised and zapped into a machine for further adventures in computer land.
Re-entering the realm of Tron in Tron: Legacy, the 3-D sequel, I now feel that the story's premise is built on shaky ground. And every time I spot something to query, the film seems to sink an inch deeper into shifting sand.
Aside from the obvious bewilderment over how a person could ever be shrunk and trapped in a computer, I also question why computer programs take on human appearances and characteristics.
And what could a "user" (a human trapped in the computer) or a program possibly be eating - yes, actually eating - in the computer world?
Obviously, this film is better enjoyed without asking too many questions.
After the events depicted in Tron, Kevin takes over as chief executive of software company Encom. Then, one night, he inexplicably disappears.
Two decades later, Kevin's son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), has grown into a strapping 27-year-old.
When Encom executive Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner, also reprising his role from the first film) receives a strange signal that could have come only from his missing friend Kevin, he sends Sam to an abandoned video-game arcade to investigate.
Sam soon stumbles into his father's secret office and, the next moment, he finds himself in the digital world.
Escorted by some very human- looking "programs", he gets new clothes and a luminous disc stuck to his back, which he can remove and use as an electronic Frisbee in a gladiator- type death-match.
There, he encounters those like digital warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde, clad in a skin-tight suit that sci-fi fans would definitely approve of).
You should know that high-tech fisticuffs are to be expected, and are choreographed by 87eleven, the stunt team behind fights in 300, Iron Man 2 and the Matrix films.
Joseph Kosinski, well known for his computer graphics-laden TV ads, makes his feature-film directorial debut here.
Aside from draggy proceedings, Tron: Legacy also suffers from a weak plot which does not give any of the actors much chance to connect with the audience.
While 3-D does not add noticeable depth to the visual aesthetics, the film's digital world is very well designed and a beauty to behold.
You can also enjoy the atmospheric soundtrack by Daft Punk, and admire how Bridges gets a face-lift with the aid of special effects.
To me, the main problem is that the film creates a new world without many startling novelties.
Most of what is happening in the virtual domain follows the conventions of our real world too closely, from how "genocide" is being used to describe the mass purging of software, to what reminds me of a Formula 1 race in which Sam goes full throttle in his digitised vehicle to try to outmanoeuvre his rivals.
Even the climactic battle involving digitised starfighters - after some muddled explanation on why our good guys in light blue are fighting the bad guys in red and yellow - feels like it is taking a leaf from Star Wars' intergalactic-warfare book.
On the surface, this film is glossy, high-tech and pretty to look at.
But all of it still feels dehumanising, despite its many attempts to humanise the concept of computer programs and interfaces.
[email protected]
For more my paper stories click here.
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Tron's wild ride
Garrett Hedlund finds himself in the digital world of Tron, where he encounters Olivia Wilde. -myp
Thu, Dec 16, 2010
my paper
By Yong Shu Hoong
TRON: LEGACY (PG)
Sci-fi/125 minutes
3/5 STARS
PERHAPS naivety is bliss when it comes to appreciating abstract sci-fi flicks.
I remember liking Tron when I first watched the film in the 1980s (this was before I took up Computer Science subjects in university), and I had no problem with how a human in the shape of software programmer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) could be digitised and zapped into a machine for further adventures in computer land.
Re-entering the realm of Tron in Tron: Legacy, the 3-D sequel, I now feel that the story's premise is built on shaky ground. And every time I spot something to query, the film seems to sink an inch deeper into shifting sand.
Aside from the obvious bewilderment over how a person could ever be shrunk and trapped in a computer, I also question why computer programs take on human appearances and characteristics.
And what could a "user" (a human trapped in the computer) or a program possibly be eating - yes, actually eating - in the computer world?
Obviously, this film is better enjoyed without asking too many questions.
After the events depicted in Tron, Kevin takes over as chief executive of software company Encom. Then, one night, he inexplicably disappears.
Two decades later, Kevin's son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), has grown into a strapping 27-year-old.
When Encom executive Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner, also reprising his role from the first film) receives a strange signal that could have come only from his missing friend Kevin, he sends Sam to an abandoned video-game arcade to investigate.
Sam soon stumbles into his father's secret office and, the next moment, he finds himself in the digital world.
Escorted by some very human- looking "programs", he gets new clothes and a luminous disc stuck to his back, which he can remove and use as an electronic Frisbee in a gladiator- type death-match.
There, he encounters those like digital warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde, clad in a skin-tight suit that sci-fi fans would definitely approve of).
You should know that high-tech fisticuffs are to be expected, and are choreographed by 87eleven, the stunt team behind fights in 300, Iron Man 2 and the Matrix films.
Joseph Kosinski, well known for his computer graphics-laden TV ads, makes his feature-film directorial debut here.
Aside from draggy proceedings, Tron: Legacy also suffers from a weak plot which does not give any of the actors much chance to connect with the audience.
While 3-D does not add noticeable depth to the visual aesthetics, the film's digital world is very well designed and a beauty to behold.
You can also enjoy the atmospheric soundtrack by Daft Punk, and admire how Bridges gets a face-lift with the aid of special effects.
To me, the main problem is that the film creates a new world without many startling novelties.
Most of what is happening in the virtual domain follows the conventions of our real world too closely, from how "genocide" is being used to describe the mass purging of software, to what reminds me of a Formula 1 race in which Sam goes full throttle in his digitised vehicle to try to outmanoeuvre his rivals.
Even the climactic battle involving digitised starfighters - after some muddled explanation on why our good guys in light blue are fighting the bad guys in red and yellow - feels like it is taking a leaf from Star Wars' intergalactic-warfare book.
On the surface, this film is glossy, high-tech and pretty to look at.
But all of it still feels dehumanising, despite its many attempts to humanise the concept of computer programs and interfaces.
[email protected]
For more my paper stories click here.
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