From Tron, Steven Lisberger, 1982.
Revisiting this for the first time in quite some time, and in an entirely unaltered mental state, I was rather pleasantly surprised that the picture wasn’t nearly as silly as I thought I had remembered, nor as soporific as I feared that it would be. Not to say it isn’t somewhat silly, of course, but in its silly way it turned out to have been prophetic of somewhat more than just the fact that computer-generated special effects were gonna take over movie trompe l’oeil; and unlike the recent sequel, Lisberger’s picture seems to be actually genuinely engaged by some of the ideas that it’s kind of about. It’s also a relatively fleet bit of movie storytelling, clocking in at less than 100, which helps with this sort of thing. Plus Jeff Bridges’ performance is one of his most boyishly manic; impressive to note that he actually essayed the to-the-bone world-weariness of his role in Cutter’s Way before starring in this. This may also be the very first Disney film in which it is acknowledged that the lead male character has seen the female lead character naked, in a dirty way. So there’s that. Also, the Blu-ray of the thing looks fantastic. So check it out, maybe.
Certainly, along with the similarly flawed-but-watchable ‘Looker’ (1981) and ‘The Last Starfighter’ (1984), a significant film in the evolution of digitization. Wendy Carlos’ score is surely worth a mention too.
Comparing this with the sequel, it struck me that a different take on the idea of foreign policy was at play in each. Tron has total faith in the idea of Americans wading in and overthrowing despotism in exotic places. Tron Legacy suggests the only solution is to completely destroy the entire troubled region.
Having seen it for the first time only months before the sequel, I was quite shocked at how forward-looking the film was in terms of theme and presentation. All The Matrix did was sub trenchcoats for day-glo bodysuits and add some kung fu. (Well, kinda.) But I really loved how the production design of the live-action scenes showed the beginnings of convergence of the digital world and the material world. The kind of thing that TRON Legacy made more literal with the opening credits.
1982: What a great year for science fiction, no?
That’s weird, I just read an article about the troubled handling of Cutter’s Way (thanks to a link on Movie City News), and ordered myself a used DVD because I’ve never seen it.
I’ve always had a soft spot for John Heard, mainly because of his “cool priest” role in Heaven Help Us, one of the great underrated Catholic School/coming of age/period comedies (take your pick).
D Cairns, I think you may be mistaken. The cyber-world wasn’t destroyed, it was saved on a flash drive to be used in the next sequel (if there is one).
If there’s any difference between the politics of the two movies, it’s that in the second one it’s Flynn’s noble intentions gone awry that is the source of all problems. Clu could be considered a former puppet dictator gone overboard.
The lightcycle grid fx sequence from the original looks more impressive to me than the one in the sequel, shot and designed with imagination. I might have enjoyed the sequel more had it not had a vapid, charisma-free actor in the lead role (at least Bridges was FUN in the original) and was not written by the team that brought us ‘One Tree Hill’. The future ain’t what it used to be.
I have always loved Tron, ever since my parents rented it for me when I was a wee lad. Seen it many, many times.
I think one of the things I like about it are the heroes: Flynn is a good guy, but he’s flip and cynical, and his motivation was basically self-interest, and that, to me, was different from what I’d seen before in movies at that point. In addition, the way Boxleitner plays Tron, he’s almost scary and mean when you first meet him. He’s the heroic figure, but he’s also kind of a grim faced badass. I know these things may not sound like a big deal, but to a seven year old, they were.
Please note: the writing team who wrote TRON: LEGACY did not ‘bring us’ ONE TREE HILL. They wrote one freelance episode of that show years ago and that was the extent of their involvement with the program. They did, however, write multiple episodes of LOST from the first season on and were executive producers of that show.
Have to admit, I never saw TRON – I was much more about Eno and Zaxxon as a lad than Wendy and the Super Foonly F‑1. You must see where this is heading – I have seen/love CUTTER’S WAY. Jeff and John are fine, despite the latter clearly hankering for some more scenery to chew as befits his damaged character’s moral imperative(s), but he does largely/admirably keep himself in check.
Ah, and then there’s Ms. Eichhorn – back when he was blogging demi-regularly, the redoubtable Michael Atkinson had a marvy random awards posting, wherein he bestowed the following: “Best Supporting Actress of 1981: Lisa Eichhorn, Cutter’s Way”. Hell to the yes – a fathomless, growling contempt wedded to a drunken vulnerability the likes of which we don’t see very much in them English-language actresses and/or films.
Sad to think that HEAVEN’S GATE brought an end to modestly-budgeted dramas like this, too. No backlit animation, mind you, but I do wonder how it’d look on Blu-Ray today.