It’s been fifteen years since Tron: Legacy. If you think that’s a lengthy gap, Legacy came out 28 years after the 1982 classic. While the announcement of Tron: Ares caught some off guard, 2025 seems like an appropriate time for another entry in this franchise. AI has never been more top of mind, with everyone debating its benefits, dangers, ethics, and potential. Tron: Ares touches upon the pros and cons of AI, but it’s mainly an excuse to indulge in spectacle. Although the film looks and sounds fantastic, one can’t help but wish that the story felt less artificial.
The setup is intriguing as Kevin Flynn’s company ENCOM finds itself in a race against rival Dillinger Systems. Tron fans will remember that Ed Dillinger plagiarized Flynn’s work in the original film. Dillinger’s grandson Julian (Evan Peters) is this film’s villain, combining nepo baby entitlement with the god complex of every Silicon Valley CEO. While Jeff Bridges makes an appearance as Flynn (thankfully not de-aged), he’s vanished from the user realm. Also MIA is his son Sam, who Garrett Hedlund played in Legacy. No surprise that Greta Lee is the best thing that Tron: Ares has going for it. She plays ENCOM’s new CEO Eve Kim, who is searching for a mysterious code that Flynn left behind.
With this code, people can essentially 3D print items from the virtual world. Not just objects, but also sentient programs like Ares (Jared Leto) and his second-in-command Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith). Unfortunately, they can only exist in our world for about thirty minutes before being sent back to the Grid. It would’ve been interesting if the film brought back Olivia Wilde’s Quorra, who escaped the Grid in the previous film. Like Sam, though, she’s nowhere to be found. Weirdly enough, neither is Bruce Boxleitner, who played Tron. Funny how the Tron movies never focus on the titular character.
The absence of some legacy characters would be easier to forgive if the new ones were stronger. They try to give Eve an emotional arc concerning the loss of her sister, although there’s an overreliance on telling over showing. Still, you can never underestimate Lee’s ability to elevate every role she takes. Eve’s character may be lacking on paper, but Lee is an endearing screen presence. The same can be said about Peters, who is having a lot of fun in villain mode. Gillian Anderson sadly feels underutilized as his mother, although she’s still given more screen time than Cameron Monaghan, who’s inexplicably on screen for less than a minute. Leto has given some great performances (Dallas Buyers Club) and not-so-great performances (Morbius). So, it only makes sense that his performance as Ares would be a mixed bag.
Most of Leto’s line deliveries are wooden, although that might be the idea. Ares is a program learning to be human, which prompts him to go against Julian’s orders and side with Eve. Looking at Leto’s blank expressions, though, I thought back to actors like Michael Fassbender and Jude Law, who brought a certain level of charisma when they played emotionless AI. Ironically, Turner-Smith has more of a presence as Athena, a by-the-book AI who’ll fulfill her directive no matter what the cost. That said, the conflict between Ares and Athena unveils the two sides of AI: one that can assist humanity and the other that can backfire when used irresponsibly.
While Tron: Ares has just enough on its mind to spark some thoughtful conversations, the action is the main draw. For all the digital eye candy, the film incorporates a fair deal of practical effects. It also finds room for a fun throwback to the franchise’s 80s roots. Although Daft Punk is missed, Nine Inch Nails delivers an electrifying score that sounds phenomenal in IMAX. There’s an entertaining movie in here, but with AI being such a hot-button topic, it’s frustrating that Tron: Ares doesn’t dig deeper. Given Disney’s iffy stance on AI, though, maybe that’s to be expected.