‘Tron: Ares’ Review – From Morbin’ Time To “Tronnin’ Time” For Jared Leto
I’ll get this out of the way… I enjoyed it (sorry). I know, as a Tron movie without Tron (Bruce Boxleitner), Ares is upsetting a lot of fans. That mood is understandably not helped by the presence of Jared Leto or the absence of most threads left over from Legacy. However, as its own entity – which I can probably best describe as a rogue program – the film worked for me.
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Tron: Ares did something else that it’s been difficult for movies to do lately, and that is not give away everything in the trailer. I was genuinely surprised by the fact that I didn’t guess everything I’d find in the story beforehand. Looking back, many Hollywood films of the last few years, including Sinners and The Batman, drop the ball in that respect. Unfortunately, spoiling is part of my job, so I have to do quite a bit of it.
The story begins with Leto as the titular Ares, a program with the same red-orange lighting as Clu and all the bad guys in Tron: Legacy. He has been appointed Master Control of a strike team assembled by sociopathic arms contractor Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the grandson of the first film’s corrupt executive Ed Dillinger, played by the absolute legend David Warner (RIP, sir).
The young, ambitious, and reckless Dillinger made a breakthrough in the next generation of warfare that he believes will redeem his grandpa’s legacy and finally overtake his rivals at ENCOM. Using a digitizing particle beam, he can laser print any armament, vehicle, or humanoid program from the grid world into the real world. He sells buyers and sponsors on the potential of this innovation, but there is a problem.
A little like Darkman’s skin, there is a 29-minute window of existence for all of Julian’s print jobs he didn’t discuss at the presentation. This includes Ares who wants to live, feel, and be real without strings, akin to Pinocchio. The answer to their mutual dilemma is the Permanence Code hidden somewhere in the files and floppy disks left behind by Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). His cyber ghost appears in the final act, and they mention his disappearance, but not the other events of the last film.
Flynn’s Code is in the hands of Eve Kim (Greta Lee), ENCOM’s stunning, brave, and inventive new CEO, who brought life back into the company after Sam Flynn’s exit with a new version of an old game that’s not Tron. She figures out how to use the code and extends the life of digital beings in the material realm via laser printing a fertile orange tree in the barrens of Alaska.
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Excited to share this advancement with the world, Kim also has to keep it safe from Ares and Dillinger, who’s declared all-out war on her and ENCOM. Lucky for her, Ares is developing a conscience and questioning his directives.
It’s pretty hard to miss the subtle messaging; the white dude is a megalomaniac who sees people as expendable, and the Asian lady is compassionate with a desire to help starving people. The good news is I didn’t feel beaten over the head with it, despite the constant references to expendable programs and Evan Peters acting like a spoiled child.
Honestly, he’s one of the best parts of Ares. Peters throws himself into the manic cartoon villainy of the part with no apologies and steals much of the show — sort of like David Warner would in the same position. (Granddad would be proud.)
Greta Lee is another story. She is pushed as a main protagonist but never reaches her full potential. Eve Kim is obviously smart and resourceful, though not more so than Sam Flynn, and Lee doesn’t have the presence of Garrett Hedlund or Olivia Wilde. She is kind of forgettable and felt no more important than a background character.
Leto is his usual stoic self, playing yet another character like an alien or android who is trying to blend in. Ares is one part Terminator and one part Bicentennial Man, sent on missions with a main objective, but adapting beyond his programming to gain a willingness to understand life and humanity.
Yeah, it’s all familiar territory, and I may have been distracted by all the pretty lights, motorcycles, and action sequences, but to be fair, that’s where Tron: Ares excels. Everything you see in the trailers looks so much better in 3D, and it’s complemented even more by the sound of a theater experience.
Nine Inch Nails’ score excellently and consonantly hit all the right notes and the right mood. I’m still thinking about it and humming it to myself. As an aside, my hat’s off to Trent Reznor for going from one of the artists who scared parents in the ‘90s to finding a new calling as a top-shelf film composer. He’s not a classic orchestra conductor like all the greats, but he’s carved out a fine niche for himself.
The elements of this film that work overall are entertaining and really amplified my excitement. Now, I say this knowing that just because I had fun with it doesn’t mean you will. How receptive you are will depend on your level of tolerance for Jared Leto, modern Disney, the mining of culturally resonant IPs for good or ill, and if you’re bothered by the neglect of Tron: Legacy.
Fans of the first two probably made up their minds already, but as a gateway to the rest of the franchise for newcomers, I think Ares is pretty good. It’s not the same level of Minecraft and Crow slop I’ve sat through this year, and its nostalgia baiting is more rewarding than I Know What You Did Last Summer. Admittedly, anything is better than that.
NEXT: ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (2025) Review – Maybe Nostalgia Is Overrated
Tron: Ares
PROS
- Music and action are great in 3D
- Evan Peters
- Nostalgic trip in the final act on the grid from the first one
- Jeff Bridges' return and the references to David Warner
CONS
- Greta Lee
- Protagonist cast has an air of forced diversity
- Tries to remain weakly connected to 'Tron: Legacy' even though it isn't
