Great special effects, clunky dialogue, predictable plot. That’s my opinion of Tron Legacy, the sequel to the cult classic, Tron from 1982. Of course, the special effects in the original Tron were crude by today’s standards. You can see where most of the budget for Tron Legacy went: it’s right up there on the screen. Those 3D special effects must have cost a fortune! But between the action scenes, the movie bogs down in momentum killing dialogues. “What is a sunrise like?” asks Olivia Wilde (who plays “13” on House). “Radiant,” answers Garrett Hedlund (who plays Sam Flynn, Jeff Bridges’ son). Later in the film, poor Olivia is made to say, “Hang on, this is going to be a rough landing!” There are about a dozen howlers like these in this movie. Yet, when the dialogue stops and the 3D action picks up, the movie becomes amazing. GRADE: B
Amazing/ There’s that word again.
It’s reported that TRON LEGACY cost upwards of $300 million, Bob. The result had better be amazing.
I’ll wait to see this until…is never too soon?
Actually, the kind TV reviewer had a very similar review, George. He said it was OK until the father-son reunion, then Bridges blew the other two off the screen. Too bad, because I loved Wilde as “13” on HOUSE.
He did like the effects a lot.
The Special Effects make TRON LEGACY, Jeff. The rest–plot, dialogue, characterization–sucks.
Maybe a silent version would work better. I saw the first five minutes of the Black Swan in silence and thought it was some sort of arty prologue until someone’s lips starting moving.
I think Diane and I are going to skip BLACK SWAN, Patti. The self-torture scenes in the trailer creeped us out.
Actually, the self-mutilation demostrated in the trailer is, if anything, softpedaled in the movie BLACK SWAN. It’s just not that compelling a film…Hershlag, Kunis, Hershey, and Horowitz/”Ryder” do well enlivening Very stereotypical characters…I daresay that TRON LEGACY is probably no more formulaic. I was wondering who the gorgeous woman was, who looked familiar but not quite placeable…Olivia Cockburn was the only good thing about her previous tv series to HOUSE, THE BLACK DONNELLYS iirc, and I hope that her HOUSE gig is going to be more representative of her future career.
I’ve read those mixed reviews of BLACK SWAN, too, Todd. Olivia Wilde wasn’t given much to do in TRON LEGACY, but what she did, she did well.
sounds like one to put at the bottom of my 140+ Netflix queue, which pretty much means I’ll never get to it. I think the next film up may be THE SAND PEBBLES.
I loved THE SAND PEBBLES, both the movie and the book, Rick. For hardcore TRON fans, the 3D version of TRON LEGACY would be the preferred option.
Oh, my assessment of BLACK SWAN was from seeing it…I haven’t read any reviews much (if I’m going to see a film, I don’t much read the reviews in advance).
I usually check a few reviews (mostly the ratings: 3 or 4 stars) before I see a movie, Todd. Then I’ll read the complete review AFTER I see the movie.