Tron: Legacy (2010) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook

TRON: Legacy doesn't really push any technological boundaries nor is it as prescient as its 1982 predecessor. But director Joseph Kosinski nonetheless delivers a visually stunning sequel that works effectively as a father-son reconciliation story wrapped in a sleek digital package. Reprising his role as Kevin Flynn, Jeff Bridges brings some gravitas to the creator's journey from arrogant programmer to fallen, flawed deity, imprisoned in his own creation and burdened by unforeseen consequences. 

The script by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz cleverly deals with Clu (a de-aged Bridges) manipulating the programs' religious-like faith in Users, turning it into a tool for authoritarian control. And for this, the story feels like a timely allegory that's all the more relevant in our current political climate. Following the familiar hero's journey template, Sam Flynn's (Garrett Hedlund) search to find his father grounds the high-concept plot with the emotional stakes necessary for the audience to accept this virtual reality.

However, for me, the more fascinating aspect of the plot is its thoughtful exploration of perfection versus imperfection, elevating the film beyond mere eye candy. This is embodied in the miraculous emergence of the ISOs, which are digital life forms that spontaneously came into existence within the Grid, representing the next stage of evolution. And Clu's obsession with a so-called "perfect system" is essentially a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of impossible ideals, but the ISOs, especially the lovely Olivia Wilde as Quorra, are the beauty of chaos and imperfection, free will incarnate hindering perfection. 

This takes a production that would otherwise be pure popcorn spectacle and turns it into a genuinely interesting story about randomness and unpredictability, not as flaws to be corrected or "derezzed" but as valuable qualities that make existence meaningful. True perfection is in embracing our imperfections and the diverse lives that grow from that, and the filmmakers seem to understand that. Picking up twenty years after the events of Steven Lisberger's original, both literally and within the story, TRON: Legacy is a surprisingly engaging philosophical follow-up that dazzles the senses, both visually and aurally, while exploring deeper themes about acceptance, progress and finding the courage to let go of control. 

For more another take on the movie, here is our review of the 2011 Blu-ray release.

"When you think back to Tron today, most people think of the iconic red vs. blue lightcycle race. Since the release of the original film, a cult following of fans has remained loyal to the film while screaming for a remake or sequel. For many years, it seemed Disney was content to let Tron live on as a pop-culture reference to a nostalgic 80s film. Finally, after 26 years of waiting, fans at the 2008 Comic-Con in San Diego were treated to a teaser trailer for Tron: Legacy. Disney went all out with this release, rather than attempting a remake of the original film, the studio opted to make a sequel to the original cult classic. That gutsy move paid off big time!

"The film starts off in 1989, 7 years after the events of the original film. Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is now the CEO of ENCOM and leading the company into the future with groundbreaking achievements in computer programming. All of a sudden, Flynn goes missing. He leaves no note, tells nothing to his family, he's just gone, leaving behind his company, his family, and his young son, Sam. Control of the company is left to Flynn's friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) until Sam is old enough to take control. 20 years later, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is a tech savvy, confident kid, much like his father was. Drawn to his father's old arcade by a mysterious message, Sam learns that there may be more to his father's disappearance when he discovers Flynn's secret office. Amazingly, Sam is transported to the digital realm known as "the grid," where he is forced to compete in deadly energy disc battles and lightcycle races. He quickly realizes that the programs, led by Clu (a digitally altered Jeff Bridges made to look like Bridges from the 1982 film) see the users as slave drivers that keep the programs from achieving their true potential. Sam is rescued by a program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and taken to the outskirts of the grid, where he is reunited with his father. Sam must now choose whether to obey his father and not interfere with Clu and his intentions, or try and stop Clu and get back to reality.

"Tron: Legacy really succeeds in ways far beyond the original film in terms of the story. Sure, the original was a fun, engaging tale, but this installment goes far beyond that. Tron: Legacy is a film of multiple stories, there's the story of Flynn's disappearance and it's effects on Sam, there's the story of Clu taking over the grid and driving Flynn to Exile, and finally we have the mission Sam is on to rescue his father and stop Clu. Together, these elements combine to create an entertaining and gripping plot. Viewers of the original will also be pleased with some of the subtle nods to the first Tron, like when Sam comments on the size of the door at ENCOM when he breaks in. I can see how many people will draw parallels to the modern corporate structure of "money, money, money" and look at Sam as the savior, but really, I just take that as establishing the type of person he is, someone who's not ready to settle down and wants to fight the system and preserve his father's ideals. Sure, this is a special effects, eye candy movie that special effects lovers will gush over, but once you get past the visuals, the story really makes this a memorable film.

"The legacy of the first movie is clearly the groundbreaking special effects. They were far ahead of their time and paved the way for computer animation. Tron: Legacy builds on those groundbreaking effects and brings them into the modern arena. To say the effects in this film are amazing doesn't begin [to] do them justice. Simply put, they're jaw dropping. From the start of pre-production, the producers sought to create an experience that would please the fans of the original and draw in a new audience. To do this, they took the gladiator type battles from the first film and beefed them up to a larger than life style. Watching the lightcycle race in 3D IMAX is an incredible experience, one that will have fans old and new on the edge of their seats. The environment of the grid is equally impressive. Bright neon lights as far as the eye can see, combined with the monstrous vehicles, combine to create a visual playground.

"As far as remakes and sequels go, you can't do much better than Tron: Legacy. Sure, some hard-core fans may see this film as a bit over the top, but for me, it really worked. It appeals to the current generation and serves as an excellent way to modernize a classic story. When you get down to it, Tron: Legacy is pure eye-candy, with an awesome techno soundtrack. If you're looking for an entertaining experience with some mind-blowing visuals, look no further."

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray

Walt Disney Home Entertainment brings TRON: Legacy to Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc SteelBook with a flyer for a Digital Copy, unlocking the 4K UHD version in Dolby Vision HDR with Dolby Atmos audio. The dual-layered UHD66 disc sits comfortably atop a Region Free, BD50 disc on the same panel, and both are housed inside an attractive SteelBook. At startup, the UHD goes straight to a static menu screen with the usual options along the bottom and music playing in the background.

According to the promotional material, the sequel has been "meticulously remastered" from the original digital sources under the supervision of director Joseph Kosinski. But that somewhat vague description is not fully satisfactory, especially since some of the material is locked at 1080p HD. On the other hand, this new HEVC H.265 encode shows several improvements that suggest a good amount of work definitely went into upgrading those digital sources for the 4K Ultra HD arena. So, whatever the case may be, Legacy shows up ready to play with a stunningly gorgeous presentation overall, displaying sharper, better-defined details for a majority of the runtime. However, several instances of mild aliasing along the sharpest edges and some faint banding in the brightest neon glows keep it from a perfect score. Yet, there are still a great deal of highly detailed, demo-worthy visuals to make this a top-notch release. 

The Dolby Vision HDR presentation showcases a stronger spot-on contrast and brightness balance, brimming with radiant, pristine whites and crisp, resplendent specular highlights revealing minute features within the brightest, hottest areas. At the same time, the world inside the mainframe is bathed in inky, raven blacks while velvety, stygian shadows maintain outstanding visibility within the deepest, darkest shadows. Likewise, sumptuous primaries supply an energetic, eye-catching pop to every scene while softer secondary hues are richly saturated and varied. 

Overall, the image is just gorgeous and demo-worthy, alternating between 2.39:1 and 1.78:1 aspect ratios, and comes with a beautiful cinematic appeal. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 94/100)

On the audio front, it should come as no surprise that the Dolby Atmos soundtrack was going to be anything short of phenomenal and reference-quality. And it definitely delivers with a soundscape that envelops the listening area with a vast array of atmospherics flawlessly panning between the surrounds and height channels, generating an immersive hemispheric soundfield. As is expected, the moment Sam is zapped into the Grid, the room suddenly comes alive with the digital noises of Identity Discs flying in every direction, the high-tech whine of the Light Cycles echoing all around, the deep guttural sound of Recognizers hovering overhead and the sleek synthesized tones of Light Jets soaring directly above the listener. A powerfully commanding yet incredibly robust low-end adds a serious weight and oomph to the visuals, digging deep into the lower frequencies at strong decibels and giving the subwoofers a room-energizing workout. All the while, the design maintains extraordinary clarity and distinction in the higher frequencies, except where some light distortion is intentional, such as in the aforementioned Recognizers. And imaging continuously feels vast and expansive while dialogue remains well-prioritized and precise at all times. 

Overall, the 3D audio makes for a thrilling listen at home. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 98/100)

As with the release of the 1982 original, Disney has once again ported over the same supplemental package for this UHD edition, and they're only available on the accompanying BD disc.

• The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed (HD)
• Visualizing Tron (HD, 12 min)
• Installing the Cast (HD, 12 min)
• Launching the Legacy (HD, 10 min)
• Disc Roars (HD, 3 min)
• Music Video (HD, 3 min)
• First Look at Tron: Uprising (HD, 2 min)
• Disney Second Screen (HD)

While not as boundary-pushing or prescient as its 1982 predecessor, Joseph Kosinski's TRON: Legacy nonetheless delivers a visually stunning sequel that works. Beyond the familiar hero's journey story about a father and son reconciling, the plot explores some intriguing ideas about the pursuit of perfection and valuing the beauty of imperfection, making it a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of impossible ideals. The sci-fi fantasy flick is uploaded to the 4K Ultra HD grid with a gorgeous Dolby Vision HDR presentation and a phenomenal, reference-quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Porting over the same set of supplements as the previous BD, this UHD SteelBook edition makes for a Highly Recommended addition to the 4K library.

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