Tron: Legacy - My Initial Thoughts

I just got back from seeing Tron: Legacy and I thought it was great!  For me, it was definitely worth the wait.

I think Joseph Kosinski's direction was solid.  The film is incredibly dynamic and constantly visually interesting.  He gets fantastic performances from Jeff Bridges and Michael Sheen.  Bridges does great work pulling double duty as Kevin Flynn and CLU and Sheen is fantastically over the top as Castor/Zuse.  I'll be really interested to see what Kosinski does with the remake of The Black Hole which is another favourite of mine.

The rest of the cast is quite good too.  I've been a Garrett Hedlund fan since Troy and Olivia Wilde is striking and fun as Quorra.  It was really great to have Bruce Boxleitner back as well.  I wish there was more for him to do.

Michael Wilkinson and his team did an amazing job on costuming and the massive design team did an equally amazing job bringing this strange new world to the screen.  This film is much darker than the original Tron; both visually and thematically.  I think that speaks to where we see ourselves as a society in 2010 versus where we saw ourselves in 1982.

I didn't really notice the 3D factor of this film.  That is to say, there were no gags--nothing popping out at you.  However, it did sort of enhance the computer world a bit.  I think the film would probably still look fantastic in 2D but for a few dollars more the 3D is probably worth it.

I've already written here about how much I love the Daft Punk score.  It works as well with the film as it does on its own.

Overall, I really enjoyed Tron: Legacy.  It's very different from the original film but its clearly made by people who respect and love the original.  It expands that amazing world that Steven Lisberger took us to almost 30 years ago.  I think fans of the original will enjoy the gravity of the story and enjoy seeing the updated designs of the computer world.  I think new viewers will find the film equally entertaining.  The door is certainly left open for more fantastic stories in both our world and the computer world.  I look forward to 2011's animated Tron series and I wouldn't be surprised if another live action sequel is announced in the next six months.

I definitely recommend that you get on the Grid and go see Tron: Legacy!

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TRON: LEGACY DAY!

At long last, it is December 17, 2010!  Tron: Legacy is in theatres today across North America!

I've pre-ordered our tickets and tonight, some friends and I are getting together to watch Tron and then we're headed to see the new Tron: Legacy!  I look forward to writing a review here soon!

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CLU Core Figure

One of the first wave of core figures by Spinmaster for Tron: Legacy is CLU.

CLU is a great character.  In the original Tron we see him briefly as Flynn's avatar when he's trying to hack into the MCP.  He seems to be back for Tron: Legacy and I look forward to seeing what role he has to play.

As with the other core figures, CLU features internal lighting that's activated by pressing a button on his back.  The sculpt of this figure is great.  All the details of the costume seem accurate and because he's helmeted, this figure doesn't have the problem of capturing the actor's likeness like the Sam Flynn core figure does.

The articulation is as good as the Sam Flynn figure; with great range of motion in the arms and legs.  That makes these figures really playable for kids but their design is equally good for collectors.

CLU comes with a cool katana that I can't wait to see in action in the film (tomorrow!) and an ID Disc.  He also comes with an appropriately orange ID Disc display stand.  

When I opened my CLU figure it was damaged and the head fell off!  I called Spinmaster's customer service department and spoke with a wonderful rep named Shaunna.  She collected the serial number from the figure and my information and quickly arranged to send me a replacement.  It really impressed me that Spinmaster has these processes in place.  It was great customer service which makes me more likely to keep coming back as a customer.

Sam Flynn Core Figure

One of the six wave one core figures produced by Spinmaster for Tron: Legacy is Sam Flynn.

As with the other figures in this series, Sam Flynn has internal lighting that can be activated by pressing a button on his back.  

The sculpt of the body is quite good.  They did a great job of capturing the details of his suit.  The hands aren't accurate as the figure features full gloves where the actual suit only has part of the hand covered.  Also the head is a bit weird.  It doesn't look anything like Garrett Hedlund. Something about the helmet is a bit off as well.  I think maybe if it had a blue-tinge instead of being totally transparent it might look better.

There's great articulation through the arms and legs.  The figure comes with a battle baton and an ID Disc as well as the ID Disc display stand.  The accessories are well-designed and I love the base!

All in all, for a figure of this size, the detail is the best you could ask for.  It looks pretty great!

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Tron: Legacy Soundtrack

My Tron: Legacy soundtrack arrived from Amazon today and it blew me away!  Everything we've been hearing about Daft Punk's amazing score is absolutely true!

I can only imagine how the score will compliment the film at this point (4 days left!) but the album itself is really incredible.  The score is like some kind of cyber opera.  Daft Punk fuses their fascinating electronic sounds with the beautiful work of the London Philharmonic Orchestra to create a sort of dystopian, futuristic soundscape that really transports the listener.

Other artists have done work blending electronica and classic instrumental music but I don't think I've ever heard any that results in something so beautiful.  Some of Mark Snow's X-Files music maybe?  But this is so much BIGGER, darker and more engaging.

I've been a fan of Daft Punk since "Around the World" in 1997 and their work on this score has made me an even bigger fan.  I know that they were heavily influenced by the original Tron and that this film is ideal for them but I hope they'll do more score work in the future because they've truly done a masterful job.

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Kevin Flynn Core Figure

Spinmaster has created a great line of toys for Tron: Legacy.  Spinmaster began in 1994.  Their first product was the Earth Buddy; that potato-shaped pantyhouse thing that sprouted grass from its head.  They've come a long way since then.

The first waves are already out in stores.  I was lucky to find one of the rare Kevin Flynn figures. There seems to be only one of these per case being shipped to stores.  Kevin Flynn is part of the first wave of six "core figures."  Each one is about 3.5 inches tall and features a button on their back which activates internal lights.

I like these core figures better than the larger deluxe figures.  They're clearly trying to capitalize on the success that Star Wars has had with this format.  And why not?  It works!

The likeness is good enough for me.  The figure features pretty complex joints for arm and leg articulation. These figures are also serialized for collectors.  A serial number on the figure matches the serial number on the nifty ID Disc display stand.

I really like that the figure features a removable battery for the lighting.  That way, it's potentially replaceable for years of light-up fun!  Also, if the figure is in storage for an extended period of time, the battery can be removed to prevent damage.

As mentioned above, the figure comes with a display stand.  Flynn also comes with an ID Disc and a Battle Baton (neither of which he can hold very well, unfortunately).

My camera is not the greatest so it was very difficult to get any clear photos of the loose figure but these will give you an idea.

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Video Interview with Costume Designers

The Hollywood Reporter has posted a video of an interview with Tron: Legacy costume designer Michael Wilkinson and associate costume designer Christine Bieselin Clark.  The team has previously worked together on the costumes for films like 300, Watchmen and Babel.

The brief video (3:07) is really just a teaser.  The designers talk about discovering a new lighting technology that allowed them to practically light the suits.  They also talk about how CLU's helmet was so restrictive they had to include a camera inside that would project images on to the inside visor so the actor could see!

The video also gives us a brief look at some concept art.  It really just whets the appetite for some potentially great DVD bonus features next year!

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