10/13/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            Tron: Ares ā Thoughts After Seeing It in IMAX 3D
Last night I saw Tron: Ares at the Planet Rishon LeTziyon in IMAX 3D ā and it was an experience. They even had a fun ICEE promo tie-in, which felt perfectly nostalgic. I hadnāt had an ICEE since I was a kid, but if Iām diving into ā80s vibes, I might as well go all in with one of the eraās most iconic treats.
Iāll admit, I went in with some trepidation. Iām a huge Tron fan ā both the 1982 original and Legacy ā and itās been frustrating to wait this long for a follow-up that never fully paid off Legacyās ending. Ares starts out familiar, focusing again on Flynnās vision of merging humanity and the digital world, through medical innovation. But thereās no mention of the ISOs and barely a whisper about Sam Flynn or Quorraā a major letdown considering how central they were to Legacy.
Instead, weāre introduced to a new cast: Eve Kim (Greta Lee), the new Encom CEO and admirer of Kevin Flynnās legacy; and Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the grandson of the original villain, alongside his mother (Gillian Anderson). The visual effects are stunning ā truly next level ā and the 3D integration is flawless. I actually liked several of the new characters, especially Eve Kim and Jared Letoās Ares (surprisingly strong performance from him, you can tell he genuinely loves the material).
But hereās where Ares stumbles: it sidelines Legacyās characters (Sam and Quorra) to retell nearly the same story ā an AI gone rogue, āfollowing its programming,ā just like Clu did. Itās frustratingly repetitive. The new Dillinger is all arrogance and ego, but the script by Jesse Wigutow and David DiGilio leans more toward a reboot than a true continuation. The film is packed with Easter eggs to the original Tron, yet it lacks connective tissue to Legacy, making the whole thing feel strangely hollow.
Director Joachim RĆønning even gave flimsy excuses for the absence of Hedlund and Wilde (āscheduling conflictsā), which feels weak. The story of ābringing the digital world into oursā couldāve worked beautifully if theyād simply built upon where Legacy left off ā with Sam and Quorra in the real world. That emotional through-line is what made Legacy special, and itās whatās missing here.
One subplot that didnāt land for me was Eve Kimās motivation tied to her late sisterās research. Itās hard to buy that her sisterās discovery drove the plot when the film repeatedly reminds us it was Kevin Flynnās concept all along. It wouldāve been far stronger if her sister had originated the āPermanenceā theory herself and connected it to the ISOs.
That said, seeing Jeff Bridges again (even if it was supposed to be an AI version) was a treat ā though it added another layer of confusion to the plotās logic. Still, the action sequences deliver, the design is gorgeous, and the film clearly respects the visual legacy of the franchise.
In the end, Tron: Ares is a stunning but uneven experience ā a film that dazzles on the surface but never fully taps into the heart and continuity that made Legacy resonate. Thereās potential here, and I genuinely hope it earns a sequel. Just⦠please donāt wait another fifteen years. And next time, bring Sam and Quorra home to the Grid where they belong. ā”ļø