SimplyAbuDhabi I

21 S IMPLY ABU DHABI TRON: Le g a c y the r e v i ew The other element that I am reminded of, or perhaps a little sceptical about, is the incredible visual pressure my eyes felt last time I saw a sci-fi movie in 3D, in fact it was this time last year, I felt my eyes had taken two upper cut combos fromMike Tyson, after watching Avatar in 3d. However, I think it’s me being old school and preferring 3d as a luxury rather than a necessity: TRON: Legacy is a movie with stunning, stylish and sophisticated special effects, great action, and a script that could have done with that little bit more. Sam Flynn (Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade -- a signal that could only come from his father-- he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a cyber universe -- a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. There is no real point in me waffling on about the effects because they simply are spectacular. Once the 3D effects kick into play, you are absorbed into this weirdly wonderful digital world and believe me, you don’t want to leave. .Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese’s sound track beautifully compliment these awesome visuals that get your adrenalin overflowing and the blood racing through your veins, the music only reinforces the impact of every scene in this movie. Jeff Bridges has a magnificent aura about him as both the villain and hero and his computer animated visual is truly remarkable. He exudes a larger than life presence throughout the movie, and he is at times fatherly, menacing, and graceful. The acting overall is not anything to write home about, I don’t believe there will be any Oscars nominations for the acting in this flick. However, the real star of the film is Garrett Hedlund, who does a pretty decent job of carrying the film and being generally astonished, that not only was his father alive but the extraordinary world he always talked about actually existed. He is a believable movie hero in the stock tradition of 20-somethings who have a chip on their shoulder to only have that chip brushed off by the end. Garrett definitely holds his own against a very charismatic Jeff Bridges. Olivia Wilde kicks butt and looks gorgeous doing it, in her skin tight cat suit with neon highlights and her asymmetrical wig as the warrior, Quorra. She seems to be having a lot more fun with this role than she does with that of Thirteen on ‘House’. Quorra has a slight naivety about her in regards to some things, and displays a sense of childlike wonder from time to time occasion, especially at the end, which actually gives her some depth. Wilde and Hedlund share some good scenes together, and her character at least gets some development - which is a lot more than I can say for the albino-like “Siren”, Gem (Beau Garrett). Joseph Kosinski who makes his directorial debut, uses his architectural skill and knowledge to excellent effect in eclipsing the action. He has directed an adventure yarn that is woven with spiritual allegories, allowing one to be entertained, moved, and also stimulated. It seems like the filmmakers hit a dead end and found themselves check mated prematurely, by trying to make up for problems with the original and at the same time trying to pay respect to it, but the result is a story that could have been so much better than it is. Like everything in life, nothing is perfect and some things far from it. but with Tron, there is still enough in the story to enjoy and the effects make for an entertaining film. If you’re a geek or a fan of the first TRON, you will like this Legacy. If you’re a regular moviegoer or weren’t that keen on the original, you’ll still find something to like in this movie. As a sequel it is above and beyond its predecessor. Enjoy! RATING: 8/10