Top 15+ Years Later, Tron: Ares Feels Relevant But Misses A Deeper Dive Into AI [Review]

I watched Tron: Legacy back when it first came out in 2010 while knowing nothing of the world. Thinking back, I remember loving the visuals and the fight scenes. Despite the movie not being a hit with its shaky storytelling, I had hoped for the story to continue in a sequel.

I just didn’t expect to wait fifteen years later for its sequel, Tron: Ares, but perhaps it was well worth the wait.

In Tron: Ares, a highly sophisticated digital security Program, Ares (played by Jared Leto), is sent into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first face-to-face encounter with artificial intelligence. Ares is a fighting machine but starts to question its purpose when it can only hold its solid form for only 29 minutes.

Ares’ deadly mission brings him to ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee) who is on her way to discover the critical Permanence Code written by Kevin Flynn (Jeff Lee). Ares eventually betrays its master, Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), a brilliant programmer with ambitious yet nefarious goals.

What I liked

Tron: Ares has wonderful visuals and that helps to immediately draw you in into the fictional technologically advanced world.

The other thing that stood out in the film this time around are the interesting characters.

I know some people don’t like Jared Leto but I find that he portrayed an emotionless programme that was gradually gaining sentience pretty well. He managed to exude the steely and cold exterior of the programme and showed glimmers of humanity in Ares as the character goes through an evolution.

Greta Lee shone as Eve Kim, who’s now running the massive tech empire once led by Kevin Flynn. What drew me most to her character was Eve’s sincerity and compassion, rare traits for someone in her position of power. Determined to continue her late sister’s legacy and use technology for the greater good, Lee captures Eve’s earnestness and inner conflict with remarkable nuance.

Gillian Anderson and Evan Peters shone in their roles as mother and son, Elisabeth and Julian Dillinger. Anderson played the wise yet careful matriach of Dillinger Systems while Peters played the new CEO of the company.

I liked how Peters captured the essence of a young, evil genius founder by showcasing his calculative brilliance and unapologetic arrogance without slipping into caricature. Meanwhile, Anderson perfectly balanced the warmth of a loving mother with the authority of a no-nonsense businesswoman.

Jodie Tuner-Smith who played Athena, Ares’ second in command, brought depth to the already imposing character. It was interesting to watch how her character showed absolutism eventually overrides everything that’s sensible.

I also appreciated the throwback or connection to Tron: Legacy and the retro era of Tron without dragging down the story. Thankfully, it didn’t turn into a romance story between a human and a programme.

As a whole, Tron: Ares draws a good parallel to how technology, especially AI, continues to weave its way into nearly every aspect of our lives.

The movie offers a subtle commentary on today’s tech companies that often chase growth at all costs and sidestepping accountability. This unchecked ambition harms everyone else including the people in the C-suite.

What I think is missing

The story did not explain why Ares is an outlier compared to the other programmes. The audience just had to assume it’s a faulty code making it go rogue. Why Julian Dillinger did not attempt to wrest back control as the master is another plot hole.

When it got to the climax of the story, I felt Ares didn’t suffer much to get the Permanence Code, but I guess prolonging it might dull the fast-paced story.

Once again, in movies like these, I can’t help but think maybe it’s time the good guys started arming up too before shit hits the fan. Poor Hasan Minhaj, as Ajay Singh, ENCOM’s CTO, was practically coding for his life trying to outsmart a rogue program. Then again, as Ajay joked, that’s probably how he earned that corner office.

Watch or skip it?

Overall, Tron: Ares was visually pleasing with a simple, straightforward storyline. It’s a good watch if you’re looking for some fast-paced and action-packed fun. If you like music by the band Nine Inch Nails, all the better.

I’d highly recommend watching it in IMAX 3D for a fully immersive experience that truly pulls you into the world of Tron.

There’s an end credit scene a little after the initial rolling credits so you’re free to dash to the loo after that.

If the Tron movies tell us anything, future tech CEOs should take up cardio so they can outrun rogue robots or programmes they created.

They can do a practice run to the cinemas to watch Tron: Ares.