One must acknowledge Tron for its vast importance in terms of bringing computer graphics into mainstream movie making. Yes, the graphics in question look fairly dated these days by reference to their simplicity, but I don't count that against the film (and I certainly didn't do so at the time). Tron still looks pretty impressive all these years later.
But looks alone aren't everything. Performance helps, and Tron is saddled with forgettable performances. I can't even remember the names of the people who were in it once you get past Jeff Bridges, David Warner, and Bruce Boxleitner (wo was always going to be the next big thing and never was).
Tron is also saddled with a story which should have been wonderful, fantastical, and completely gripping, but which never quite manages to climb out of ho-hum.
As a result, the finished movie lands squarely halfway between success and failure. Let's hope that the forthcoming revisitation does better.
But looks alone aren't everything. Performance helps, and Tron is saddled with forgettable performances. I can't even remember the names of the people who were in it once you get past Jeff Bridges, David Warner, and Bruce Boxleitner (wo was always going to be the next big thing and never was).
Tron is also saddled with a story which should have been wonderful, fantastical, and completely gripping, but which never quite manages to climb out of ho-hum.
As a result, the finished movie lands squarely halfway between success and failure. Let's hope that the forthcoming revisitation does better.