Tron is a cult
classic and a milestone in the use of computer animation in film production.
What captivates you about Tron is the idea, the screenplay, and the graphics,
which seemed so ahead of their time that numerous studios turned the idea down
because it was too new—until Disney picked it up.
Based on an idea
by Steven Lisberger, who came up with the concept for the film after seeing a
reel of a video game from a computer firm called Pong, Lisberger became
obsessed with creating a film that would incorporate video games and live
animation. He even went as far as studying at MIT to learn more about
computers. There, he met programmers with whom he shared his idea, and they
assured him that it was possible. So, Lisberger and his partner Donald Kushner
decided to start work on what they called their "Tron Warrior," with Tron
derived from the word "electronic."
The Tron plot
centers on a hacker and arcade owner, Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges).
Flynn gets disintegrated from the real world and regenerated in a 3D graphical
computer world by software known as the Master Control Program. Now faced with
a new world and new laws, Flynn must join forces with the security software of
the "Grid," Tron (Bruce Boxleitner), to free himself and return to
the real world.
In this computer
world, Flynn must survive a gladiator-like game where, if you’re not careful,
you could be killed.
Tron had a huge
impact on filmmaking, especially in how digital worlds and user interaction
with them were portrayed. It was one of the first films to use extensive CGI,
creating a digital world where characters interact with computer programs. The
idea of the "Grid" as a living, digital space influenced many films
that came after, shaping how virtual environments and digital universes were
shown in later classics like The Matrix
(1999).
After an intense
pre-production process, Tron was filmed, completed, and released. While it
gained only mild box office success, its cult following was massive. After
Disney released the sequel and refused to re-release the original Tron on DVD,
the original film was being sold for as high as $100 on Amazon and eBay
(source: Wikipedia).
Tron earned a
high approval rating, even receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Costume
and Best Sound. The film spawned a franchise that includes multiple video
games, comic books, a sequel, Tron: Legacy
(2010), which continued the story from the 1982 version, and an
animated series, Tron: Uprising, which helps connect both films.
Tron is a
classic, one that you’ll enjoy, even more than the highly visual Legacy.
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