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TRON (Lisberger, 1982) - +
I managed to see TRON as part of a series of film screenings at the State Library themed around films that have a strong relationship to the history of videogames (the last one was Walter Hill's The Driver, which I missed - I will probably end up seeing at least one or two others in the coming weeks). TRON's relationship to the world of videogames can be summed up by its plot - the film's hero is Flynn (Jeff Bridges) a videogames programmer who, by attempting to subvert the corporation that screwed him over, is trapped in the virtual reality that exists within computers. In this world, computer programs take on human form and live within a dictatorship controlled by the Master Control Program. Flynn attempts to not only survive the bizarre computer world, but to bring down the MCP and its legion of minions.
I feel glad that I got to see TRON on a reasonably big screen (and in the front row, no less). The visual style is still amazing to look at, albeit rather heavily flawed in its execution, but then again there's no such thing as perfect art. It covers up a story that is quite simply fun and not to be taken particularly seriously (I even spent a fair chunk of time riffing the film with a pair of guys I'd shown up with). There are several moments which are patently ridiculous (one program's horribly overacted "death" stands out in my mind) and which only serve to help the film's cheesy '80s feel.
In the wake of other films that utilise amazing CGI (like, say, the Lord of the Rings trilogy), TRON is technically inferior but much more worthy of simple entertainment. I would recommend watching this with a friend or two, if only to laugh at just how silly a lot of the film is. I love it when a film affects people like that.
TRON (Lisberger, 1982) - +
I managed to see TRON as part of a series of film screenings at the State Library themed around films that have a strong relationship to the history of videogames (the last one was Walter Hill's The Driver, which I missed - I will probably end up seeing at least one or two others in the coming weeks). TRON's relationship to the world of videogames can be summed up by its plot - the film's hero is Flynn (Jeff Bridges) a videogames programmer who, by attempting to subvert the corporation that screwed him over, is trapped in the virtual reality that exists within computers. In this world, computer programs take on human form and live within a dictatorship controlled by the Master Control Program. Flynn attempts to not only survive the bizarre computer world, but to bring down the MCP and its legion of minions.
I feel glad that I got to see TRON on a reasonably big screen (and in the front row, no less). The visual style is still amazing to look at, albeit rather heavily flawed in its execution, but then again there's no such thing as perfect art. It covers up a story that is quite simply fun and not to be taken particularly seriously (I even spent a fair chunk of time riffing the film with a pair of guys I'd shown up with). There are several moments which are patently ridiculous (one program's horribly overacted "death" stands out in my mind) and which only serve to help the film's cheesy '80s feel.
In the wake of other films that utilise amazing CGI (like, say, the Lord of the Rings trilogy), TRON is technically inferior but much more worthy of simple entertainment. I would recommend watching this with a friend or two, if only to laugh at just how silly a lot of the film is. I love it when a film affects people like that.