“I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer … What did they look like?” muses Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) at the beginning of “Tron: Legacy.” Outside of dazzling visuals and top-notch soundtracks, the Tron films have continually imagined this idea of a digital frontier while simultaneously casting light on the real-world impacts of technology.
The original “Tron,” released in 1982, tells the underdog story of Kevin as he frees a digital world inside his company Encom’s mainframe — called the grid — from an artificial intelligence called the Master Control Program (David Warner). The film specifically portrays the grid as a reflection of the real world, with most programs like the film’s titular character (Bruce Boxleitner) standing in for users. Befitting the up-and-coming nature of computers at the time, the film takes a markedly optimistic view towards digital technology with the idea that programs are only as good as their creators.
If “Tron” took the first steps into the grid with wide-eyed awe, 2010’s “Tron: Legacy” captures the crossroads between optimism and trepidation towards innovation, especially with the idea of technology growing beyond users’ control. Flynn’s belief that “In there is our destiny!” — echoed by his rogue program Clu, also played by Bridges — creates an analogue for the internet becoming fully mainstream. In fact, over 2 billion people were online the year the film was released. Even if “Legacy’s” meditations on technology and perfectionism aren’t always developed effectively, it makes a clear attempt to update the original film’s techno-optimism in the 15 years between the films.
When it was teased in April 2025, “Tron: Ares” seemed poised to continue delving into the relationship between humans and technology. The film’s premise of the grid colliding with the real world feels all the more relevant given the all-encompassing nature of AI since “Legacy’s” release. But despite what it gets right visually and sonically — thanks to cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and Nine Inch Nails’ exemplary score — “Ares” doesn’t add as much to the discussion as it should.
There are moments where the film’s gritty, industrial direction shines through, effectively mirroring technological innovations that have occurred since “Legacy.” “Ares” depicts hacking into a server farm as the literal infiltration of a digital fortress. The film’s visualization of computer data as a fast-paced stream underscores the abrasive and chaotic idea of cyberspace and the increasingly connected web. “Tron: Ares” amply backs up these visual choices, which hits home at a time when the harmful real-world effects of the internet and AI have become hot-button issues.
Although the film gestures at these ideas — CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) even touts his new technology’s military applications to shareholders — “Ares” opts for a more straightforward story. The film follows a security program named Ares (Jared Leto) as it realizes his expendability to his corporate overlord and attempts to live permanently. Callbacks to the original “Tron” could have linked to the thematic groundwork laid out by “Legacy,” but not much comes of it all beyond Ares offhandedly expressing a liking for Depeche Mode.
If there was one scene that best illustrated the perspective “Ares” takes on viewers’ relationship with technology, it’s when Ares admits to sifting through files on Encom CEO Eve Kim’s (Greta Lee) life, something that’s swiftly brushed aside. Beyond the optics of sexual misconduct accusee Leto’s character essentially cyberstalking the film’s female lead, the scene’s casualness reflects a resigned stance toward the ever-present nature of technology, implying next to no barriers between humans and the digital networks that underpin our lives. Even the sight of a Recognizer — an in-universe vehicle — launching dozens of red-streaked drones over Vancouver to capture Kim in one of the most visually captivating scenes in the film feels like a clear metaphor for big tech’s societal overreach. Nevertheless, “Ares” again fails to follow through on this idea.
More than anything, “Ares” presents a view of digital technology and its risks that indicates no possible alternatives for our use of elaborate technologies. In the real world, we see a blind push for AI across the internet in spite of its myriad damaging effects. In Dillinger’s own words, “The car has already been built. The question is who’s holding the keys.”
Ironically, despite producer Justin Springer’s remark that “Ares” had become increasingly relevant, the film feels like the first in the franchise that fails to capitalize on that relevance. Much like the eponymous Greek god of war, the film delivers visual bombast but surprisingly little insight in our technological landscape.
Contact Kaleo Zhu at [email protected]