This 15-year-old sci-fi sequel remains underrated despite its franchise’s revival in 2025
A decade and a half after the last installment, TRON: Ares is finally in theaters, reviving a franchise that has seemingly faded from the zeitgeist, despite its films and games having a consistent cult following. He, however, failed to make a dent at the box office, perhaps due to Jared Leto’s casting, the long runtime, and general lack of interest.
For the TRON film franchise, struggling with box office collections, this is neither new nor surprising, but as a die-hard fan, I had hoped for a proper sequel instead of a soft reboot or a legacy sequel. This may be an unpopular opinion to have about such a famous film, but TRON: Legacy is still an underrated film, despite the change in the sci-fi genre.
TRON: Ares‘refusal to recognize TRON: Legacy and the use of a surprisingly similar narrative with almost the same themes demonstrates how underrated the latter is, even if the franchise is finally making its comeback in theatersbut not convincingly. Despite the constant cult fandom TRON: Legacy has developed over the years, the film seems destined to always remain an underrated film.
Tron: Legacy is still visually stunning
With the technological advancements we make every day, it would be reasonable to assume that films would age visually quite quickly today, but many films from the past are far better than any film made in recent years. Color palettes often appear washed out or overtly whitewashed and visual effects appear rushed due to high demand and budgetary restrictions.
In contrast, production teams for big-budget studio films of the 2000s and 2010s could afford to spend time creating the perfect visual aesthetic. Using 3D footage and chroma keying, the team behind TRON: Legacy built one of the most immersive and beautiful worlds whose stunning visuals still hold up today. Visually it looks like real action Akira movie.
The unique blend of jazz and futurism in the design of the grid, racing arena, light cycles, discs and character combinations creates a tactile atmosphere for The legacy of TRON it’s as electrifying as it is inviting. It’s hard to resist the temptation to imagine yourself leaping into the air and setting off on a lightweight bike.
The long trails behind the light cycles as they swerve through an arena or take sharp turns to knock off a rival cyclist and the fluid movement of the discs through the air as they bounce off surfaces in almost springy collisions are always thrilling to see. Although technological advancements have been made, you won’t miss them TRON: Legacy.
There may be more TRON sequels currently in development, and I pray that some of the planned projects come to fruition, as the visual design of TRON is particularly intoxicating, and once you’ve spent so long contemplating the careful aesthetic and appreciating the balance struck with rugged landscapes, you’ll want to see more. TRONof the world, especially on the big screen.
Tron: Legacy has the perfect soundtrack
The immersion you experience in sci-fi worlds that seem too breathtaking and enjoyable not to excite you is created as much by the background music as it is by the film’s set design. Daft Punk’s expertise lends itself perfectly to the vision in the creators’ minds, and they provided the film with a fitting backdrop.
Daft Punk, who appears in one of the best surprise movie cameos in the bar of TRON: Legacy, have blended their signature techno sound with the orchestral music often found in films exploring the search for meaning, the timeless need to prevent the loss of the art form as a creative outlet, and the struggle to have, use and protect free will.
Such a mixture of two seemingly anonymous genres is capable of capturing the electronic visual design of the grid and its components, while addressing the emotional significance of its protagonist’s arc. Listening to certain tracks from the film’s soundtrack immediately makes you feel the adrenaline rush you felt when you first watched TRON: Legacy.
Tron: Legacy’s message is often misunderstood
One of the biggest complaints against TRON: Legacy it’s that the characters aren’t fleshed out well and the film’s rushed conclusion makes it difficult to get anything substantial out of it. However, that’s not because there’s no grandeur in his climate rumination TRON: Legacy does not have a strong message. It relies on the power of its protest opening.
The final edit in TRON: Legacywhere Olivia Wilde’s character sees the sun rise for the first time, reminds us that we must realize that there is an aspect to life beyond the digital space and the jobs we work hard for. The most daring act of rebellion against coercion and capitalism is to take a dream bike ride.
Character motivations, while paper thin, are explained and mostly leave room for further exploration in the sequels promised at the time of release. TRON: Legacybut never saw the light of day. TRON: Legacy also touches on heavier political topics, but they are left aside for the development of the main plot. He’s moving forward safely, but his contribution to the AI takeover genre is not trivial.
Tron: Legacy’s box office failure dampened its popularity
TRON has always been a cult license, despite its fandom which seems to grow every year, and TRON: LegacyThe box office shows why TRON: AresThe difficulties encountered with commercial success are not surprising. Box office successes linked to Joseph Kosinski, including Top Gun: Maverick‘s surprisingly high collection would not have been possible without the director’s work on his debut film.
It’s daunting to direct a legacy sequel to a franchise with a very dedicated fandom, but it’s also Kosinski’s feature directorial debut. Disney ignored the unlikelihood of making a huge profitespecially considering that he didn’t have as much star power as he does today and that he shelved future projects, dooming TRON: Legacy to a lifetime spent flying under everyone’s radar.
