Tron(1982), A movie ahead of its time.

With Tron Ares right Around the corner(finally) and with the entire concept behind this franchise being ever so more relevant than ever before, I think it is finally time that I spoke about the very first movie in this franchise that started all this.

Tron the original written and directed by Steven Lisberger was one of the most unique movies to come out at the time, so unique that most people either didnt get it, or resented it for "cheating" by the use of computers for effects.

Yeah thats a real thing that happened.

Marvel wants you to hold their beer.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences accused Tron of cheating for the use of CGI disqualifying it from the Best Visual effects category, calling it unfair to traditional effects technology.

Which I mean with the overabundance of CGI in today's day and Age I believe many will call this a based take.

But while I completely and utterly understand the frustration with the overuse of CGI, I think there is something as going too far in the other direction.

For one much of Tron's effects were practically done especially when compared to films that came out even a decade later, and for another, a lot of these things wouldnt even be possible if it weren't for computer graphics, I mean imagine Captain Marvel's powers without CGI, both of them the one in marvel and the one in DC(though I guess the DC one is just Shazam! Now.)

Regardless, I think the one thing that should have qualified this film regardless is the main theme its going for.

The main Villain of this movie is the Master control program who is controlling Edward Dillinger and the Grid which he plans to run in the same way as Robisperre's reign of terror.

In the meantime Ed Dillinger stole the idea for the Company Encom from a young Programmer named Kevin Flynn played by a very young at the time Jeff Bridges.

I mean seriously, I couldn't have been the only one who decided to watch this one when Legacy and Now Ares came out only to be surprised that the Iron monger and Big Lebowski is looking like a pre pubescent youth, but regardless...

This man is the real intelligence behind Space Paranoids and Tron, as well as the rightful CEO of Encom.

He has been trying to hack into the System Mainframe to get any proof of the hostile takeover of his work done by the current Encom Senior Exec and he does this through a program called CLU, that's right Legacy fans, here is where CLU was first conceived, the version in Legacy is the second attempt at making him, this time as the System Administrator rather than a Spy program.

However in Tron 1982, he has a small role post which he is derezzed by the MCP and Sark.

Sark is a program written by Dillinger himself, and serves under the MCP like he does in real life.

So is this the end for Flynn's attempts to get his proof?

Well no, you see in spite of all his attempts, Dillinger in fact does not have a god like control over his company, and some people under him such as Lora Baines and Alan Bradley who try to think for themselves.

Lora is finally able to digitize and bring back an Orange and Alan Bradley is writing a newer program called Tron, a security program that will operate individually and watch dog even the MCP.

Dillinger is unable to say no to him as of now, however he is able to shut down Group 7 Access, and alongside that any chance Kevin had of getting in, Alan and his Girlfriend Lora who also happens to be Kevin's Ex, go over to Flynn's Arcade in order to confront him about his snooping.

And together they make a plan to forge a Group 6 access to activate the Tron program.

Unbeknownst to Flynn and the Duo though, the MCP who used to be just a chess program, has now grown to quite a god in the Company and is able to catch and put a stop to Flynn's Snooping, at first obviously like any intelligent being he tries to ask Flynn nicely, although that turns out to be a distraction so that he can be digitized when he refused.

He does this to put Flynn in a place where he can play on his terms, and play is the right word, because the next section of the movie is a bit of Gladiatorial games that all defiant programs are put through in order to maintain control over the whole system.

And control is the name of the game, cause the Grid under the MCP seems very based on ancient dictatorships like Rome and the games that the programs are put through are obviously based on the ancient Gladiatorial tournaments.

There is the one where you play tennis but every time you miss, a bit of the floor disintegrates and if you fall its DE-resolution.

the two main ones are obviously the Disk wars and Light cycle tournaments.

The Identity Discs seem to be based on Compact Discs which at the time were the new way to store Data and also seem to be used as the program's primary weapon, as contact with an active disc leads to derosultion.

And as for the light-cycles they run on ribbons of light and the patterns they leave seem to be based on the patterns made on integrated circuit boards.

It is during a light cycle tournament that Flynn escapes with two other Programs.

One called Ram, and another, non other than Tron, which as per the comic, was a man thousand times his worth, as Flynn saw it.

During their escape, Ram and Flynn are separated from Tron who proceeds onwards to meet Yori, a program made by Lora, who is Sympathetic to Tron, and is able to take him to the I/O tower from whence he can contact his User Alan.

Meanwhile, attempting to rescue a badly injured Ram, Flynn learns to manipulate the environment and recreates the Recognizer that crashed close by, disguising himself as one of Sark's soldiers.

And after gaining the info that he needs on his disc, Tron and Yori are able to hitch a ride on a Solar Sailer Simulation to the location of the MCP, who after assimilating many programs has become like one giant storm of code.

It is there that Flynn meets the Duo, mistaking Yori for Lora at first, and then revealing his true nature as a User.

Tron is at first over joyed and curious believing every one of Flynn's actions to be based on some grand plan as he apparently has knowledge beyond any of them.

Not unlike programs who just wake up and try to do the best they can and hope not to fumble in the process.

If the religious themes weren't clear when the I/O tower guardian looked like a priest pretty sure they are now.

The finale is mostly Flynn trying to get past the MCP's defenses in order to De rezz(short for Deresolution) him.

As he wins and is un digitized a printer prints the evidence of the theft from it.

So, what does one take away from this?

Tron is Basically Isekai but with the foreign world literally being our computers and us being their creators, like many isekai, it tackles with the concepts of religion and free will, although sometimes in a less than stellar way, but regardless it is a franchise that will always be very close to my heart if for nothing else than for its concept.