The Tron Paradox: Cool visual ideas, but never a cool experience

Like the first two films, Tron: Ares does not provide the awe-inspiring spectacle that the franchise has teased since 1982.

Scroll down for Now Showing in Madison, October 20–27, 2025

It’s going to be a busy week for me this week! I have been invited to be a judge for the 48 Hour Film Project, and I have received screening links to over 30 short films produced two weekends ago. Luckily I do not have to complete the process before the public screenings of all of the films at the Bartell Theatre this Saturday (different screenings at 1:00pm and 4:30pm.) But I’m still going to have to go at a pretty steady pace to evaluate all of the films in relation to the award categories. I’m looking forward to it!

Also this week will be the Mills Folly Microcinema Project Projection screening, showcasing local work in experimental film, short docs, animation, and music videos. It has been very rewarding to see the Project Projection screenings grow since 2018, with new filmmakers being showcased each edition, as well as familiar filmmakers returning to share new work. Come join us on Wednesday, October 22 at 7:00pm (free screening!).

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Tron: Ares | Joachim Rønning | USA | 2025 | 119 minutes

I was 12 years old in 1982, the year that the original Tron was released. I was its target audience.

I remember being excited watching clips of its computer animation on television (on Siskel & Ebert, for example). And I remember the arcade games that appeared leading up to the film, which stayed in arcades for years afterwards. I also remember being disappointed by the film. It seemed like such a cool idea, but it took to long (in the opinion of 12-year-old me) for the action to move to inside the computer, and once it was there, the story wasn’t really all that engaging. The light cycles were cool (as they were in the video game) but there just seemed to be too many scenes of people standing around in front of computer-generated backgrounds.

I was very curious going into Tron: Legacy in 2010 (at the age of 40). But to be honest, I barely remember anything about it. I know several friends and colleagues who admired the film (including a film scholar or two). Once again, I went in thinking that filmmakers could now do anything with the computer animation that they wanted to do, but they seemed to limit their storytelling imagination and their color palette into a very narrow range.

As it turns out, it was fine that I couldn’t remember much about Tron: Legacy, because the new film, Tron: Ares, begins with an info dump that explains away why the stars of Legacy (Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund) are not in Ares, while at the same attempting to fill in enough backstory to make us care about a new set of characters. It’s not the most inspired way to return to a franchise after 15 years.

With Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund from Tron: Legacy) out of the picture after the info dump, we essentially have a battle between two companies: ENCOM, the legacy of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and Dillinger Systems, the legacy of Ed Dillinger (David Warner from the first Tron). ENCOM is now run by wunderkind game programmer and CEO Eve Kim, who is looking for a “permanence code” to keep objects created by computer code stable in our world. Dillinger Systems is run by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) who has created Ares (Jared Leto), the ultimate computer-generated (and sort of 3D printed) warrior. Julian needs the permanence code to keep Ares and code-generated weapons systems stable in our world beyond 30 minutes. Therefore, much of the action of Tron: Ares takes place in our world.

So, several characters from Legacy are missing, and we’ve never met the Ares central characters before. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters subscribe to the James Gunn school of shorthand character development. Eve still grieves the loss of her sister. Ares has a favorite 1980s band. Those facts do a lot of heavy lifting in their respective character arcs.

Not surprisingly, Tron: Ares has not done well at the box office. A review should be a review of the film, not the box office receipts. But the box office response does help segue into a discussion of the shortcomings of the franchise as a whole. A variation of the Dr. Manhattan (from Watchmen) meme appeared in my social media feeds a few times since Tron: Ares has been released, and it prompts some questions about why the franchise has once again reappeared with a new theatrically released feature film.

I could easily fill in my own ages, which I mentioned above, to trace these releases and failures in relation to the assumed target audience for the first film. But I don’t think that the problem here is just that no one really asked for either of the two Tron sequels, although that is certainly part of the problem. The more important problem is that the idea of Tron of is cool, but none of the films are cool.

The cool idea that distinguishes Tron from other films (in 1982, 2010, and 2025) is the idea that a human could have an adventure inside a computer, and that the images of that adventure could be computer generated. Even post-cyberpunk films like the Matrix franchise has moved away from the purity of that cool idea: The Matrix is essentially a live action film. The Avatar films are the culmination of “realism” in a computer animated mise-en-scene and motion captured performances, but James Cameron ultimately wants you to want to be awed by the spectacle as if you were watching live-action filmmaking. The Tron films try to stay true to foregrounding the artificiality of the computer world, to varying degrees, but they have never really figured out a way to make its visual world engaging enough for conventional storytelling.

The “bummer” of the Tron films is the degree to which we always have to wait for the cool stuff, but the cool stuff is never enough to sustain the experience.

One would think that this would be less of an issue in the second and third film, since computer hardware and software has made almost anything possible for the moving image. But both sequels suffer from the fact that someone thought that bringing characters and vehicles from the computer world into our world would also be cool. Unfortunately, that narrative path is not nearly as interesting as the potential in the computer world.

The production design and color scheme of the two sequels also creates obstacles to viewer engagement. Everything is shiny, but that’s about it.

There’s a lack of joy that permeates the filmmaking throughout Tron: Ares. This is briefly alleviated when Ares finds himself in the world of 1982 Tron. While the color scheme is still relatively dark, it seems like a bright, sunny day compared to the rest of the film, punctuated by a bright yellow light cycle. These scenes actually brought a smile to my face, and has inspired me to look at the new 4K disc release of Tron when I get a chance.

Despite the connect-the-dots nature of the script, the last third of Tron: Ares is reasonably entertaining, especially if you’re looking for a cyberpunk kaiju action sequence. There are also plenty of nods to science fiction and fantasy pop culture throughout the film, including Akira, Neon Genesis Evangeleon, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner (Guess what? Artificial characters are fascinated by rain.) But very little here would inspire me to watch Tron: Ares again anytime soon.

One last note: I mis-read the Ares showtimes, so I ended up seeing it in 3D. It has been years since I’ve paid for a 3D film. While I wouldn’t recommend the higher ticket price for Tron: Ares, I would say that this was the least intrusive and distracting 3D experience I’ve had in a long time, with some genuinely great effects punctuating several of the action scenes.

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Now Playing In Madison: October 20-27, 2025

Please confirm showtimes with the venues (follow venue links where provided). The commercial theaters update their weekend listings on Wednesdays.

Comments here are not reviews of the films, they are usually a response to the trailer, a summary of the buzz I have heard, or just snark.

Mills Folly Microcinema

• PROJECT PROJECTION: LOCAL FILM AND VIDEO, 10/22

  • Locally produced experimental films, short docs, animation, and music videos.

Wisconsin Union Directorate Film

• PACIFIC RIM (2013) 10/24, 10/25

• SUPERMAN (2025) 10/24, 10/25

  • WUD Film appears to be adding Open Caption screenings to their schedule, including the October 24 screening of Superman.

UW-Cinematheque

• $POSITIONS 10/23

  • Director Brandon Daley will be present for this entry in the Ctek Premiere series. I don’t see an online trailer, but you can get a sampling of Daley’s comic sensibility watching his short films on Vimeo. Matt Zoller Seitz describes $Positions as “Positioned between the Safdie Brothers ‘Oh, dear God, this can’t possibly get any more stressful’ model and something like Wedding Crashers or Bridesmaids, with gross-out gags galore.

• MOULIN ROUGE! 10/24

• PALINDROMES 10/15

Bartell Theatre

• STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR, Friday, October 24, 8:00pm

• WISCONSIN 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT, HORROR & SCI-FI, Saturday, October 25, 1:00pm and 4:30pm.

Atwood Music Hall

• TENANT FILM SERIES, Tuesday, October 21, 7:00pm

  • Films and discussion, Push (2019) and Not a Penny on the Rents (1969). Presented with Madison Tenant Power.

AMC Theatres, Flix Brewhouse, Marcus Theatres

Always check the respective websites to confirm dates and showtimes. I add trailers to new films of interest that you might not know about (American indies, international features, etc.).

• AFTER THE HUNT (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

• AMC SCREAM UNSEEN: OCTOBER 20 at AMC.

• AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: OCTOBER 27 at AMC.

• ANNIE HALL at AMC.

  • It’s interesting that it took the passing of the great Diane Keaton to get people even a little bit interested in seeing Woody Allen films again.

• BISON (2025) at AMC.

  • Also known as Bison Kaalamaadan. Indian Tamil-language sports drama about beating the odds to become a kabaddi champion.

• BLACK PHONE 2 (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• BLUE MOON (2025) at AMC.

  • Bio-pic about lyricist Lorenz Hart (of Rodgers and Hart fame) starring Ethan Hawke. One of two recently released films by Richard Linklater which examine artists, the other being Nouvelle Vague about Jean-Luc Godard and the making of Breathless. I have not seen any of Linklater’s five films released between Boyhood (2014) and this year. Generally speaking, I prefer to listen to Linklater speak on almost any subject more than to watch his mainstream-leaning films. But this is getting Oscar buzz for Hawke, so it might be around for a while.

• CHAINSAW MAN - THE MOVIE: REZE ARC (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

  • Continuation of a popular anime series.

• CONJURING: LAST RITES, THE at Palace.

• DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA INFINITY CASTLE (2025) at AMC, Point, Flix.

  • This is probably the reason we’re seeing Chainsaw Man at all four chain theaters as well. This just seems to keep printing money.

• DOUBLE FEATURE: DRACULA (1931) / FRANKENSTEIN (1931) at Flix.

  • Hats off to Flix for screening films this old in their classics series. Sure, it is a Halloween tie-in, but maybe they’ll expand their horizons if this is well attended.

• DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE (2025) at Flix.

• DUDE (2025) at AMC.

  • Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy. Times of India gives this a generally favorable review, noting its blend of humor and social commentary.

• ELI ROTH PRESENTS: DREAM EATER (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

  • According to Variety, “The second film acquired by Eli Roth‘s The Horror Section, [Dream Eater] is a low-budget, found footage nightmare that has taken horror festivals by storm.” I’m trying to figure out which words in that lede are the least appealing to me.

• GABBY’S DOLLHOUSE: THE MOVIE (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• GOOD BOY (2025) at AMC, Flix.

  • I’m still tempted to see this, but opportunities are running out. For example, I see only one more screening listed at AMC, on Wednesday night.

• GOOD FORTUNE (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• GROW at AMC, Point, Palace.

• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 at Palace.

• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 at Point, Palace.

• KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (2025) at AMC, Flix.

• LAST DAYS at Palace.

  • Action director Justin Lin slows things down just a bit for this biographical drama about missionary John Allen Chau (Sky Yang).

• LAST DRAGON 40TH ANNIVERSARY, BERRY GORDY’S THE at AMC and Point.

• LONG WALK, THE at Point.

• MARCUS MYSTERY MOVIE (10/27) at Point, Palace.

• MASTERMIND (2025), THE at AMC.

  • This is probably the pick of the week, the latest from Kelly Reichardt. Read Rob Thomas’s review at his Substack.

• METROPOLITAN OPERA: LA SONNAMBULA, THE at Point.

• MISS KOBAYASHI’S DRAGON MAID - THE MOVIE at Point.

• MITSKI: THE LAND at Point.

  • Limited release of Mitski concert film, only screening Wednesday, October 22.

• NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D, THE at Point, Palace.

• NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS RE-RELEASE (2025), THE at AMC.

• NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), A at Flix.

• NO PACKERS, NO LIFE at Point, Palace.

  • Home grown indie doc, limited release at Marcus Theaters.

• NUREMBERG at Palace.

  • I’m a little confused by this listing, because the film is supposed to be released November 7. But Palace does have it listed for one screening, perhaps a sneak peek, on October 27. Double check with Palace before driving out there. Nuremberg premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and has quite the cast: Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Richard E. Grant, Michael Shannon, among others.

• OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY at Point, Palace.

  • The tag line for this documentary is “solving the separation of church and state,” if that is any help to you.

• ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

  • Go see this. Then read my longish reflection about it.

• ONE IN A MILL10N (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

  • Performance documentary featuring K-Pop band Twice.

• PARANORMAN (REMASTERED) at AMC, Point, Palace.

• PETS ON A TRAIN (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

• QUEENS OF THE DEAD (2025) at AMC.

  • Drag queens and club kids battle zombies at a drag show in Brooklyn. Stars Katy O’Brian, Riki Lindhome, and Margaret Cho, among others. Co-financed by Shudder.

• REGRETTING YOU (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

• REGRETTING YOU: A NIGHT OF NO REGRETS MOVIE EVENT at Palace.

  • Regretting You is an adaptation of the 2019 best seller by Colleen Hoover, who had a huge boost in popularity thanks to BookTok. The 10/23 screening at Palace will include a Q&A event, and a free charm necklace.

• ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, THE at Flix.

• ROOFMAN (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• SCREAM (1996) at AMC.

• SHELBY OAKS (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.

  • This is the other fictional found footage supernatural film this week (along with Dream Eater, above). This one has received mostly positive reviews, if that helps you decide between the two (or something else entirely).

• SMASHING MACHINE (2025), THE at AMC.

• SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE at AMC.

• SOUL ON FIRE (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• SOUND OF SILENCE (2025) at AMC.

  • Chinese Mandirin-language film about a lawyer born into a deaf family.

• SPIRITED AWAY - STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2025 at AMC, Point, Palace.

• SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

  • There are many reasons to dislike Bryan Singer, but add to that list his responsibility for the current cycle of big-budget musician bio-pics in the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody. Even if this is good (and it might be, who knows?) the shameless cash grab of this cycle is too transparent to deal with.

• ST. ELMO’S FIRE (2025) at AMC, Palace.

• STITCH HEAD (2025) at AMC.

• STITCH HEAD: HALLOWEEN HEAD START! at Point, Palace.

  • Stitch Head premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, but it only narrowly loses to Pets on a Train for the sus animated feature of the week. What do I know, this might be good.

• THAMMA (2025) at AMC.

  • Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy horror film, the fifth installment in the “Maddock Horror Comedy Universe,” (Maddock being production company Maddock Films) which began with Stree in 2018. I haven’t seen much, if any, Bollywood horror, so if this plays longer than one week I might try to catch it.

• TIM BURTON’S CORPSE BRIDE at Flix.

• TRON: ARES (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

  • See my review above.

• TRUTH & TREASON (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace, Flix.

• URCHIN (2025) at AMC, Point.

  • British drama directed by Harris Dickinson, who won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, along with star Frank Dillane.

• WITCH (2016), THE at Flix.

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Looking Ahead:

Mills Folly Microcinema

• GIVE IT BACK: CRIMES AGAINST REALITY, 10/29

  • Recent work by the Indigenous film and video collective New Red Order (Jackson Polys (Tlingit), Adam Khalil (Ojibway), and Zack Khalil (Ojibway). Plus Nosferasta: First Bite (2021) by Adam Khalil and Bayley Sweitzer.

• BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: VIDEOS BY HUGO LJUNGBÄCK 11/19

  • Hugo Ljungbäck is a Swedish filmmaker, archivist, curator, and media scholar. His videos explore queer history, identity, representation, and sexuality through an autobiographical lens, emphasizing the possibilities afforded by found footage filmmaking in response to the ephemerality of queer history.

Side Room Cinematheque

• Consult Andrew Mazur’s Substack for upcoming screenings and past program notes.

Atwood Music Hall

• A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS, Monday, December 15, 7:30pm

  • [Sold out]

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