About a year ago I watched Tron 1 and Tron legacy back to back for the first time. It was quite the experience. I was already a fan of Legacy's soundtrack and had enough of a passing interest to give the two films a try. Tron 1 was good, the worldbuilding was great and loved the Master Control Unit as a villain in both the system and in real life as it tried to control every system, including hacking into the Pentagon and the Kremlin and basically controlled Ed Dillinger who was that programs writer and the human villain. Flynn's main interest was getting back the rights to the video games he created and eventually ownership of the company. Most of the writing was solid and the themes of control vs a free system are littered throughout. Flynn's care for the programs wasn't really fleshed out. aside from making a few friends with them like Sark and Tron and freeing himself and the system. If i'm honest it didn't feel in the movie like he cared about freeing the system as much as the film suggests. It mostly seemed to be about getting at Dillinger and the M.C.U and those games.
With that let's discuss why although I like Tron 1, it's ending didn't work for me.
The ending of Tron (1982)
Flynn gets what he wanted from the beginning, the ownership of the game 'space paranoids' and the other I.P's he wrote that were stolen by Dillinger. He had, with the help of Tron, destroyed the Master Control Unit freeing the system. He was given the position of ENCOM CEO after having Dillinger done for Fraud. The final scene of the movie has him meet his friends, Alan Bradley (writer of Tron) and Lora to the board of Directors who are promoted to the Board of Directors. This completes what Flynn set out to get and gives gives Alan and Lora a reward what what they did and endured.
However here is my problem. The film did a real good job in the writing department for the themes of free will, freedom vs control, what kind of company will you be: corrupt and power hungry or caring for what you create and others. The thing is it's not really resolved at all. The MCU is destroyed but we never learn what happens to the system other than it being 'free', Flynn was friends with and helped the programs he knew but mainly just wanted out.We never learn what he feels about the system as he seems to realise what's going on while we was enslaved in the games and acclimatized to everything pretty well. The system is basically forgotten as we see what Flynn personally gained, rather than learned. It's just a really flaccid ending, we didn't even get the MCU trying to hack into the Pentagon, or what happened to Dillinger aside being arrested off screen. It feels like Flynn was sent in and got out without learning anything.
Now imagine that was all you got for 28 years. I don;t know much about if anyone wanted a sequel but I'd be pretty unsatisfied with that myself. Then again I knew I was watching Legacy straight after so perhaps that affected my view of the ending.I still feel that Flynn got off learning nothing and that's my big problem.
But how does Tron Legacy rectify this?
Tron Legacy: Opening Scene
So we open with a very welcoming start to the movie. Daft Punk's beautiful soundtrack plays 'The Grid' as a digital city begins to unfold before us. Kevin Flynn now sounding like the Jeff Bridges you'd hear today brings us back to the world of Tron in a speech.
But the intro also helps us return by Kevin's speech. Bridges voice is the perfect tone for narration here, calming but engaging, it works so well with the build up in music. Let's dive into what's said here. So we begin with Flynn telling us about the Grid a bit. As far as I remember the Grid was never mentioned in the first film so this is new terminology for the digital world. The term 'digital frontier' helps provide some new viewers, of which their are plenty of what the Grid is. Flynn talks about picturing the world of the computer, having a vivid imagination of what the circuits and information clusters looked like. We know this to be true both from the intro and Tron 1. It's also possible when he mentions motorcycles and ships, perhaps that was the inspiration for his games he made that Dillinger stole. It also gives off that child like wonder and imagination that kids have about the world and the stories and worlds they can create out of simple/complex thing. Such as systems of sentient programs for instance.
'I kept dreaming of a world I thought i'd never see. And then, one day I got in', a perfect way to lead us in to the title and also reveals a few things. For newcomers it tells us the world Flynn imagined was real and that was Tron 1. Fans of the first movie have a nice line to remind them of the first film. But we also hear someone else, a kid say 'you got in' before him. Like he heard the story before. Now the narration goes from the normal kind we see in movies, where a character monologues to themselves. To an actual story being told by Flynn to a kid, the kid can also tie into the Legacy part of the title. But that's enough of the intro we still have the actual backstory/setup of the scene to get into.
So the camera moves through the title as we go through the city and across the river, as far as i can tell this is all one continuous shot until we get inside Flynn's house, which is a great feat. It helps add more to the opening as it's like we're getting this story as well. The music ends we get the date 1989 in front of the house, a full 7 years after Tron 1. The house looks great, it has a very homey feel to it, we see Flynn's Bike outside as the camera takes us inside the house. We turn right as we see Flynn by his Son's bedside.
We continue Flynn's story
'And the world was more beautiful than i ever dreamed and also more dangerous than I ever imagined'.
Flynn puts Sam to bed. What's great about the line here is that it recaps the first film simply but effectively. Flynn's adventure was dangerous, the whole time i felt aside the odd wonder and mocking joke he wanted out of there. But here we get more added to his past self from '82, he used to dream of the beauty of the digital world, which adds a lot to his programming days before/after he was fired from ENCOM. It also tells us he found that world beautiful which must have been the thoughts he was having rather than said out loud. Either way I finally got to hear Kevin comment on the Grid after he left it, which was my biggest gripe with the ending of 1.
Flynn lies down on the bed as he begins to tells us more about the Grid and what has been happening 7 years later. The music we heard before plays but this time it's more cosy, quiet and brings feeling of homeliness and family. It really helps with this moment for us. Before we continue with Flynn's story let's talk about the setting and what the sequence is going for. The room has a very nostalgic feel to it, it's a kids bedroom so their is that but it also feels 80's if that's a thing. It brings that comforting vibe you have when a parent is telling you a story or reading a book when your young. I remember a few of them and this scene captures that perfectly. The room has a small PC, games on shelves, and a telescope. Lots of boys had telescopes, to witness the stars and wonder. Perhaps that's to parallel the wonder Flynn gets from the Grid but probably looking too much into it.
We get shots of posters and the Tron toys in Sams's room telling us all we need to know about what's happened. It also gives newcomers an idea of what happened in the first film, and gives us an idea of what to expect in this one.
So we get some new information about what Flynn's been up to these days now. Flynn gives this fantastic visual of the Cycles and disc battles, allowing old fans to relive the nostalgia and new fans to use their imagination. But the thing we need to learn most of all is the New Grid. Flynn was inspired to make a new system alongside Tron and whatever he took from the old one. One ran by programs but users can enter freely and interact with. This tells us that Flynn did indeed take something from his time in the first movie after all. A love for the system and he wanted to see more of it, but his own Grid not ENCOM's.
We get a shot of Sam's grandparents who look after him while his Dad's away. Grandma Flynn gives a nice smile, perhaps he believes Flynn is just making up more stories for Sam. I imagine he didn't tell them about it beyond what he created merch of. Still more of that homely feel. But their's more to Flynn's new Grid.
Fans of the first film will remember CLU from the start. He is Flynn's personal program he used to try and hack into ENCOM, but was destroyed by the Master control. It had it's own personality like the other programs, from memory I believe the personality/soul of the program writer translates to their own program, so CLU was like Flynn a bit, Tron like Alan etc. So Flynn gave him new life in a new Grid with a bigger role, as the program who keeps the system going and innovates where necessary. Alongside Tron and Flynn when he's in. A nice thing to do for a character who wasn't in long, you can tell that the writers watched the film closely and wanted to do more with the source material already available. Building off it and going the natural progression.
We also know that CLU is in Flynn's image, and can think for himself. Programs have personalities and can think/solve but generally serve a purpose. CLU can create/shape the Grid to a major but not complete degree.
What's also important and finishes off why this film makes Tron a better film, is that the ideas of free open systems, a lack of control, the beauty of that. That is all made a part of Flynn's character. He actually did take away why the master control was bad, he saw the beauty of the system from the inside and wanted to create his own perfect system alongside Tron and CLU. He loves the digital world, not just the games and CEO position he got at the end of the film. The perfect progression for him. However he also teases something more he discovered in that system, but we won't learn that till later. The camera slowly moves to look at the side of Flynn's face, showing that enthusiasm that he has. Making the scene a bit more personal
We end on a sweet yet somber moment as Flynn is about to leave.
Flynn stands up to put on his awesome Jacket. It's worth noticing that Sam loves his dad and is said when he leaves, He wants to see the Grid his dad tells him about, perhaps because he just wants to or to spend more time with him in his fantasy land.
Nice moment here. Flynn reminds us of his old arcade he ran from the first movie. We know he was the best at his games, he designed them after all. Hence the high score mention. Sam asks if they can play together, meaning he likes to play with his father and values spending time with him. He has his back to us before telling us 'we're always on the same team'. It's very warming moment and culminates that father by your bedside feel the scene is going for. It's also a key last line before Sam never sees him again for 20 years.
After Flynn leaves Sam immediately misses him and looks at the coin. He turns it to heads, not sure if that has any significance but the coin is clearly there to show his new attachment to it as he can see his father tomorrow. We get a last shot of Flynn glancing back at Sam before riding off on his Bike.
That finally finishes my analysis of Scene 1 one of Tron Legacy and answers hopefully for you guys how this improves the end of Tron 1 greatly and uses the worldbuilding in the first film to expand it in great length in this one. I'm quite proud of this analysis and look forward to any reply's or thoughts from you.
With that let's discuss why although I like Tron 1, it's ending didn't work for me.
The ending of Tron (1982)
Flynn gets what he wanted from the beginning, the ownership of the game 'space paranoids' and the other I.P's he wrote that were stolen by Dillinger. He had, with the help of Tron, destroyed the Master Control Unit freeing the system. He was given the position of ENCOM CEO after having Dillinger done for Fraud. The final scene of the movie has him meet his friends, Alan Bradley (writer of Tron) and Lora to the board of Directors who are promoted to the Board of Directors. This completes what Flynn set out to get and gives gives Alan and Lora a reward what what they did and endured.
However here is my problem. The film did a real good job in the writing department for the themes of free will, freedom vs control, what kind of company will you be: corrupt and power hungry or caring for what you create and others. The thing is it's not really resolved at all. The MCU is destroyed but we never learn what happens to the system other than it being 'free', Flynn was friends with and helped the programs he knew but mainly just wanted out.We never learn what he feels about the system as he seems to realise what's going on while we was enslaved in the games and acclimatized to everything pretty well. The system is basically forgotten as we see what Flynn personally gained, rather than learned. It's just a really flaccid ending, we didn't even get the MCU trying to hack into the Pentagon, or what happened to Dillinger aside being arrested off screen. It feels like Flynn was sent in and got out without learning anything.
Now imagine that was all you got for 28 years. I don;t know much about if anyone wanted a sequel but I'd be pretty unsatisfied with that myself. Then again I knew I was watching Legacy straight after so perhaps that affected my view of the ending.I still feel that Flynn got off learning nothing and that's my big problem.
But how does Tron Legacy rectify this?
Tron Legacy: Opening Scene
So we open with a very welcoming start to the movie. Daft Punk's beautiful soundtrack plays 'The Grid' as a digital city begins to unfold before us. Kevin Flynn now sounding like the Jeff Bridges you'd hear today brings us back to the world of Tron in a speech.
Flynn: The Grid. A digital Frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like Freeways? I Kept Dreaming of a World I thought I'd never see....and then, One day....
Sam: You got in?
Flynn: Ha heh heh That's right man. I got inFirst of all let's talk about the intro, the digital city unfolding until it forms the physical world looks so stunning. It immediately gets you into the Aesthetic of the digital world, with it's bright blues, we see buildings and roads from from the circuits, cars begin to form, then the streetlights as we see the real world in full view. It's a perfect way of symbolising how the Grid and humanity are both systems in a way. As well as reminding us that the world of the grid is much like ours, especially if your looking back at Tron 1's system and the themes throughout. Daft Punk's music brings us in slowly with that nectar to the ears build up, that gets louder until 'I got in' and the music delivers that beautiful crescendo, as the Title of Tron Legacy appears between some skyscrapers. A great way to return to both the digital and real worlds. For me it was mere minutes since I watched the first film, but it must have been even more welcoming to people who saw the film in the 80's.
But the intro also helps us return by Kevin's speech. Bridges voice is the perfect tone for narration here, calming but engaging, it works so well with the build up in music. Let's dive into what's said here. So we begin with Flynn telling us about the Grid a bit. As far as I remember the Grid was never mentioned in the first film so this is new terminology for the digital world. The term 'digital frontier' helps provide some new viewers, of which their are plenty of what the Grid is. Flynn talks about picturing the world of the computer, having a vivid imagination of what the circuits and information clusters looked like. We know this to be true both from the intro and Tron 1. It's also possible when he mentions motorcycles and ships, perhaps that was the inspiration for his games he made that Dillinger stole. It also gives off that child like wonder and imagination that kids have about the world and the stories and worlds they can create out of simple/complex thing. Such as systems of sentient programs for instance.
'I kept dreaming of a world I thought i'd never see. And then, one day I got in', a perfect way to lead us in to the title and also reveals a few things. For newcomers it tells us the world Flynn imagined was real and that was Tron 1. Fans of the first movie have a nice line to remind them of the first film. But we also hear someone else, a kid say 'you got in' before him. Like he heard the story before. Now the narration goes from the normal kind we see in movies, where a character monologues to themselves. To an actual story being told by Flynn to a kid, the kid can also tie into the Legacy part of the title. But that's enough of the intro we still have the actual backstory/setup of the scene to get into.
So the camera moves through the title as we go through the city and across the river, as far as i can tell this is all one continuous shot until we get inside Flynn's house, which is a great feat. It helps add more to the opening as it's like we're getting this story as well. The music ends we get the date 1989 in front of the house, a full 7 years after Tron 1. The house looks great, it has a very homey feel to it, we see Flynn's Bike outside as the camera takes us inside the house. We turn right as we see Flynn by his Son's bedside.
We continue Flynn's story
'And the world was more beautiful than i ever dreamed and also more dangerous than I ever imagined'.
Flynn puts Sam to bed. What's great about the line here is that it recaps the first film simply but effectively. Flynn's adventure was dangerous, the whole time i felt aside the odd wonder and mocking joke he wanted out of there. But here we get more added to his past self from '82, he used to dream of the beauty of the digital world, which adds a lot to his programming days before/after he was fired from ENCOM. It also tells us he found that world beautiful which must have been the thoughts he was having rather than said out loud. Either way I finally got to hear Kevin comment on the Grid after he left it, which was my biggest gripe with the ending of 1.
Flynn lies down on the bed as he begins to tells us more about the Grid and what has been happening 7 years later. The music we heard before plays but this time it's more cosy, quiet and brings feeling of homeliness and family. It really helps with this moment for us. Before we continue with Flynn's story let's talk about the setting and what the sequence is going for. The room has a very nostalgic feel to it, it's a kids bedroom so their is that but it also feels 80's if that's a thing. It brings that comforting vibe you have when a parent is telling you a story or reading a book when your young. I remember a few of them and this scene captures that perfectly. The room has a small PC, games on shelves, and a telescope. Lots of boys had telescopes, to witness the stars and wonder. Perhaps that's to parallel the wonder Flynn gets from the Grid but probably looking too much into it.
Flynn: Now I met a brave warrior (grabs Tron action figure)Flynn reminds us of Tron, the character from which the game is named after. The program who protects the system and the users, maintaining a free system. We now know that Sam knows of Tron as well and what he does. Were reminded of that role as well. We also know that flynn had designed merchandise off what he saw in the grid. The lightcycles, disc battles, the programs. Clearly that helped with ENCOM's profits. It also helps Flynn as he already created most of the games used in the system anyway so that's easy money. Perhaps it's also a thing to help remind him of those he met in the system and a small way of memorialising them. Also keep in mind 'he fights for the users', something from the first film and also Tron says that later in the film and it's a nice moment.
Sam:Tron! (points at figure)
Flynn: Bom bah bom bom bom Tron!!
Sam: He fights for the Users
Flynn: Heh he sure Does
We get shots of posters and the Tron toys in Sams's room telling us all we need to know about what's happened. It also gives newcomers an idea of what happened in the first film, and gives us an idea of what to expect in this one.
Flynn: Oh man he showed me things that no one had ever imagined. Their are these disc battles that are fought in spectacular arenas, and cycles that raced on ribbons of light. So Radical. And together...
Sam: You built a Grid
Flynn: We built a new Grid, for programs and users
So we get some new information about what Flynn's been up to these days now. Flynn gives this fantastic visual of the Cycles and disc battles, allowing old fans to relive the nostalgia and new fans to use their imagination. But the thing we need to learn most of all is the New Grid. Flynn was inspired to make a new system alongside Tron and whatever he took from the old one. One ran by programs but users can enter freely and interact with. This tells us that Flynn did indeed take something from his time in the first movie after all. A love for the system and he wanted to see more of it, but his own Grid not ENCOM's.
We get a shot of Sam's grandparents who look after him while his Dad's away. Grandma Flynn gives a nice smile, perhaps he believes Flynn is just making up more stories for Sam. I imagine he didn't tell them about it beyond what he created merch of. Still more of that homely feel. But their's more to Flynn's new Grid.
Flynn: Now I couldn't be in there all the time, so I created a program in my own Image who could think, like you and me. And I called him... (slowly raises up action figure) CLU.
Sam: Codified Likeness Utility
Flynn: That's right. And CLU, Tron and I, we built the system where all information was free and open. Beautiful. And then one day...something happened. Something...extraordinary. A Miracle.
Sam: What was it?
Flynn: That'll have to wait till next time.
Fans of the first film will remember CLU from the start. He is Flynn's personal program he used to try and hack into ENCOM, but was destroyed by the Master control. It had it's own personality like the other programs, from memory I believe the personality/soul of the program writer translates to their own program, so CLU was like Flynn a bit, Tron like Alan etc. So Flynn gave him new life in a new Grid with a bigger role, as the program who keeps the system going and innovates where necessary. Alongside Tron and Flynn when he's in. A nice thing to do for a character who wasn't in long, you can tell that the writers watched the film closely and wanted to do more with the source material already available. Building off it and going the natural progression.
We also know that CLU is in Flynn's image, and can think for himself. Programs have personalities and can think/solve but generally serve a purpose. CLU can create/shape the Grid to a major but not complete degree.
What's also important and finishes off why this film makes Tron a better film, is that the ideas of free open systems, a lack of control, the beauty of that. That is all made a part of Flynn's character. He actually did take away why the master control was bad, he saw the beauty of the system from the inside and wanted to create his own perfect system alongside Tron and CLU. He loves the digital world, not just the games and CEO position he got at the end of the film. The perfect progression for him. However he also teases something more he discovered in that system, but we won't learn that till later. The camera slowly moves to look at the side of Flynn's face, showing that enthusiasm that he has. Making the scene a bit more personal
We end on a sweet yet somber moment as Flynn is about to leave.
Flynn: I have to get to work
Sam: I wanna go with you Dad
Flynn: Yeah well one day, you will. I promise
Sam: To the Grid?
Flynn: Heh Goodnight Sam (kisses Sams forehead)
Flynn stands up to put on his awesome Jacket. It's worth noticing that Sam loves his dad and is said when he leaves, He wants to see the Grid his dad tells him about, perhaps because he just wants to or to spend more time with him in his fantasy land.
Flynn: Hey what'ya say, tomorrow, you and I hit the arcade. You can have a crack at the old man's high score? First games on me (throws coin at Sam)
Sam: Can we play Doubles? On the same team?
Flynn:
Nice moment here. Flynn reminds us of his old arcade he ran from the first movie. We know he was the best at his games, he designed them after all. Hence the high score mention. Sam asks if they can play together, meaning he likes to play with his father and values spending time with him. He has his back to us before telling us 'we're always on the same team'. It's very warming moment and culminates that father by your bedside feel the scene is going for. It's also a key last line before Sam never sees him again for 20 years.
After Flynn leaves Sam immediately misses him and looks at the coin. He turns it to heads, not sure if that has any significance but the coin is clearly there to show his new attachment to it as he can see his father tomorrow. We get a last shot of Flynn glancing back at Sam before riding off on his Bike.
That finally finishes my analysis of Scene 1 one of Tron Legacy and answers hopefully for you guys how this improves the end of Tron 1 greatly and uses the worldbuilding in the first film to expand it in great length in this one. I'm quite proud of this analysis and look forward to any reply's or thoughts from you.
I've recently been recaptured by Tron & Tron: Legacy, and thinking a lot about the relationship between the two--this is a nice piece of additional analysis from an angle I wouldn't have come up with on my own.
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