TRON:LEGACY 3D/TRON Combo Pack Will Electrify Fans in Ultimate Collection
MARCH 25, 2011 REVIEW BY SCOTT WEITZ 4 STARS
Fans and programs, your wait is over as Disney releases its ultimate two-movie collection with the 5-disc TRON:LEGACY/Original TRON in a 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. TRON:LEGACY and the classic TRON Special Edition arrive in stores on April 5th, but FilmEdge has your first look early review of the massive 5-disc collection featuring both films and a detailed look at all the bonus features.
TRON:LEGACY
Naturally director Joseph Kosinski's visually spectacular TRON:LEGACY is the star of the collection, spinning onto four discs of this 5-disc set for you to enjoy in Blu-ray 3D, high-definition Blu-ray 2D, standard definition DVD and a Digital Copy for your portable media player. Disney shows its smarts by maintaining the image size changes from the film, which switches from 2.35:1 widescreen ratio in the real world to the IMAX format 1.78:1 when Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) lands in the virtual world of Tron to search for his father Kevin (Jeff Bridges).
TECH SPECS: While we can't review the 3D Blu-ray edition yet, FilmEdge is glad to say the 2D Blu-ray presents TRON:LEGACY in all its audio-visual glory. The 1080p image transfer is superb considering how much of the story exists in darkness illuminated only by glowing structures, vehicles and characters. I can honestly say I miss seeing the Tron world in 3D since Kosinski used the depth effect so subtly (no gratuitous eye-poking gimmicks) and brilliantly to create the heightened virtual reality of the silicon-based universe. On the other hand the 2D presentation may well give a clearer, brighter look at TRON:LEGACY without the depth factor, and it looks as stunning as ever in Blu-ray. The chest-thumping 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack will test the power and brains of your surround system to completely replicate the immersive theatrical experience in your home. Dialogue is clearer and more precisely mixed than I ever heard it in theaters, as even the electronically tweaked character voices enunciate cleanly, while surround channels and your subwoofer might have you ducking from the huge Recognizers as they roar overhead. The film's boldly powerful design and artistic precision make for a dazzling viewing experience, even on the "small" screen of your home theater.
| SPECIAL FEATURES: Though bonus features on the making of TRON:LEGACY could have lasted for hours (and sadly do not), the extras exclusive to the Blu-ray edition deliver a good glimpse behind the scenes. Topping the list is The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed which cleverly spans Tron history circa the original film in 1982 through Kevin Flynn's disappearance in '89, the rise of the Flynn Lives movement and the emergence of Sam Flynn restoring his father's spirit to ENCOM. The video also reveals the secret identity of hacker 'Zack Attack' who fed data and clues to players of the Flynn Lives alternate reality game (ARG) supporting TRON:LEGACY's release. Launching the Legacy tracks the sequel's creative inception from the now-famous test reel sneak-previewed at Comic-Con 2009 which drew raves from the audience and effectively prompted Disney to greenlight TRON:LEGACY now that film technology finally caught up with Tron's virtual reality. A visit with screenwriters Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz reveals their lifelong fandom of TRON and their realized dream to help create its sequel. Disc Roars documents Joe Kosinski's recording of the Comic-Con crowd as a living sound effect for the grid game arena. Disney makes TRON:LEGACY their second title to employ their interactive Second Screen technology, allowing viewers to download a free app via iTunes or Disney's site and sync high-tech extra materials to movie playback. With our early look at this TRON:LEGACY release, Second Screen materials are not yet active online but you can watch a preview video and see high-res photos in FilmEdge's article. The final Blu-ray exclusive bonus is the "Derezzed" music video by Daft Punk, released online during the duo's soundtrack publicity but now you can enjoy it 1080p HD quality. |
ADDITIONAL BONUS FEATURES are shared by the DVD edition as well, though of course you can only view them in HD on the Blu-ray disc: Visualizing TRON details the concept development of this evolved virtual universe and discusses how the artists (along with architect-turned-director Kosinski) created a very necessary sense of geography and space in the expanded world of Tron. This is definitely one of the bonus extras which could have used much more time to explore, but this is a good enough primer on the topic for informative yet casual viewing. Kosinski and the writers explain how crucial it was to interest Jeff Bridges in reprising his 1982 role of Kevin Flynn, then building the cast around him with new and inspired actors like Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen and Bridges' co-star Bruce Boxleitner. Rounding out the shared list of extras is a First Look at TRON: Uprising, the new animated spin-off series set before the events of TRON:LEGACY which debuts on Disney XD channel in summer of 2012. Overall the TRON:LEGACY bonus features are thorough, well-produced, informative and entertaining, though they may not dive as deep into the production details as hardcore TRON and Blu-ray fans might wish. Still, there is no arguing their value in the Blu-ray/DVD combo set and kudos to Disney for delivering Blu-ray exclusives while still sharing solid features with the DVD version for those who haven't upgraded to HD players yet. As usual, Disney encourages this step-up in home theater technology while maintaining per-disc value in this combined release.
NINE EASTER EGGS are hidden on the TRON:LEGACY Blu-ray disc only, and to avoid spoilers FilmEdge previews their location and content in our separate Easter Egg article.
TRON: The Original Classic Special Edition
| At long last, Disney's original and ground-breaking sci-fi adventure — call it a cult classic if you prefer — comes home in HD as Steven Lisberger's TRON finally gets its due in a fully state-of-the-art Blu-ray edition. A generation of fans have anticipated this high-definition upgrade of the 1982 forward-looking film which pre-dated and predicted much of computers' impact on business, entertainment and our culture years before most people ever bought their first PC. Being years ahead of its time eventually hurt TRON at box offices if only because it anticipated heavy concepts like virtual reality, user avatars and cyberspace before we had access to sophisticated video games or even the Internet. Yet fans hooked on the film's CGI special effects, glowing program characters and techno vibe remained loyal supporters of Lisberger's efforts in TRON for decades, indeed until the world and technology finally caught up with his vision. Now presented as the origin story for TRON:LEGACY, ENCOM programmer Kevin Flynn goes on a daring quest to ensure the use of computer technology as realms of freedom for creative thought, education and information instead of a greedy corporation's profit center. Once digitized into the virtual world of the ENCOM mainframe system, Flynn encounters ally programs Tron (Boxleitner) and Yori (Cindy Morgan) who join forces to fight for the users and defeat the overwhelming Master Control Program and its criminal programmer/ENCOM executive Dillinger (David Warner). |
This tenuously understood plot was buoyed by eye-popping computer graphics of Light Cycle chases, tank battles and virtual landscapes glowing with liquid light, effects which may seem crude by today's visual standards but were undeniably ground-breaking when they appeared on screen. In the end, perhaps the ideas embodied by TRON sparked the imagination of its generation of first-fans more than the film did itself, though its staying power and intrinsic values of futurist fun made TRON:LEGACY feasible and desirable as an expensive, cutting-edge sequel.
TECH SPECS: TRON's tale looks and feels naive compared to TRON:LEGACY and it was by comparison. A product of its own technological limits in CGI effects in the early '80s and set in a pre-Internet world, TRON speaks ideally about the computer-based frontier ahead of its time when PCs were all theory and potential, and not a daily tool of our working and recreational lives. — not to mention a seemingly unlimited arsenal of artistic expression which has proved a juggernaut in modern filmmaking with the likes of TRON:LEGACY as its progeny. Nevertheless, Disney's new high-def 1080p transfer, preserving the original 2.20:1 aspect ratio image, and robustly mixed 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio clearly looks and sounds better than any previous home video releases. Despite TRON's age, this HD transfer is remarkably free of the dirt and defects which still haunted the rare 20th Anniversary DVD edition. While the blacks are a little faint and there are some color gradation stepping in a few scenes, these are original artifacts of the film itself and not faults of the new transfer. Grain is kept to a surprisingly enjoyable minimum — assisted by TRON being shot in 65mm format in both live action and CG animation to eliminate grainy textures at the source — and both color saturation and contrast are much improved. The occasional tonal fluctuations of the programs' suits and faces remain part of the charm and unique, kodalith production coloring which gave TRON its truly distinct visual style: it's far from the CG photorealism of today's cinema, but this milestone movie finally gets the Blu-ray and DVD release it deserves as a vanguard production of the digital filmmaking era.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Only one Blu-ray exclusive bonus feature is offered, but it's a good one called Photo Tronology: TRON writer/director Steven Lisberger and his son Carl visit the Disney Archives to examine rare artwork and photos taken on the set of the film 30 years ago. Discussions and recollections of the actors, crew and unique production process ensue between father and son as Steven remembers entertaining stories while Carl gains new perspective on his father's life and career. The mirroring of real life and TRON:LEGACY plot points are unmistakable and enjoyable. Both Blu-ray and DVD share the other new bonus feature The TRON Phenomenon, which reflects on the enduring popularity and fan support of the cult classic turned cutting-edge franchise from 1982 to today.
Both Blu-ray and DVD editions also include the Audio Commentary track recorded by Lisberger, producer Donald Kushner, visual effects supervisors Harrison Ellenshaw and Richard Taylor for the 20th Anniversary DVD edition, which is still an informative discussion of behind-the-scenes events. Nine more DVD bonus features created in 2002 include The Making of TRON and featurettes on Development, Digital Imagery, Music, Publicity, Deleted Scenes, Design, Storyboarding and image Galleries. This bonus extras package provides a wealth of vintage information about TRON's creation that was remarkably robust and thorough for a DVD release, and the materials hold up well even in their Blu-ray presentation.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Offering maximum flexibility in playback formats, the TRON:LEGACY/TRON 5-disc 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack delivers the greatest viewing value of the three TRON:LEGACY home entertainment releases available on April 5th, including select bonus features exclusive to the Blu-ray editions of both films. Even if you joined the Blu-ray generation, this ultimate 5-disc treasure trove is a solid, feature-packed investment for the future of your home theater, including TRON:LEGACY's 3D Blu-ray presentation for next-gen home viewing. Fans, your wait to enjoy both chapters (so far) of the TRON franchise together has ended, and the sheer quantity and quality of disc editions and bonus features should electrify users and programs alike across the grid. FilmEdge recommends you rez up this two-movie collection in your video library when it arrives in retailers on April 5th.
Order the Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)
