Third entry in Disney’s film franchise is everything you’d expect from a ‘Tron’ movie — for better or worse

To its credit, “Tron: Ares,” the third entry in the Disney film franchise dating back to 1982, is everything you expect it to be. It’s pure nostalgia bait (Jeff Bridges! Space Paranoids! Floppy disks!), stuffed with callbacks and references to both the original “Tron” film and the 1980s themselves. It’s a visual showstopper, a dazzling display of stunning special effects all bathed in neon reds and blues. Its intentionally harsh and techno-infused score, crafted by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ Nine Inch Nails, is pulse-pounding, a perfect companion to the futuristic chaos unfolding on-screen. 

But to its detriment, “Tron: Ares,” a sequel to 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” offers nothing more than that. Bogged down by a simplistic binary plot that pits the evil red team against the good blue team and that only skims the surface of its meatier themes, “Ares” is the textbook definition of style over substance. 

Read the full review at The Seattle Times.

Three “Digimon has been doing this for years” stars out of five.

Photo credit: Jared Leto as Ares in “Tron: Ares.” (Leah Gallo / Disney)