'TRON' gets mixed reviews

DOWNEY - Downey students have mixed feelings for Disney's newest action-adventure movie "TRON: Legacy," with its impressive graphics and soundtrack but predictable plot."TRON: Legacy" is the sequel to the 1982 movie "Tron" and stars Academy Award- winning actor Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn and Garrett Hedlund as Kevin's 27-year-old son Sam. Kevin, CEO of ENCOM International and a brilliant software engineer, has been missing for twenty years, and Sam, a controlling shareholder of the company, decides to visit his father's arcade after a suspicious page from Kevin's office. Like his father, Sam accidentally enters the digitalized world of "The Grid." Kevin builds a world in the digital game "Tron," and creates an alter ego and eventual villain through his digital replica Clu to take care of The Grid when Kevin returns to the real world. Unintentionally, Kevin becomes trapped in his own game when Clu turns against him and prevents his escape in order to possess Kevin's disc, which holds valuable information and memory. While the first "Tron" focused mainly on Kevin's battles and adventures, "TRON: Legacy" shifts the spotlight to Sam and Quorra, who helps Sam find his father. Perhaps gaining more attention than the movie itself is its soundtrack, written and scored by the electronic duo Daft Punk. Its two members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, who usually hide their faces behind helmets or headgear, also make a cameo in "TRON: Legacy." CSULB freshman Jennifer Kheang said she watched the movie twice and was mostly impressed with its graphics. "I didn't see the first one, but I enjoyed the movie," she said. "It didn't really meet my high expectations of it, but I really liked the first half with the game scenes. The music and scenery was fun to listen to and watch, and Daft Punk did a great job with the soundtrack." Downey High senior Brandon Pineda, who watched the 1982 "Tron," had positive reviews for the sequel. "The lasting euphoric experience really came from the special effects and the sound," he said. "The story was adequate at best. I saw the 1982 version and it opened my eyes to the comparison in technology. The story behind the first one is in the new sequel, but it's only summarized. Its hit feature was the soundtrack." Other students said "TRON: Legacy" was dull and predictable, while last year's "Avatar" came to mind while watching the movie. Downey seniors Vinson Le and Gaby Cabrera said the sequel's plot was too predictable and boring, although the soundtrack was good. Downey senior Attaley Hernandez said "TRON: Legacy" reminded her of "Avatar." "It's like Avatar, overrated," she said. "The visuals are impressive, don't get me wrong. Pretty great effects, but the plot was boring. The soundtrack was great, though."

********** Published: January 6, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 38