Unlike Jared Leto’s face, his last couple of performances have not aged well (Suicide Squad / Morbius). Very much like Jared Leto’s face, sometimes throwing money at problems can solve them. So, can a Disney-sized budget put Mr. Leto’s acting run back on the right track? Read on to see the crew’s thoughts on the sequel we weren’t sure we asked for.
Happy Birthday to our Sweet Friends! 🎂
Carsen 10/2 - Favorite Movie: The Shining
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Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Tron: Ares
Watchlist Worthy: ##
Red Cap Essay: Going to the Theaters by Myself: cinemas, a sacred space by Josh
This week’s movie - Tron: Ares
Letterboxd Description:
No going back.
A highly sophisticated Program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
Best Watched With
Your Botox injectionist/aesthetician.
End Credit Thoughts
In the midst of artificial intelligence (AI) conversations happening on every street corner of the internet, Tron: Ares enters the conversation. The third installation of the Tron trilogy continues exploring the relationships between digital worlds and the natural world. While humans work to ensure dominance and extend life as far as possible, AI beings are fighting to be like finite humans. The concepts are there, but do the story and performances do them justice?
Despite Ares being the third movie, it can stand alone. It provides enough of a recap, filling the gap between Legacy and Ares, explaining why Sam Flynn doesn’t return, and where tech companies are currently with the grid and AI before it launches in a new storyline separate from Legacy. However, it was nice to rewatch and familiarize ourselves before watching Ares to be reminded of how the worlds work and the subtle call-backs to the first two.
The story is a mess, and the exposition through dialogue is dry and mostly telling rather than showing. There is not enough depth in the character development and the story for us to consider the stakes and care for the characters. This is most likely due to trying to do too much with so many plot points.
But the visual storytelling through action is a hell of a spectacle. The neon lights are vibrant against the contrasted night skies and dark buildings. The Tron world has never been brighter and more exhilarating. They don’t try to redo old scenarios like disc wars or light cycle battles. Rather, display new weapons and take light battles into flight. The electric cinematic sequences match the brilliance of Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor’s score. Perhaps not as memorable as Daft Punk’s in Legacy, but the duo from Nine Inch Nails is just as immersive. The music became the movie's pulse, shaking our seats with its booming audio, matching the explosive cinematography.
The performances were all around forgettable. We love Greta Lee and Evan Peters, but this script and direction were not for them. Hey, we are happy to see Lee get paid. Jared Leto was there, and Jeff Bridges is always a presence, but not doing anything special here.
The only thing that should put butts in seats is the partnership between the cinematography, editing, and Nine Inch Nails. Watching this in IMAX may be worth it for Tron heads and video game fanatics. But the lackluster acting and messy storyline led us to suggest waiting til streaming to watch this one.
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Die My Love by Lynne Ramsay
NEW TRAILER FOR DIE MY LOVE
I need this movie injected into my veins asap. Jennifer Lawrence slowly drifting into madness? Her bread and butter of a role. Robert Pattinson in a Lynne Ramsay movie? Honestly, him in anyone’s movie. He’s a generational talent I’ve been raving about since Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He’s been working with some giants of film, and his career will only continue going up. This duo is as unexpected as it is needed in today’s cinematic landscape. It looks beautifully shot and horrifically dark. Bring on the full spectrum of emotions. This will be on my top 5 movies of the year.
-JP
Letterboxd Description:
Grace, a writer and young mother, is slowly slipping into madness. Locked away in an old house in and around Montana, we see her acting increasingly agitated and erratic, leaving her companion, Jackson, increasingly worried and helpless.
Also Directed by Lynne Ramsay
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Going to the Theaters by Myself
We’re all trying to figure out who we are and what we are doing, and sometimes, movies can help us make sense of those things. Red Cap Essays are about anything and everything under that general theme, written by people who love people, movies, and the magic that lives where they meet.
Tune in next week for | Black Phone 2
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“Tron, what have you become?” Is one of my favorite lines from the second movie. You’ve kind of answered the question :).