Rating: Summary: Formatting - Beware the "Widescreen" caption Review: This DVD displays the movie in widescreen letterbox format. What everyone fails to mention is this is not an anamorphic format, rather a letterbox format within a standard 4:3 (1.33:1) format. That means for those of you that have purchased high-end video gear you'll get a horrible picture. I am a bit surprised the picture quality is rated at 4 out of 5 by what I thought was a reputable institution.I was pleased with the sound quality. If you do have a high-end system, I recommend you try the 20th anniversary Tron which is listed as anamorphic; I haven't seen it yet. If you're buying this for your kids, have at it, just don't pay [too much]
Rating: Summary: Ground Breaking Movie Review: I really like TRON. It was so ahead of its time. It still works today. It in fact works even better because it projected a look into the future that has never come to fruition. A one-of-a-kind gem. Great score too!
Rating: Summary: Alice oops Flynn in wonderland Review: What would computers appeared like to the uninitiated, 20 plus years ago? Even as we watch this remake of Alice every one knows that computers were getting smaller even then. But this is a fun romp with love and loyalty, and now with time campiness. The nasty old MPC (Master Control Program) wants to rule the world vis-à-vis remove human contamination or at the least play like "Colossus: The Forbin Project" (1970). Only the "Users" (a loose term invented by the movie makers for programmers) can defeat him. Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and a hand full of loyal programs including Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) will attempt to do so running into many quasi computer parts along the way. Will they succeed or will their side issue with the lovely Yori (Cindy Morgan) sidetrack them from their mission. Jeff Bridges looked cute in those days and David Warner (Master Control Program Voice) had just enough touch of evil for a Disney picture.
Rating: Summary: [Weak] & Convoluted Fun! Review: TRON stars Jeff Bridges as the brilliant computer programmer Flynn. He's fired from his company for some reason (here's part of why it's so convoluted) and attempts to hack into the company's computer to prove that he wrote some programs stolen by the senior exec, Dillinger. He enlists the help of several company employees, one of whom has written a hacker program called Tron. While using the program, Flynn gets sucked into cyberspace and has to disarm the Master Control Program (MCP), which was developed by Dillinger. Whew! For a game based on a video game, the plot is way too complex. When released by Disney in 1982, TRON was a bit of a flop. Expected to be a huge hit, it only placed at #18 for the year, behind such 80s relics as "Conan the Barbarian," "First Blood," and "The Dark Crystal." This lack of success likely lead to the subsequent dearth of movies based on videogames, sparing us from movies such as "From Pac-Man to Ms. Pac-Man"! Despite the [weak] plot, TRON is good kitschy 80s fun. The special effects (for 1982) are extremely impressive, and several sequences remain exciting. In particular, the scenes where the MCP forces the computer programs to battle each other as cyber-motorcycles are quite fun. Compared to more recent movies based on videogames (e.g., Final Fantasy, Laura Croft movies), TRON is surprisingly tame and gentle, which only adds to its appeal. This movie may bore many young videogame fans, but it will be enjoyed by fans of 80s movies and videogames.
Rating: Summary: "Greetings Program!" Review: When Tron came out in 1982, it was intended to be a visually stunning parable against the powers of computers and technology. More than twenty years later, the movie plays more like a nostalgic ode to the early 1980s, than a simple good vs. evil morality tale. Tron evokes the heady days when video games like Pac Man, Defender and Centipede ruled the arcades and when everyone owned a Commodore 64 or an Atari 2600 -- the eight track of personal computing. Writer/director Steven Lisberger creates a flashy, neon-drenched world, a cybernetic version of Social Darwinism where lowly computer programs must participate in gladiatorial battles against the Master Control's ruthless minions. Even though the computer effects look primitive now, back then they were considered ahead of their time. Fortunately, Lisberger has not remastered the special effects with contemporary computer graphics (take note George Lucas). There is a certain clunky charm to the effects that makes Tron all that more endearing to its fans. Tron is one of those rare examples where style over substance works. The computer world that Lisberger and his team worked so hard to create is rich in detail. It also plays on our romantic notions of what really goes on inside our computers -- not a collection of microchips and circuit boards but a vast world where programs fight each other for survival. It's no wonder that visionary science fiction writer, William Gibson once commented in an interview that the cyberworld in Tron is how he envisioned the cyberspace in his novels. The audio commentary with director Steven Lisberger, producers Donald Kushner and Harrison Ellenshaw, and special effects wizard, Richard Taylor. There is a relaxed feel to the track as these guys reminisce about working on the movie. The commentary does tend to lean more towards the technical aspects of making the movie as opposed to anecdotal content but the documentary on disc two covers this aspect in more detail. Disc two features a wealth of supplemental material that was mostly carried over from a special edition laserdisc set that Disney released many years ago. The DVD reorganizes all of these extras into several easily navigable sections. The best extra on the second disc is a comprehensive 90-minute documentary entitled, "The Making of Tron." Every aspect of the movie, from its humble origins to the struggles of getting it made are covered with brand new interviews with Lisberger and his crew and Jeff Bridges and the cast (minus David Warner). Everyone speaks fondly of his or her experiences working on Tron. This retrospective look at the movie 20 years later is a real treat for the fans and is the crowning touch on this excellent set.
Rating: Summary: A must buy for Scifi fans Review: This DVD is a must for Scifi fans of all ages. There've been some scifi movies that will never stand up to the test of time due to advanced special effects but this is not going to happen to Tron. Even today the movie still rocks. Yes..the scenes at the beginning in the arcades are dated but the world of Tron is amazingly created. AND...Tron 2.0 is in the works (game, movie, who cares). Picking this up is a sure thing for a good time.
Rating: Summary: One word...amazing! Review: Every once in a while a true classic comes along. While the majority of people don't find anything special about this movie, I found it to be one of the most amazing films ever created. Yes, the story is silly and campy...BUT IT'S A SCI FI MOVIE! that's what they are supposed to be silly! What makes Tron so special are the special effects, light yeras ahead of it's time. A computer geek (or whatever) gets "sucked" into the world of a video game program and must fight his way out with the help of two firends who were also pulled in. Once they reach the virtual world is when this movie takes off. Simply amazing special effects bring to life this sci fi world of danger and despair. I won't spoil anymore, other than the motorcycle scene, the most amazing part of the film. A must see for sci fi fans. The great grand daddy of final fantasy!
Rating: Summary: Great sfx...not so great a story Review: Jeff Bridges is Kevin Flynn...a computer genius who had his computer game ideas ripped off by a man called "Dillinger" (David Warner) Now Flynn wants to prove the theft...so when he hacks into the computer and get gets zapped into the computer world by the MCP (Master Control Program) to play computer games. He meets TRON who helps him destroy the MCP & release the truth about the theft. Great SFX in the computer world, but a VERY SLOW & stilted script. There should have been more computer game sequences & other heart-stopping action to make it more exciting. But it's a real let down.
Rating: Summary: What can I say, I'm a geek. Review: I love it but, as I said, I'm a geek. My wife .... she thinks the movie is silly. The extra stuff that comes with the movie is "so-so" but, it's cool to see.
Rating: Summary: Great movie, ok DVD Review: This is my favorite movie, but the dvd isn't amazing. I was a little dissapointed, but I still think it's a great buy.
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