Kosinski will program Disney's 'Tron' sequel
Source: Hollywood Reporter
TORONTO -- Commercial director Joseph Kosinski is in final negotiations to develop and direct "Tron," described as "the next chapter" of Disney's 1982 cult classic. Sean Bailey is producing via the Live Planet banner, as is Steven Lisberger, who co-wrote and directed the original film.
Kosinski, who last month signed on to helm the remake of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros. Pictures, will oversee the visual development of the project and have input on the script, which is being written by "Lost" scribes Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Story details are being kept secret.
The original, about a computer programr thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie.
When making the original, in order to convince the studio to take a chance on a first-time director, Lisberger shot a test reel, financed by the studio, involving the deadly Frisbee battle. In a case of historical synchronicity, sources said one of the things Kosinski will be doing is working on a sequence involving the movie's Light Cycles to work out his vision for the movie. Sources also said visual effects personnel, for many of whom "Tron" was an inspiration to enter the business, already are jockeying for pole position to work on the sequence.
Brigham Taylor is overseeing for Disney.
Kosinski is a former architect whose specs caught the attention of director David Fincher, who convinced Kosinski to move to Los Angeles, where he joined the director at commercial house Anonymous Content. Kosinski then moved quickly up the ladder, eventually directing award-winning spots for Nike, Apple and Nintendo that gained notice for their use of computer technology that erased the lines between reality and CGI.
Homer: Anybody seen the movie Tron?
Everyone: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Yes... I mean no.
'Tron 2.0' has its first two players
Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett cast in sequel
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett are the first to sign on for "Tron 2.0," the sequel to the 1982 Disney cult classic being directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Sean Bailey is producing along with Steven Lisberger, who co-wrote and directed the original film, and Jeff Silver.
The original, about a programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects.
The new movie is acting as a "next chapter." Plot details are being guarded closely, but Wilde will play a worker in the virtual world who tries to help fight Master Control Program, the villainous intelligence protocol that was the nemesis in the original film.
Garrett will play a siren in the virtual world.
The male lead has not been cast, but the studio and filmmakers are screen-testing actors as it brings on other leads and supporting players.
"Tron 2.0" is eyeing a spring shoot and is shaping up as one of the studio's most anticipated projects in years. Kosinski shot reels to test technology and showcase his vision for the film; the footage screened at Comic-Con in July and was one of the most buzzed-about films coming out of the geekfest.
Brigham Taylor is overseeing for Disney.
Wilde, repped by Endeavor and Kass & Stokes Management, can be seen on the Fox series "House." She next appears in "The Year One" with Jack Black and Michael Cera. Garrett, repped by ICM and 1 Management, appeared in "Made of Honor" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." The two appeared together in "Turistas."
Daft Punk: Tron 2.0
Source: Upcoming Film Scores
French electronica duo Daft Punk has been signed to write the original music score for Tron 2.0, Walt Disney's upcoming sequel to the groundbreaking 1982 animation cult hit which was scored by electronic music icon Wendy Carlos. Daft Punk's members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter have been involved in various films before, but Tron 2.0 will be their first complete feature film score. The film, scheduled for a 2011 release, is helmed by Joseph Kosinski and will feature Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett. According to industry news reports, Tron 2.0 will play as the "next chapter" after the first film, with Wilde starring as one of the heroes trying to help fighting the Master Control Program, the evil intelligence protocol that was the nemesis in the 1982 film. The assignment of Daft Punk to score Tron 2.0 has been confirmed to Upcoming Film Scores by Walt Disney Pictures.
I don't know, I've never been a fan....but with Daft punk sounds good.
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SDCC: 'Tron' Gains a Legacy
by Todd Gilchrist; Cinematical
On Thursday during the Disney 3D panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, moderator Patton Oswalt conducted a q&a session after revealing the official title of the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1982 sci-fi action film starring Jeff Bridges: Tron: Legacy. The film, which debuted via a surprise teaser trailer during last year's Comic-Con, has since moved forward into production, and Oswalt interviewed a panel of cast and crew members about its progress. Among the highlights of the panel:
The film's title positions the film to be a follow-up without being "just" a sequel. It seems like the film will provide longtime fans with a familiar lexicon of Tron imagery while introducing updated characters, vehicles and locations to new audiences.
Original music played over the image that revealed the film's title, presumably by composing team Daft Punk, which combined their trademark futuristic sounds with classic audio cues from 1980s video games. Steven Lisberger, the writer-director who created the original Tron 27 years ago, said that the film offered a personal rejuvenation of his creativity, in addition to just resuscitating the characters and universe for audiences. "We got to get to this frontier first and we got to dream big," he said in reference to the '82 film. "[But now,] we just scanned Jeff Bridges for real and put him on the game grid."
Disney screened two clips, including a 3D version of the teaser that was created especially for Comic-Con last year (which looked terrific). The second clip was a scene in which Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) revisited his father's arcade, which looks identical to the set in the first film, albeit slightly older and more dust-covered. The best moment comes when Sam tries to play the original Tron video game, which looks just like it did 27 years ago, complete with primitive graphics.
The following image is concept art of Flynn's Generation 2 Light Cycle, which is the so-called "fastest light cycle on the grid."
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Teaser Footage here. (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810096458/video/14719967)
Quote from: MacGuffin on July 25, 2009, 11:02:29 AM
Teaser Footage here. (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810096458/video/14719967)
The original Tron is crazy boring, but I could easily watch an hour and a half of this.
Yeah that might be pretty fun in 3D.
Quote from: RegularKarate on July 25, 2009, 02:14:32 PM
The original Tron is crazy boring, but I could easily watch an hour and a half of this.
Let's hope they don't muck it up with plot or story or any of that crap.
Quote from: Ravi on July 25, 2009, 06:06:20 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on July 25, 2009, 02:14:32 PM
The original Tron is crazy boring, but I could easily watch an hour and a half of this.
Let's hope they don't muck it up with plot or story or any of that crap.
Seriously, look at what happened to 'Transformers 2', who gives a shit if it has a story-as long as theirs some cool shit blowing up and a hot beautiful woman, who needs character and story.
Quote from: matt35mm on July 25, 2009, 03:35:21 PM
Yeah that might be pretty fun in 3D.
pretty fun? jesus christ that looks awesome.
do you agree, Jesus poster?
yeah. presumably, being everywhere at once, you've already seen the movie, right? or at least a rough cut.
My god! That looks incredible. They're like iPod-commercial-Speed-Racer bikes.
Quote from: Kurt Russell Creamed My Pans on July 25, 2009, 06:59:25 PM
pretty fun? jesus christ that looks awesome.
Quote from: Pozer on July 26, 2009, 07:50:33 PM
do you agree, Jesus poster?
Quote from: picolas on July 26, 2009, 07:57:53 PM
yeah. presumably, being everywhere at once, you've already seen the movie, right? or at least a rough cut.
Way too nerdy for me. And that's coming from a guy who does magic tricks.
enough son.
shut the fuck up already.
You're such a jerk, dad. I seriously don't get what the Jews see in you.
Can't wait to see Satan post here. Jesus and God-When was the last time you saw the epitome of evil?
Quote from: SiliasRuby on August 12, 2009, 07:22:24 PM
Can't wait to see Satan post here. Jesus and God-When was the last time you saw the epitome of evil?
Satan got banned due to a bad April Fool's joke. Let's end this nonsense.
I still think it's funny.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fwww.cinematical.com%2Fmedia%2F2009%2F12%2Ftron2b.jpg&hash=2e7381d8f4c825146a349a469bee20c469795f9b)
it looks like they're directly alluding to a nerd boner.
Could this be Daft Punk's new score for Tron Legacy?
Source: SciFi Wire
One of the reasons we're psyched for the upcoming Tron Legacy movie, aside from the obvious, is that it will feature a score by the helmeted French electronic duo Daft Punk. So it's with great glee that we offer you what we think might be a new track from the sequel, below.
We heard a bit of Daft Punk from the Flynn's Arcade exhibit at last year's Comic-Con, and we've heard they also cameo in the movie in a club scene.
We haven't confirmed whether this really is from Tron Legacy, but whether or not this is an actual bit of score, we think it's creepy cool and very sci-fi, almost a Vangelis-in-Blade Runner vibe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsex5IKU5LM
Score by Daft Punk? I want to go to there.
Damn...I've been looking forward to that Daft Punk soundtrack for months.
This isn't Daft Punk, it's Pilotpriest.
Quote from: RegularKarate on January 29, 2010, 04:32:35 PM
Damn...I've been looking forward to that Daft Punk soundtrack for months.
This isn't Daft Punk, it's Pilotpriest.
:(
Trailer here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vku6xerReJs)
Fuck yes fuck yes fuck yes
I really want this to be great. If it's released during the summer, it could be the perfect mixture of summer fun plus something outside of the norm. Also Olivia Wilde is the hottest species of human.
I also felt like a fanboy for LOTR when it was announced and I couldn't have been more disappointed.
It will be released at Christmas. I think this looks great, but I haven't seen Tron and don't know anything about this other than I love the production design.
Quote from: MacGuffin on March 09, 2010, 06:45:38 AM
Trailer here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vku6xerReJs)
Where can I buy a couch like that? (at 1:26)
The first Tron (from what I remember, I'm going to watch it again soon) was super boring. I think most people accept this as fact.
I'm covered in Nerd Boners for this new thing purely from the design and music. That end with the Daft Punk score going all glitchy... love it so much.
i enjoyed the first tron, the design alone was interesting even if the story was stupid.. the new one doesn't look much different in that it's populated with bland faces -- with the exception of Jeff Bridges apeparing at the end, that seems to instantly give this movie some much needed weight. who knows how they will use it but if it really never got the respect it deserved as seems to be the consensus around here, then this sequel could be the Anvil of Trons.
to get a better idea of just how cool this movie might be i had a look at the director's other work. this being his feature debut i had a look as his ads, here are some notable ones with light commentary:
Apple- iSpec (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bNEx-2l2rI)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fvidcaps%2Fkosinski%2Fjk-shin.jpg&hash=9fd476116379793add713bb64b3b30c2c1d029ea)
Entirely computer generated colorado lounge from the shining. amazing and genuinely creepy. this guy might end up making District 9 look like District Shite.. doubt it.
Gears of War - mad world (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccWrbGEFgI8)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fvidcaps%2Fkosinski%2Fjk-gow.jpg&hash=cf856b9299a89de9e7e44f8f7d0f630bd295e4d9)
the comparisons to Blomkamp are not just cos they are masters of CGI.. this dude made his name on these spots for Gears of War in much the same way that Blomkamp's Halo short(s?) were his calling card. i havn't played GOW so i can't fathom how the song relates to the game literally or abstractly.. i can only take this spot as a really subversive statement on addictive video games in general. the final shot is very supportive of this theory in that the image of a soldier fighting against a huge monster in a dark room is OBVIOUSLY reminiscent of any gamer playing the game in their bedroom.. again i havn't played the game, it works as a general statement.
halo 3 commercial - starry night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrOJJCEUJow)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fvidcaps%2Fkosinski%2Fjk-halo3.jpg&hash=39abc4c323b880e734bb123fb25bff5713e028f1)
this is just another video game clip but a necessary set up for this clip of a 21yr old flipping out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9vRhDHTJ-c) over this commercial and sort of proving my point about this dude's total and complete control over the digital world and its fiends.. perfect for tron!
the closest i could find to the look and feel of the Tron Legacy trailers is this Saab commercial he did back in 97 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0u4Z9FvE8g).
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the CGI/real ratio is completely irrelevant at this point. all that needs to be said is: this dude is slick as fuck.
oh yeah, this dude is Joseph Kosinski (http://www.josephkosinski.com/).
what the fuck was the iSpec???
yes I saw the trailer on the alice in wonderland showing and needless to say it was the best thing about going to see that crap. however, if the first tron was stupid and everyone acknowledges and it and everyone remembers it kindly this one will be even more stupid.
P, thanks for those. "Slick" is definitely the right word. That's what I see in this.
Quote from: Alexandro on March 10, 2010, 12:40:16 PM
if the first tron was stupid and everyone acknowledges and it and everyone remembers it kindly this one will be even more stupid.
Sorry, maybe I'm missing something, but I don't get this logic. If a movie made thirty years ago was stupid and everyone knows it was stupid then the sequel made now will be even worse? What's an example of this?
thanks p! looks like i've enjoyed many of his commercials unknowingly. i'm suddenly a little excited.
best trailer nominee fo sho... im excited
The Saab and Halo ads are great!
but...
Ugh the GoW-Mad World commercial was terrible. Also, by the time that commercial aired that song had already been overplayed to death.
What the hell was that iSpec thing, looked like a videogame. You're making quite a leap by implying this can be compared to District 9 technically. And yeah, it was made in 2007... Metal Gear Solid 4 was made in 2007 if you want to compare.
So it might be good and it might suck too.
I remember liking Tron, but certainly not enough to say I would want to see it again, but with Garret Hedlund this time. Channing Tatum, maybe.
Quote from: RegularKarate on March 10, 2010, 01:28:40 PM
P, thanks for those. "Slick" is definitely the right word. That's what I see in this.
Quote from: Alexandro on March 10, 2010, 12:40:16 PM
if the first tron was stupid and everyone acknowledges and it and everyone remembers it kindly this one will be even more stupid.
Sorry, maybe I'm missing something, but I don't get this logic. If a movie made thirty years ago was stupid and everyone knows it was stupid then the sequel made now will be even worse? What's an example of this?
Well, almost all sequels are more stupid than the original.
As most of us remember, the original Tron was dumb and boring except for the special effects. For decades the people that remembered Tron did so because it was bad. It was only after all this time that people started to appreciate the few things it had going for it, namely the visual aesthetic, and forgave the dumbness of the whole spectacle. Taking in account that fact, and taking in account the fact that most movies made by big studios today are very comfortable being stupid, there's no reason to believe this one will not be even more stupid than last one. BUT it will be a visual orgasm.
Disney puts 'Tron Legacy' sequel in motion (exclusive)
Source: Hollywood Reporter
"Tron Legacy" isn't due until December, but Disney already is putting a sequel on its monorail track.
Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, the "Lost" writers/executive producers who worked on "Legacy," have begun writing a sequel to the studio's sci-fi tentpole.
No details have been released because it is so early in the process. Notwithstanding the question of whether the movie will be a hit, other topics to ponder are whether the sequel will focus on spinoff characters or center on a new adventure set in the "Tron" world. Insiders have suggested that Kitsis and Horowitz are working on a way to round the story into a trilogy.
No deals have been made with "Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski or cast members to return, though options were placed in the original deals, and Disney surely would hope to reunite all the elements if "Legacy" proves to be a hit. Also needing to be figured out is who would produce a sequel. Sean Bailey, a producer on "Legacy," is now Disney's president of production.
Still, with Bailey as production head and WME-repped Kitsis and Horowitz writing more "Tron," Disney seems to be believe in what they have.
Quote from: OrHowILearnedTo on March 10, 2010, 12:33:48 PM
what the fuck was the iSpec???
apparently this guy is fucking years ahead of his time..
iSpecs: Apple eyes up 3D future with projection glasses that will play films on the movesource: dailymail.co.uk (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1265366/iSpecs-Apple-design-3D-glasses-watch-films-move.html)12th April 2010
Apple could soon be venturing into the world of 3D, after they filed a patent application for electronic spectacles that would show films on the move.
The head-mounted gadget would have a slot for an Apple iPhone or iPod.
A special 'smart' lens in the device, nicknamed iSpecs by gadget fans, would project the images from the screen so they could be viewed comfortably.
An Apple patent means film fans could soon be watching 3D movies on the go with a special headset rather than at the cinema
The lens would be able to split the image into two different frames creating a 3D effect. This could be used to watch blockbusters such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland.
The application explained the form would allow the user to 'relax while viewing image based content on the head-mounted device because he does not have to hold onto the portable electronic device.'
The gizmo would also be fitted with a camera to stream video from the outside world. Infrared sensors embedded in the frames would detect if anyone approached the wearer, and the real-time video would pop up on a screen inside the glasses.
This would help users feel more at ease wearing the glasses in public.
A microphone and other sensors could be embedded for unique control methods, such as voice control.
The applicatino adds: 'Accelerometers on the head-mounted device and/or the portable electronic device can be used to detect the user's head movements.
'The head-mounted device... can associate a particular head movement with a command for controlling an operating of the head-mounted display system.'
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The patent plans were submitted by Apple in August 2008, but were so outlandish they were dismissed as an April Fool's joke when they were published by the company on April 1.
Now technology bloggers believe the plans are genuine as the US Patent and Technology Office are unlikely to have agreed to be part of a hoax.
Apple has certainly never been afraid of forging into new markets, making waves with both the iPhone and most recently with the iPad.
An Apple spokesman said the company did not comment on patents.
Finally, I can watch 3D movies while driving!
http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/07/22/must-watch-awesome-new-full-length-tron-legacy-trailer/
Jeff Bridges has CG Polar Express face. :(
I was vaguely interested in watching this until I saw that. The CG young Jeff Bridges is such a big misstep. It looks especially ridiculous in the "real world" scene with the kid.
Boo.
This still looks spectacular.
Quote from: modage on July 22, 2010, 02:32:00 PM
Jeff Bridges has CG Polar Express face. :(
Dude, we've known this since the beginning. It was in both previous trailers. The second looked way better than the first and this one looks a great deal better than the second. They work on CG up until the release. They'll probably get it even better by then.
That said, he's supposed to be artificial. He's not who he's supposed to be so him looking unreal fits.
Haters checking out too early should take a deep breath.
He's supposed to be real in the scene with the kid.
I didn't really know that he was going to be CG. I haven't really read too much about the film and I don't recall seeing it in the previous trailers... at least not in such detail.
All the other visuals do look great. But I can't get on board with that CG Jeff thing. Even if they get it better by the film's release, it'll never look real, and with so much interaction with real actors, it's going to be distracting.
New Trailer here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RiUy23e9s)
why didn't they make the faces a modern version of what they did in the past? why we gotta be so sexy these days...
I hear the buzz on this one is not so good.
What a bummer.
Quote from: RegularKarate on November 12, 2010, 02:52:04 PM
I hear the buzz on this one is not so good.
What a bummer.
can you elaborate?
i refuse to believe that it will be TOTAL CRAP cos it just looks so damn good. but i can see some potential hazards..
-the acting of the young dude, who even is he? no one that's who.
-endless fight sequences that may lose the "thrill" of the nascent technology that was being displayed in the original
-lack of internal logic not yet apparent in the trailer.
if it can overcome that last hurdle it should be good, do we know the running time yet? anything over 2hrs and this might suffer from dragging on. at which point we can call it as DOA.
Quote from: P on November 12, 2010, 10:31:15 PM
can you elaborate?
Obviously, it's not much (http://www.badassdigest.com/2010/11/11/whats-the-buzz-skyline-harry-potter-and-tron-legacy?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+badassdigest+%28Badass+Digest+ALL%29&utm_content=Google+Reader), but at Fantastic Fest, there were a lot of people talking about how it was supposed to show there, but the studio lost faith in the movie and wants to avoid bad buzz from advance screenings.
They pulled the Blu-ray release of the original Tron (and you can no longer rent the DVD from Netflix) because they were afraid it would dissuade newer audiences from seeing this one even though this one is a direct sequel that requires knowing about the first film.
Still looking forward to it. Just trying to not get too excited.
Quote from: RegularKarate on November 15, 2010, 11:24:06 AM
They pulled the Blu-ray release of the original Tron (and you can no longer rent the DVD from Netflix) because they were afraid it would dissuade newer audiences from seeing this one even though this one is a direct sequel that requires knowing about the first film.
That could be a problem. Tron came out 28 years ago, and while its been available on video since then, its not like its a perennial classic. I'm sure there are a lot of people who haven't seen Tron. I didn't see it until my first or second year of college, and I only knew about it from that Simpsons episode in which Homer becomes 3D and everyone says "no" when he asked them if they'd seen Tron. Hopefully it works as a standalone film.
I have never seen Tron. I'm kind of interested in this one because it looks cool, but I don't want to pay $16 to watch it in 3-D if it's bad and/or doesn't make sense.
I'm still not clear on what looks good about this movie. Tron was a product of its time, and while a visual feast, it was not a very good movie. Yeah, Daft Punk is cool, but what part of Garret Whodlund playing space frisbee on neon Vespas in a 1980s computer world screams QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE?
I've never made it thru
Tron either; I'd rather sleep or have sex with my girlfriend. I had to send it back to Netflix without having finished it 'cause it was holding up my queue.
I still plan on seeing this. It "looks" better and doesn't
seem too complicated..... :ponder:
Quote from: polkablues on November 15, 2010, 02:29:54 PM
Yeah, Daft Punk is cool, but what part of Garret Whodlund playing space frisbee on neon Vespas in a 1980s computer world screams QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE?
the 3D part???
bah this went the way of bullshit, the original looks better. in the commentary for the original tron the director made a really good point, he states that since the technology was limited at that time it forced them to be creative. like the entire world was created to be a unique vision because they didn't have photorealism with CG at that time. the new movie is building on the aesthetic of something developed with inferior technology, but the irony is the inferior technology created the universe the new one depicts. i would like to see a contemporary movie, with no limitations, try to create the visual palette of something like tron. this kind movie coming out of holywood now is something like 300, which is a fucking lame and safe aesthetic. people always create stuff inspired when they are forced to work in tight parameters.
i can only imagine a director being laughed out of the pitch session by studio execs. He/she sits there trying to pass on an idea of creating a world in which hard core minimalist geometrics, in this case polygons, as the main building block for the mise en scene. good luck.
don't knock tron because, and I'm calling it, anything good in the new film will exist only because the original "looks worse". everything disappointing in the new trailer comes from them modernising the film. no more monochromatic washes on the actor's faces for instance, or the lame leather suits instead of the radiant glowing in the first film. i love how the original film had this digital to analog flicker which creates inconsistencies in the effects. it feels like a film projector running a digital environment.
if you think I'm just being a purest, compare for yourself the original star wars trilogy lightsaber to that of the new trilogy. one hums with light, pulsing because of how they did it and the other is a solid CG animated glow. which do you prefer? tron legacy will be forgotten because it lacks the visionary drive the original had; instead they will focus on "making the original look better" when they could try and push the envelope.
Quote from: socketlevel on November 16, 2010, 04:18:36 PMin the commentary for the original tron the director made a really good point, he states that since the technology was limited at that time it forced them to be creative. like the entire world was created to be a unique vision because they didn't have photorealism with CG at that time.
This is pretty much my beef with all visual effects these days. Back in the day, filmmakers had to be creative to get shit done. Look at guys like Gilliam. Imagine if they just said fuck it, we'll cg it. That would have sucked.
Quote from: Stefen on November 16, 2010, 04:21:03 PM
Quote from: socketlevel on November 16, 2010, 04:18:36 PMin the commentary for the original tron the director made a really good point, he states that since the technology was limited at that time it forced them to be creative. like the entire world was created to be a unique vision because they didn't have photorealism with CG at that time.
This is pretty much my beef with all visual effects these days. Back in the day, filmmakers had to be creative to get shit done. Look at guys like Gilliam. Imagine if they just said fuck it, we'll cg it. That would have sucked.
exactly, and what was gilliams first CG movie? the brothers Grimm... lol. i know that's an isolated example, and story and script are another factor in this case. but speaking strictly in visual aesthetics, I'll take the cardboard/paper mache-esque aesthetic to Brazil over that any day.
This showed at Buttnumbathon and Devin Faraci, a main blogger for Badass Digest ripped it apart in his review plainly titled TRON LEGACY Is Terrible (http://www.badassdigest.com/2010/12/13/review-tron-legacy-is-terrible)
Warning, I had to skip around because of all the plot
SPOILERS. I'll bold the non-spoilery highlights.
QuoteA note to Disney: Before spending hundreds of millions of dollars making and marketing a movie, spend a couple of bucks on the script.
I wish I could have given that advice to Disney before they made Tron: Legacy, a movie that edges right up against being a complete disaster thanks to a sub-moronic script that feels like it was written by people who had never used a computer. And people who just simply can't tell a story.
The film's story is essentially nonsense, which wouldn't be so bad if it were well-crafted or well-told nonsense. Instead the film plays like Tron: Backstory, with huge, interminable chunks of time given over to people explaining to hero Sam Flynn what has been going on in 'The Grid' for the last twenty years. Occasionally this is accompanied by a narrated, visual flashback. It continuously felt like the script was referencing some sort of book tie-in or a TV series I had never heard of, as if all of this backstory was stuff they had to get across to pikers like me, while the real Tron fans were totally in the know about the creation of the ISOs and their destruction and Clu's takeover of the Grid.
The backstory wouldn't have been so bad, even presented as poorly as it is in the film, if it were in the service of anything going on in the film. Unfortunately the film's plot is threadbare, and mostly consists of going from point A to point B and then point C. Nobody has to actually DO anything in Tron: Legacy; mostly they just have to find transportation, which isn't that hard on 'The Grid.'
Sam Flynn is the son of Kevin Flynn – computer genius, one time game grid participant, and CEO of computing giant Encom. Kevin Flynn went missing in 1989, leaving Sam an orphan. The kid grows up to be blank, boring and semi-sullen, or at least that's how the gratingly uncharismatic Garrett Hedlund plays him. Sam likes to live in a shipping box with his dog, give his money to charities and play pranks on Encom, which has turned into Microsoft since the first Tron. None of this matters, though – there's an opening scene set in 1989 that gives us all the info we need and then fifteen or twenty minutes of stuff that has no bearing on the plot or the character of Sam as he is portrayed in 'The Grid.' Every moment with Encom and the real world is a waste of time that leads nowhere and that sets up nothing in this film. This set up of elements that have no impact on the story is repeated again and again in Tron: Legacy, and when it's all said and done it becomes obvious that this is not a film but a prologue for a planned larger franchise.
Through a series of events that are staggeringly uninteresting, non-mysterious and perfunctory, Sam ends up inside 'The Grid,' which is the new world of the computer. He then experiences a 40 minute remake of the original Tron – disc battles, light cycle race – with a 21st century sheen. At this point I was thinking maybe this film would be okay; the updated Disc Wars and light cycle stuff is well done. I especially liked that the light cycles now jump and operate on a multi-level terrain; the grid is see-through so sometimes a bike would be racing on one level and the opponent would be visible racing a level down.
Just as in the original Tron, Flynn escapes the games after crashing through a wall in the light cycle arena. Unlike the original Tron this Flynn is rescued by a mysterious woman program, who takes him off to meet her master – Kevin Flynn. It's at this point that Tron: Legacy simply falls to pieces as a story and begins limping lamely towards the finish line. The original Tron gave Flynn and friends a quest in the world of the computer – Tron was tasked to destroy the MCP. In Legacy the quest is just to get our heroes to a big old portal in the sky and to leave the computer.
This is really, really important in understanding why Tron: Legacy is bad. In the original Tron there were stakes that went beyond the computer world. Dillinger had stolen the good guy's code and his MCP was fucking up the system. The action in the computer wasn't just flashy video game analogues, it was also about solving a problem that could only be solved in the computer world. The computer world impacted the real world. In Tron: Legacy the whole point is to just get out of the computer and essentially turn it off. That's it. It turns out that Clu, the evil program version of Jeff Bridges who is running 'The Grid,' wants to bring an army of programs into the real world but this is a complete non-threat because the basic concept doesn't make any sense. Even if we accept that the matter to create physical bodies for this army can be accrued, what would even a few thousand guys wielding useless computer game staffs and frisbees do in the real world?
There's another stab at giving stakes in the creation of the ISOs – these are ill-defined digital lifeforms that, we are told, could revolutionize medicine and religion and other junk in the real world. How? Please do not ask this, as Tron: Legacy has absolutely no idea and nobody involved in the dismal script seems to have given it any thought. Or maybe they completely know and they only want to answer it in movie 5 of the giant franchise they foolishly thought they were starting. Either way, there's an idea that something in the computer could have an impact in the real world, but that something is unknown, unknowable and mostly uninteresting. It's not even a MacGuffin because the movie is barely interested in the ISOs.
So what we have is a movie without any stakes; the characters simply have to get from Flynn's house to the portal and that is it. There are no items they have to collect or people they have to rescue. And since this movie introduces light jets, there's no reason they can't simply fly to the portal and get out of Dodge. Seemingly sensing this, the writers create one obstacle to escape which only highlights how idiotic this movie and how it has no rules within the computer world: every program has an identity disc, and Kevin Flynn's disc is the most valuable one. As the creator of 'The Grid,' his disc contains the keys to the computer world and can be used to do... something. It's unclear, but it's a pretty huge deal. And so of course Flynn almost never, ever uses this disc to do anything. Until he accidentally loses it; at this point regaining the disc doesn't even become a quest object but rather a thing that the characters do at the end because they happen to run across the disc again. Why do they not pursue the disc? Because their plan is to just fly to the portal and turn the fucking computer off, really highlighting how completely unimportant everything in the computer world is. 'They got the superweapon? Eh, we're going to turn off the game in a minute anyway. No biggie.' The fact that they actually DO try and get the disc back makes no sense in the larger construct of the story, actually.
Let's not pretend that the original Tron is all that great. The original is fairly boring and is probably only remembered because the aesthetic is so unique. But the original Tron felt like a movie that was grappling with the concepts of the burgeoning world of computers, and while there's a lot in that's silly now – the idea of being bodily sucked into a computer is beyond goofy – that 1982 film was made by people who were thinking about computers and how they worked. The religious belief in Users was a brilliant conceit, and the world felt constructed based on at least a passing familiarity with the ideas of computing. There is no feeling of that in Tron: Legacy. In the first Tron programs were programs – they had functions in the computer. In Tron: Legacy programs are just what you call the characters. In Tron the computer world was a digital landscape completely unlike anything we've ever seen before. In Tron: Legacy there are wooden doors with brass doorknobs. In Tron being a User meant something, and Flynn discovered he had some special abilities in the computer. In Tron: Legacy the creator of 'The Grid' can manipulate the code of the world and people around him at will but never bothers doing so. This feels especially galling after The Matrix, where mainstream movies encountered the common sense idea that a person who has access to the code of a computer simulation could use that access to do impressive things – to basically hack reality. And in the year 2010 the idea that there's no global connective element to this computer world is weird and old-fashioned. In a time when we deal with little specialized apps and our computers are hand held, the computing of Tron: Legacy feels prehistoric and silly.
Oh, and the original Tron had a character named Tron. That title was always misleading, as Tron was never the lead character of that film, but he doesn't even appear in Tron: Legacy* except in one quick flashback.
I think the film's massive story problems are insurmountable, but they could have been endurable if there was any character work happening in the movie. At some point Brad Bird and Michael Arndt came in to punch up the script and to give some weight to the father/son storyline. They failed. There's a nice scene between the two Flynns as they sit around on a light sailer (just like the first movie), but that's about it. The performances don't help. Olivia Wilde, who has been singled out for praise by people obviously only talking about her looks and not her acting, has no character to play. She does some action, she looks good and she delivers some tortured exposition, and that's it. Sam Flynn is a blank, and I cannot overstate how simply bland and empty Hedlund is. Kevin Flynn is just The Dude wearing neon; it's nice seeing Bridges have what looks like an enjoyable time, but he's competing with himself in theaters right now. You can see him acting in True Grit and collecting a paycheck in Tron: Legacy. His other character, Clu, is a stock villain. There's nothing to hang on to in the film except for the effects and design.
Neither of which were enough for me. I found the look of Tron: Legacy to be monotonous after a while. You're staring at a black light poster for an hour and a half, and director Joe Kosinski simply doesn't have the vision to ever truly dazzle. 'The Grid' looks like a neon city. The see-through aspects of the world are interesting for a while, but become just a part of the scenery. There's no sense of scope or scale to the world of 'The Grid,' and nothing gives a sense of awe. He shoots some decent action in the first half of the film, but what he's doing is amping up stuff from the original movie. Once the film delivers its only original action sequence – a dogfight between light jets – he goes slack. With no template to copy from (except Star Wars), Kosinski doesn't know what to do with the scene. It's not bad, it's just not particularly thrilling. Interestingly, Tron: Legacy is really, really light on action. Most of the action takes place right up front in the game grid and then the film tries to put you to sleep with exposition. This is a problem the original had as well.
The effects are, for the most part, decent, but the only one that pushes the envelope is the one that fails utterly. Clu is Jeff Bridges' digital avatar in the computer world and as such he has never aged. A CGI mask was created for Bridges to take 25 years off of him, but it frankly looks awful. Every time Clu was on screen I kept thinking of Polar Express; the face is lifeless, the mouth moves wrong and the eyes are dead. It's incredibly bad, and it's the final nail in the film's coffin. If you're spending this much money on a film, can't you at least do your big gee-whiz effect well?
I cannot recommend Tron: Legacy on any level. I suppose hardcore fans of the original will enjoy hearing talk of Users and Programs, but even they will have to admit that this is a film lacking any spark of imagination. It's remarkable how boring the movie is and how listless the pacing is. A movie like Tron: Legacy could get away with a script as stupid as the one it has if the movie crackled, if any of the actors popped or if any of the action scenes felt truly next level or groundbreaking. There's none of that here. There's nothing that truly qualifies as entertaining in the movie, which is probably the biggest sin a huge blockbuster like this can commit. If you can't be good, Tron: Legacy, you should at least be fun.
I'm still planning on seeing this movie, but after everything I've heard in the past few months, my expectations have lowered significantly.
This had a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes earlier this week. Today it has 49%. I'm just going to pretend that this movie doesn't exist and that Daft Punk released a new album called Tron: Legacy - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
It's terrible. CGI Jeff Bridges is laughably distracting.
I still haven't seen Avatar. This just looked cool, I didn't care if it got low ratings, just to finally experience 3-D and hearing Daft Punk at the cinema would be great...but I didn't expect this bad of reviews...so maybe I won't.
True Grit next now probably, unless Black Swan spreads wider.
from my blog (http://modage.tumblr.com/post/2379684398/tron-legacy):
Visually impressive but dramatically inert. I've never seen the original Tron, but I've heard it fares about the same. I knew from the first trailer I saw for Tron: Legacy that I was going to see it, whatever the reviews. Just because it looks so cool. And as a strictly audio/visual experience, it delivers. There are a handful of moments when the Daft Punk score kicks in that are just cinematic joy. But after spending 90 min in Tron-world, it does begin to get a little tiresome.
The lead, Garrett Hedlund, is in the Sam Worthington mold of "heroes" that are a complete dramatic void. He's not bad, he's just not given enough to do, and doesn't have the charisma to do more with less. I thought a lot about Avatar while watching this and that film seems to check off all it's dramatic moments like any formulaic blockbuster should. This film seems to miss them all completely. Given the choice between the two, I think I prefer something more experimental and interesting like this film. But I doubt the general public will agree.
I had prepared myself for it to be bad, but it was BAD!!!!
It's as if the trailer for this came out as a solo-piece and some studio-exec said "We need to make a movie out of this!" and then totally failed.
The movie ends up being like the CG version of Jeff Bridges' face. When you get a quick glimpse at it the first time, you're like "Wow, that's great", but once you get up close and start seeing it move around, its flaws are so visible that it makes your stomach turn a little.
SCRIPT: This is the worst thing about the movie. There's nothing to hold onto. The only thing you can really care about is him finding his dad and that's over and done with pretty quickly. The rest of the movie never really lets you know why you should care what happens... and the dialog feels like a bad cliched 90s movie.
VISUALS: So, the design is "neat". The trailer kind of covers everything that's really impressive design-wise though. Once you get past how cool the light-cycles and disc-wars are, all that's left is a bunch of dudes in ill-fitting jump-suits lined with neon tubing, a plastic city, and some end-of-2001 wannabe set design.
I thought the CGI face would get better than what we saw in the trailers with time, but it's actually WORSE in the movie. The profile shots are laughably bad and they seem to insist on using them.
ACTING: The lead... this kid is a ZERO! His eyebrows go all the way to his ears and he has no charisma. Jeff Bridges phones it in and the girls just sit and look hot.
I get the feeling that Joseph Kosinski is good at making stuff look cool, but once you add any kind of human element (actors, dialog, etc...) he just can't handle it. It's too bad too. I was about to say, I'll give him another chance to redeem himself, but I just read that he might be doing "The Black Hole" next... another Disney remake. Welcome to the end, Mr. Kosinski.
It's fun to read over the five pages of this thread now and see the wave of expectation rise and diminish.
Quote from: RegularKarate on December 20, 2010, 11:54:14 AM
ACTING: The lead... this kid is a ZERO! His eyebrows go all the way to his ears and he has no charisma. Jeff Bridges phones it in and the girls just sit and look hot.
Is this guy the new Sam Worthington? Is there some rule that if you make an expensive blockbuster, you must cast a no-name lead with the charisma of a lamp post?
It never ceases to amaze me how eagerly people allow themselves to be duped. I know there are some exceptions to the rule, but really, a remake or a new sequel to an old franchise is like driving a tank onto thin ice.
Quote from: Ghostboy on December 17, 2010, 03:19:16 PM
It's terrible. CGI Jeff Bridges is laughably distracting.
This is so true.
I saw it on Sunday in non-Imax "digital" 3D or whatever the hell they're calling it these days. Avatar had been the first 3D movie I'd seen since Freddy's Dead. I still have my Freddy 3D glasses! Anyway, I don't remember Avatar having near as many 2D scenes as Legacy did. If I'm only getting 50% 3D, shouldn't I pay 50% less the added ticket cost? This movie is basically a two hour music video. That's all you really need to know. I thought it was a shame the ISO back-story wasn't fleshed out further in act 2. It had potential until Daft Punk cut in again. If you're a sci-fi junkie who enjoys electronic music, you'll probably give it a B- for the visuals (apart from CGI Jeff Bridges) alone. Otherwise stay away.
Edit: One more thing. Anyone else notice how DARK the 2D scenes appear when you have 3D glasses on? Really ruined what composition was there.
i can't believe this kind of shit gets made.
there was nothing cool about this movie, in fact, it took a lot of cool things (daft punk, michael sheen, parametric design, jeff bridges) and turned them into the most sterile stuff on earth. god, i wish there was a way to have the equivalent of a mouthwash for my eyes just to get rid of michael sheen's grin. for once, i understood what normal people find unappealing about sci-fi and felt ashamed of considering myself a geek. when 'clu' is talking to that army of ISOs... that thing that rk posted is so right. why bother? why not kill clu and come back to save good old jeff bridges!
it must be the hardest thing in the world to make a good blockbuster.
The alternate ending that I wish I had the means to shoot:
Clu and his army DO make it out of the game and into the real world. Clu takes one evil look at his army and says "Let's ride" and he takes that staff that turns into a light-cycle and runs into the street, jumps into the air prepared to mount his light-cycle and crashes into the pavement face first because LIGHT CYCLES DON'T WORK IN THE REAL WORLD!
Then the cops show up and the army just throws plastic Frisbees at them and the cops shoot them.
DAFT PUNK MUSIC
Quote from: cronopio 2 on January 04, 2011, 08:19:00 PMit must be the hardest thing in the world to make a good blockbuster movie.
Fixed.