We keep failing the Tron franchise.
Okay, so I just got out of Tron: Ares, the long-awaited follow-up to Tron: Legacy. A sequel about 15 years in the making, and honestly? It’s better than I expected. My expectations were pretty low going in — partly because of Jared Leto — but color me surprised: the movie isn’t bad. In fact, it’s kind of good.
Let me back up for a second, though, because my love for Tron: Legacy runs deep. That movie, which dropped back in 2010, was way ahead of its time. I still think the first 45 minutes of Legacy are pure perfection — the visuals, the world-building, that Daft Punk score that’s easily one of the best ever made. Joseph Kosinski knew exactly what he was doing, and the film still holds up today as one of the slickest, most immersive blockbusters of the 2010s. I walked out of Legacy back then thinking, “That movie ripped,” even though it didn’t do great at the box office. Since then, it’s become a cult classic, and honestly, if it released today, people would lose their minds over it.
So when Tron: Ares was announced, I was excited but skeptical. We all knew it was going to look awesome and sound awesome — that’s basically baked into the DNA of Tron — but we also knew we’d have to deal with Jared Leto as the lead. And look, he didn’t ruin this movie. In fact, he’s… pretty good? His robotic, detached acting style actually works for this character, which is not something I thought I’d ever say.
The film picks up after the events of Tron: Legacy. The Dillingers — now represented by Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson — are once again at odds with ENCOM, led by Greta Lee. It’s classic Tron good-versus-evil corporate warfare: the Dillingers want to use the technology for military purposes, while ENCOM is pushing for humanitarian applications — things like medicine and agriculture. Evan Peters’ character creates Ares, played by Jared Leto, as a kind of “master commander” program, but of course, Ares begins to question his purpose and the morality of his creators, setting off the central conflict of the film.
And when the movie leans into the Tron stuff — the light cycles, the disc battles, the sleek, glowing world of the Grid — it absolutely sings. Those are the moments where Ares captures the same energy that made Legacy so rewatchable.
Visually, the film delivers exactly what you’d expect from the franchise: it’s eye-catching, immersive, and beautiful. Director Joachim Rønning (of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales fame) isn’t quite Joseph Kosinski, but he steps in and does a solid job keeping the world of Tron alive. You can tell Disney threw some serious money at this, and it shows.
One of the real highlights, though, is Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena. She’s basically the main antagonist within the Grid — a fierce, commanding presence who used to be an ally of Ares before the two find themselves at odds. She brings a ton of energy and charisma to the role, and every time she’s on screen, the movie feels alive. She’s a total badass — sleek, powerful, and layered — and I’d love to see her in more big projects after this. She nails that mix of elegance and danger that fits perfectly in the Tron universe.
Where the movie falters, though, is in how overstuffed it feels. One of the reasons Tron: Legacy worked so well was because it focused on a small set of characters and let the world itself breathe. Ares brings in too many human sidekicks who barely register — they’re background noise more than anything. It also spends a surprising amount of time in the real world, which just doesn’t have the same magic. You find yourself waiting for the movie to jump back into the Grid, where everything feels alive and electric again.
As for the cast, Greta Lee is solid, Evan Peters is fun, and Jeff Bridges shows up for a quick but satisfying appearance that ties things back to the earlier films. I just wish they’d connected it more deeply to Legacy throughout, not just in the final moments. There’s even a post-credits scene that hints at another sequel — though based on how it’s performing at the box office, I’m not sure we’ll ever get there.
And of course, we need to talk about the music. With Daft Punk gone, Nine Inch Nails takes over the score, and they absolutely crush it. It’s not the same vibe — Daft Punk’s work on Legacy is untouchable — but this soundtrack is powerful, moody, and propulsive. It gives Ares its heartbeat. Honestly, the music kept me engaged even through the slower stretches. It’s that good.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people don’t really appreciate Tron movies until years later. Legacy didn’t get its flowers until long after it left theaters, and I think Ares might follow the same path. It’s not perfect — it’s got some pacing issues, too many humans, and a little too much Disney gloss — but at its core, it’s still Tron: stylish, bold, and pulsing with life and sound.
So yeah — Tron: Ares didn’t blow me away, but it definitely didn’t disappoint either. It’s a worthy return to the Grid, and it reminded me just how cool this universe still is.
Tron: Ares = 60/100
