Tron: Ares takes us back into the neon-soaked digital world of The Grid, where programs glow, motorbikes defy gravity, and apparently, AIs now… take deep breaths? Jared Leto stars as Ares, a sentient program who suddenly decides he’s tired of following his code and wants to rebel. The problem? We have absolutely no idea why — and neither, it seems, does the script.
Jared Leto’s Ares is the kind of AI you’d unplug just to get some peace. He’s stiff, bland, and one-dimensional — which is saying a lot for a character literally written to be one-dimensional. One moment he’s loyal code, the next he’s “down with the system,” and the transition is as random as a Windows update mid-boss fight.
Evan Peters, on the other hand, is the film’s saving grace. As the erratic, power-drunk CEO running the show, he gives us something to cling to. He’s got the manic energy, the layered ambition, and a spark of genuine unpredictability. Basically, he’s the only one who remembered he was in a Tron movie and not a corporate training video.
Arturo Castro does solid work as comic relief, injecting brief moments of levity into an otherwise lifeless film. Beyond that, the rest of the cast may as well be background programs.
Visually, Tron: Ares delivers what you’d expect — a light show so clean it could pass a Disney hygiene inspection. The CGI is crisp, the light cycles glide smoother than ever, and every pixel practically hums with digital perfection.
The fight choreography? Slick. Some sequences genuinely wow, especially the hand-to-hand combat paired with neon trails — but don’t get too excited. You’ve already seen the best bits in the trailer.
And then there’s the soundtrack. Nine Inch Nails absolutely cooked with this one — electrifying synths, pulsing beats, and industrial textures that make you wish the movie matched the music’s energy.
Cinematography is polished, but too often it feels like it’s trying to distract us from the hollow storytelling — like slapping a high-end filter over a blurry selfie.
Fun fact: Jared Leto stayed in character the entire shoot, insisting everyone call him “Ares.” Jeff Bridges reportedly ignored this, saying since his character created the Grid, he could call Leto whatever he wanted. Honestly, that might be the most heroic act in the whole movie.
Somehow, Disney keeps finding new ways to crash the Tron system. The story is paper-thin, the pacing rushed, and the emotional stakes nonexistent. There’s no character development, no sense of purpose — just a string of cool visuals connected by dialogue so awkward it makes your Siri conversations sound natural.
At one point, we’re told escaping the Grid is impossible. Minutes later, they casually discover a portal hidden inside the same old shop from the original movie — in the middle of a fight scene. No setup. No logic. Just vibes.
And those “vibes” are drowned by cringe dialogue like, “Programs, get ready to fight!” Seriously, who approved that line?
The film tries to cash in on nostalgia by bringing Jeff Bridges back and revisiting the 80s Grid aesthetic, but it feels forced — a pixel-perfect postcard with no emotional upload behind it.
In the end, Tron: Ares shines on the surface but crashes hard beneath it. The visual spectacle can’t mask the emptiness of its code. It’s a film so focused on looking cool that it forgets to be cool.
Watch it on streaming when it lands — which, let’s be real, will be soon. The visuals and soundtrack are worth a background play, but paying for a cinema ticket? That’s a hard logout. Here’s hoping the inevitable sequel patches these bugs once and for all.
