Return to Tron

Growing up, I was lucky to be part of the legendary 80s/90s cyber movie trend. Johnny Mnemonic, Lawnmower Man, Robocop and the Running Man were all standout movies that I still love to this day. But, one movie has always stood above the rest...Tron. Tron opened a door in my imagination that has lead to my interest in computers and my passion for cyperpunk fantasy stories for my tabletop gaming groups. Tron had such a profound impact on my childhood that, as an adult, I named my black lab Tron in honor of the movie. So, let's take a moment and get transported back into the cyber movies of the past and talk about the legendary Tron.

1982's Tron was produced by Disney, staring Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner. It follows a programmer named Kevin Flynn (Bridges). Flynn loses his job for the tech company ENCOM. He attempts to hack back into ENCOM's system to prove that the CEO of the company had stolen some of Flynn's programs and passed them off as his own. The CEO activates an AI control program, called the MCP, to monitor the system and block hackers...So far, Tron may not sound

like anything special, but hold onto your seats. After breaking into ENCOM, Flynn begins interacting with the MCP via a computer terminal. Unbeknownst to him, the MCP activates an experimental laser system and uses it to digitize Flynn's body and upload him into the digital space of the MCP. A world called the Grid.

The Recognizer

Flynn appears in a visually striking environment representing cyberspace where programs walk around with the appearance of the people that wrote their code. The MCP's protective measures have cut off the programs from their human users, creating a crisis among the programs. This story creates a powerful allegory for religion in the our world. The programs of the Grid believed in the power of the users as their creators. The MCP's unquestionable control disconnected the creations from their creators. Flynn partners up with a protector program named Tron and together they set out to crash the MCP and restore freedom to the grid. Along their journey, Flynn realizes he can use his programming knowledge to effect things constructed on the Grid. These acts appear to be miracles to the programs. When the MCP cut the programs off from the users, it also began crushing the programs belief in the users. This further builds the allegory to religion as the time the programs spend cut off and fed misinformation leads to a loss of belief in the user's existence. Flynn's actions using knowledge of programming to effect the Grid are viewed as miracles to the programs and begin to restore belief in the power of the users.

1st Generation Light Cycles

The climax of the adventure sees Flynn and Tron faceoff with the avatar of the MCP. Through teamwork the two heroes manage to crash and deactivate the MCP before Flynn is transported back to the physical world. Flynn receives proof of his victory in the form of a document proving the CEO's guilt, now unlocked, coming out of a printer nearby. The story ends with the CEO being removed and possibly facing arrest for his actions and Flynn being named as the new CEO of ENCOM. What a perfectly Disney ending to a wonderful adventure story. But, hidden not so deep under it's surface, a thought provoking premise concerning control, freedom, and the meaning of faith. Much like it's relative, The Matrix, Tron is packed full of philosophical ideas about our reality; all lined up waiting for curious minds to ponder.

Tron was produced in the early years of CGI. Considered one of the first major motion pictures to rely on fully CGI sequences of its caliber. From the desaturated filming with iconic lighting effects, the disc fight sequences, the light cycle races, and the brilliantly designed curser ships called Recognizers; Tron is a feast for nostalgic eyes! To this day, those neon colors on a desaturated will always send me down memory lane back to Tron. But, soaring above all the characters, effects, and story...the Tron soundtrack is legendary! A glorious marriage of retro futuristic tones and high soaring adventure melodies. Nothing gets my nostalgia senses tingling quite like the Tron soundtrack. It's one of those albums that when if slips into my random playlist, if I hear it I have to go watch it. It's like some kind of 80's movie witchcraft.

Identity Disc

So, if you're like me, and I'd bet you are, retro tech movies scratch a very persistent itch that they alone are capable of reaching. So, if you grew up watching this iconic movie, I would encourage you to hop on Disney+ and give it another watch. It it truly a masterpiece of early CGI and a feast for the mind for children as well as thoughtful nostalgia nerds. I keep my copy of Tron next to other gems such as the Neverending Story, The Last Starfighter and The Explorers. All fantastic Alice-in-Wonderland-stories that have never failed to put smiles on my children's faces. Tron is a masterclass of multileveled story telling and retro special effects...Now, if only there was a sequel..."cough, cough, Tron Legacy" So, until we meet again, never let your nostalgia fade and always Game On!