Tron: Ares: A saga unable to overcome the trauma of its own past (**)

Any conversation that begins with "the book was better" starts badly. It's definitely wrong that the only comment one is capable of making about a film is that, unlike the interlocutor, the astute commentator has in fact read a book. And it's wrong because, in truth, and under the guise of a considered and cultured judgment, nothing is being said. Something can be worse without necessarily being entirely wrong, or it can be better without that making it necessarily good. And so on. Something similar happens with comments about sequels. It's wrong that the first thing that comes to mind about Tron: Ares is that, like its predecessor , Tron: Legacy, it's not comparable to the surprising original written in 1982 by Steven Lisberger with music by Wendy Carlos. Nothing can compare with what time has transformed into a resplendently dark, disturbing, and joyful cinematic event. The problem is that it's the film itself (that is, the sequel in question) that tells us that. Indeed, Tron: Ares runs across the screen like a delightful entertainment full of action and catchphrases until, at one point, it stops and the film itself tells us loud and clear: "The original, dear viewers, was much better. Go see it if you haven't seen it, or go see it again if you've forgotten." It's true.

Joachim Rønning, previously known for making things (yes, things) like the latest and forgettable Pirates of the Caribbean installment and Maleficent , now applies his director's manual to everything without the slightest intention of upsetting anyone about the Tron saga. It's a conservative sign of the times. Disney extends the franchise with the same spirit that Mercadona uses to stock up on its Hacendado products. The idea is that we trust the brand and buy (or go to the movies) without looking. And the truth is, it all works. Action scenes unfold at a pace that's as perfectly predictable as it is entertaining, accompanied by visual effects that aren't original but are very effective. It's about modernizing the original in that rare balance between recognition and innovation. And Rønning, without a doubt, delivers. But, as we said, at a certain point and without warning, the film suddenly recreates the 1980s movie, and, mistake, the trompe l'oeil is evident. Suddenly, everything falls apart, and neither Jeff Bridges' charisma is comparable to Jared Leto's (at least here), nor is the original rotoscoping replaceable by more refined CGI. Bad.

And then, honestly, the script doesn't help. To get our bearings, the film spends its time recounting the unparalleled battle between the CEOs of two tech companies. Unlike in reality, here one of them is a woman (Greta Lee). And, furthermore, she doesn't flaunt a Nazi salute, or have a dick-shaped rocket ship (sorry), or champion masculinity. I mean, if such a unicorn existed, we wouldn't have seen it at Trump's coronation. In fact, the lady is so rare among her species that, mind you, she wants the best for humanity. The villain (Evan Peters) wants to turn the indestructible video game characters into real-life soldiers and thus enrich himself. In contrast, the being of light intends for the inexhaustible life of the virtual world to serve to end the problem of energy, resource scarcity, and even homelessness. Remember, the crux of Tron was always the permeable border, thanks to hacker Kevin Flynn (Bridges), between the two worlds on either side of the screen. The fact that we shamelessly assume that the important decisions in this world are the domain of wealthy businessmen is problematic. It's not that it isn't true, and that it hasn't always been that way, but even blockbusters used to show a little modesty and have Superman keep up appearances and fight on the side of democracy. Forget it. That's a thing of the past. Long live evil, long live capital.

What follows, as has already been said, is as exuberant as it is excusable. And, let's admit it, also enjoyable. The light cycles remain hypnotic, and the candy barriers they form in their wake are a bit squinty. And so it goes until the film itself, not someone who happened to be passing by, reminds us, in what is meant to be a nostalgic and fatal nod, that, we've arrived, "the original was better." And that said, beware of hidden macros.

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Directed by Joachim Rønning. Starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj. Running Time : 119 minutes. Nationality : United States.