Over the weekend, I saw Tron: Ares starring Jared Leto. I know a lot of people dislike the guy and blame him for the downfall of several franchises over the years. To be completely honest, while I’ve heard all the rumors about his method acting and how he behaves on set, I’ve also seen his TikToks and other clips that show him as a genuine, good person. That being said, you have to separate the artist from the real person. I never really care what an actor or actress does in their personal life.
So with that out of the way, what did I think of the film? I actually thought it was spectacular. To be fair, I’m not the biggest Tron fan out there. The last time I watched the original film was probably 15 years ago. I saw Tron: Legacy about two years ago for the first time. I didn’t watch it when it came out in theaters—not because I wasn’t interested, but because it just wasn’t on my radar at the time. 2010 was a very different time for me.
So What Did I Think?
I think Tron: Ares did a great job exploring the same question Legacy raised: what would happen if a program entered the real world without the permanence code humans have? Before writing this article, I rewatched Legacy to refresh my memory. I wanted to make sure that the themes and terminology used in Ares were actually expanding on ideas from before. I didn’t feel like I needed to rewatch the original Tron, since Legacy did a great job retelling the main story.
What Is Tron?
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For those who’ve never watched Tron and are wondering if they should see Ares, here’s a quick summary.
The story follows a programmer named Kevin Flynn, who owns an arcade and develops a virtual world full of programs called The Grid. I’m leaving out a lot of details, but essentially, he’s pulled into this digital world. Inside, every being is a program that carries a disc used as a weapon. Tron was one of the first films to rely heavily on computer graphics.
It’s dated by today’s standards and kind of hard to watch now, but that’s something Ares handles well. It modernizes the visual world while staying true to the charm and concept of the original. Even after not seeing the first film in over a decade, I found myself saying, “Wow.”
In short, there’s a program named Tron helps Kevin fight for the users and escape back to the real world.
In Tron: Legacy, we learn that Kevin re-entered The Grid and became trapped after creating a program in his own image named Clu. Clu’s goal was to create the perfect world, but like most AI stories, he took it too far.
We also learn about ISOs, programs with living wills, essentially artificial intelligence that became self-aware. They weren’t created by users but appeared spontaneously within The Grid. Clu wiped out nearly all of them, except one, whom Kevin protected far from the city.
Why Is All This Important?
It matters because the plot of Legacy centers on Clu’s desire to get Kevin’s disc so he can use it to enter the real world and build his utopia.
In Ares, the story picks up years later. Two rival companies have spent the last 15 years developing new technology. One wants to use it for natural resources, like creating trees, while the other wants to use it for military applications. Just one problem, they need the code so that the programs can stay longer than about 29 minutes, after which they are deleted from the real world and respawn back in the Grid. Answering the question, what happens to a program that enters the real world.
From that conflict, a new Grid is created, and with it, a new master program named Ares—played by Jared Leto. Honestly, I think he does a fantastic job portraying a soulless yet charming and funny AI program.
It’s Not a Perfect Film
Let me be honest, this movie isn’t Oscar material, whatever that means anymore. It’s not going to change cinema or make a billion dollars. But it does tell an engaging story where you actually care about most of the characters.
Even though I knew how the movie would end, it’s pretty predictable, I was still invested. That’s the sign of a solid film. If you can get invested in the main character and their journey, whether it’s a hero’s journey or something smaller, the movie has succeeded. Tron: Ares does that.
A lot of people dislike Jared Leto because of Morbius or his version of the Joker in Suicide Squad. People call him a “franchise killer.” But let’s be real, no single actor can destroy an entire franchise. Sure, sometimes an actor or actress can make things worse, but most of the time, it’s not their fault.
It’s Not Always Their Fault
Take Brie Larson as an example. I think she’s a solid actress and physically fits the role of Captain Marvel. She has the talent and range to handle that character’s complicated story, but she wasn’t given strong scripts to work with.
Because of fan backlash, her role in Endgame was heavily reduced. Her political beliefs and outspoken nature caused controversy, and people couldn’t separate the artist from the person. That negativity carried over, and her next movie was hurt by a weak script and poor editing. She still did well in her role, but it just wasn’t a great film overall.
The same logic applies to Jared Leto. I actually liked Morbius for what it was. He did a great job as the title character, and the way they showed his powers was visually interesting. You can’t fault him for poor direction, a weak script, or bad marketing.
My Conclusion
Overall, I’d give Tron: Ares a solid 9 out of 10.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that when I see a new movie, I usually post my rating in my story and continue sharing updates through the weekend. That gives my followers an early idea of my thoughts before I release my full article on Mondays, or at least I try to.
I also avoided heavy spoilers here because I genuinely want people to go see this movie. Even if you’re not a Tron fan, it gives you enough backstory to understand the world while teasing possible future installments.
I just hope Disney doesn’t get cold feet again. They reportedly planned a sequel after Legacy, but after Tomorrowland bombed at the box office, Disney canceled the project even though it had already been greenlit.
If they had continued after Legacy, we might have had more Tron films by now. Some fans think Tron was Disney’s attempt to create their own Star Wars. When they later bought Star Wars, Tron was pushed aside.
That’s just speculation, of course.
I’d love to know what you think of Tron: Ares. Did it meet your expectations? I went in with low expectations myself, but it impressed me enough to make me revisit the older films and even check out Tron: Uprising. Unfortunately, that series was canceled, but it’s still a great addition to the franchise.
In the end, Tron: Ares made me excited about this world again, and that alone makes it a success in my book.
Until next time.
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