IN CASE OF FIRE: BREAK GLASS

Way back in 1982, Walt Disney Studios released a film called simply “Tron,” which proved to be a revelation. It was the first movie to extensively use computer-generated imagery, or CGI. And it paved the way for a revolution in movie-making, especially anything hinting at science fiction.

The story involved a computer programmer played by Jeff Bridges who believed his former employer, ENCOM, had stolen his ideas for a video game and in the course of trying to prove his claim is digitized and transported into a computer realm called The Grid.

The Grid is a vast and empty space guarded by Tron, a security program played by Bruce Boxleitner. But a Master Programmer, Tron’s evil superior, rules all, and Bridges, in league with Boxleitner, battle against the digital villain using futuristic transports called “light cycles” and lethal disc-shaped weapons that act like boomerangs.

Despite the hype and eye-popping visuals, the movie was a box office disappointment. But over the years, it became a cult classic. So much so, that 15 years ago, Disney released a sequel called “Tron: Legacy.” It was a handsome visual upgrade, helped in no small measure by a score created by electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos, who was also responsible for the score for the Kubrick cult film “A Clockwork Orange.”

Now here we are in 2025, presented with yet another sequel, “Tron: Ares.” To say it is a feast for the eyes is an understatement. If “Tron” was creatively a Model T, “Ares” is a Lamborghini. And that’s apparent right out of the gate. Even the Disney logo has been stylized and digitized like never before.

This second sequel, with an aggressive score by Trent Reznor of “Nine Inch Nails,” is, in my opinion, the most artistically impressive film of the year. Director Joachim Ronning has chosen to move the digitized characters outdoors, which allows for real-world thrills. I say it was a smart move after the somewhat claustrophobic action of the first two films.

In this update, there are two competing video game rivals, one of which, ENCOM, is lorded over by a young, reckless and unscrupulous CEO named Julian Dillinger, played by Evan Peters. However, he is not totally in charge because his mother, played by Gillian Anderson, is also both his conscience and his boss.

And she begins to worry when her son’s ambition overshadows their relationship with the company’s board of directors. However, Julian is determined to take down his rival, Eve Kim, played by actress Greta Lee. And he orders his Master Control Programmer named Ares, played by Jared Leto, to use any means necessary to accomplish that goal.

But what Dillinger doesn’t realize is that Ares is slowly developing a moral compass, finding himself increasingly at odds with his megalomaniac superior.

At the core of the story is the search for a Holy Grail, a computer code that fixes a vexing problem wherein Ares and others like him, disintegrate after 28 minutes. Eve wins the race to first discover the Permanence Code and the race is on.

In the end, we learn that The Permanence Code is actually impermanent and maybe there’s joy in realizing what a thrill it is to be human and yet vulnerable to the ravages of time.