After the idea was introduced that Tom’s Father was calling to him from beyond, I started to think about the father/son themes in Tron: Legacy. It wasn’t long before I transposed that exploration over to The Empire Strikes Back. Thus, a sci-fi mash-up was born. I hope you like it.
I went a little gonzo with the double-sized comic. Mostly because I knew there was no way I could fit all of it into four panels. Or, more accurately, inside the digital same real estate my average comic takes up.
So I went for broke. Decided to do a larger comic. Of course that meant the comic was a little bit late. But when you think about it, you’re kind of getting two comics this week instead of one. So that shakes out, right?
Working on this strip last night, I definitely had a sense that I had bitten off more than I could chew. But I could see the goal line on the horizon. I knew even if the joke didn’t go over, I would at least be happy with the results. Visually, the comic is pretty much everything I envisioned – and that’s a pretty satisfying feeling.
I haven’t yet managed to see Tron: Legacy yet, but monitoring the response to it on Twitter this weekend was interesting. Reactions seem to be split into two camps – people who thought the plot and dialogue was stupid while appreciating the special effects and everyone else who seemed to say “C’mon, guys! Tron: Legacy wasn’t THAT bad!”
An airtight argument to be sure.
It sounds like there’s enough about Tron: Legacy to admire from an effects standpoint, but I’ve also hear that if you’re not a tech geek, it can kind of leave you cold. I’m not worried. Tron: Legacy looks like it fits directly in my wheelhouse.
I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to see the film. A friend of mine wants to organize a “guys night out” with a bunch of friends to go check it out together. With the holidays in the way, it might be a while before I’ll finally get my chance.
Here’s something I haven’t heard people talking about… the 3D. Seems like Disney was push Tron: Legacy in 3D and IMAX pretty hard, but I’ve not heard anyone’s opinions about it.
I’m kind of against the idea of seeing it in 3D. Aside from the glowing suits, the film already looks dimly lit. Why do I want to throw on a pair of 3D glasses and drop the brightness on the picture another 20%?
If you saw Tron: Legacy in 3D, what was your take? Worth it or not?
That’s all for me. Feel free to leave your comments below. If you liked today’s double-comic, click that little Facebook “Like” button to the lower right. I’d appreciate it.
Cheers!
Only what you take with you.
Tom, I AM your father!
NOOOOO!
ssssssssssssssssss
Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh!
AAAIIIGGGHH!
So, wait. That means light discs AREN'T real?
DAMMIT!
Still not interested in Tron, but YAY STAR WARS.
I saw the film in 3D. Special Effects and Music were excellent, story was OK.
I wasn’t impressed about the 3D though. I don’t think it adds to the movie. I thought the same about Avatar too – I’d be just as happy to see them in 2D…
I thought the 3D was actually worthwhile for once. Added a bit to the overall feel of the themes. among other things, since the 3D doesn’t really start until after they get inside the computer, it echoed Wizard of Oz. Mind you, the wierd Star Wars and Big Lebowski references were a little off, but still, I felt I got my money’s worth out of the show.
The 3-d was pretty good. But it was used so rarely that it’s honestly not worth the extra money. The effects otherwise were good, and the movie was entertaining enough.
Tron Legacy bullet points:
1) The special effects (light cycles!!!!!!!!) and overall attention to detail throughout the film (even outside) are amazing, and top notch.
2) The story and dialogue are slow, boring, and non intelligent. There is one intelligent scene in the entire movie with actual character, and of course its the one in the “nightclub” with the Daft Punk cameo.
3) Daft Punk rock. The soundtrack is second only to the effects.
4) The 3D was useless in my opinion. I also think it made the effects less impressive, because you’re never blinded by the strong light sources amongst the dark world. Avatar, and any other film with a strong POV flying scene is worth the 3D. This IMHO is not.
Sidenote. Nice Star Wars mash up and overall comic quality! š
Maybe I’ll be in minority here, but I thought the 3-D was well worth it.
I do think it added to the effect of the action scenes, be they the game scenes or the pursuit scenes. It also helped visually seperate the background and flashback scenes, most of which were displayed in 2D even in the 3D version.
Even still, seeing it on an IMAX screen made more of an impression than the 3-D. There were times when it felt like you could actually *feel* what was going on thanks to the bassy sound effects. the dialogue wasn’t great, but the action was really well-done, and I left wanting more of it. That’s probably a good thing since there are a few loose ends left when the movie ends (including a cameo that I did not see coming…).
So, I guess you could say I’m looking forward to the inevitable sequel. š
I saw TRON: Legacy in IMAX 3D, and I thought it definitely added to the movie, although I don’t think it would suffer much being in 2D.
None of the 3D is the annoying, in-your-face kind, and I did think it was a nice addition in some shots — especially since the computer environment is so other-worldly — it was nice to get some perspective on the environment.
And the 3D really helped the world feel “real” and “present” — a really good thing when the environment is already so foreign and slick. And frankly, I think the 3D was worth including for the end credit design alone. š
I totally second Michael on the bassy sound effects making you feel part of the action! Very awesome. Don’t know if that’s only related to the IMAX experience or if that’s the case in standard theatres as well.
Regardless of whether you’re seeing in in IMAX or 3D though, for goodness sakes, get thyself to a digital-projection and -sound theatre even if you have to drive an hour or more to get there!! This is a movie where it will make a big difference.
Enjoy it when you get a chance to see it, Tom!
Take my opinion with a grain of salt, though — I don’t usually care if a movie is in 3D or not, and I don’t notice the dimness much.
In context with the original movie, I thought it was a good continuation of the story. The main motivation of the bad guy was a little cheesy. I have to agree with a friend of mine who said they should have gone a bit more Matrix at the end, especially with Flynn’s finishing move.
The 3-D was seamless, and I thought added to the overall look of the film. To me it did not detract from the film or give it a gimmicky feel.
Overall, it was worth my time to see this in the theater with my geek friends.
At the beginning of the film there’s a disclaimer: “Some of this movie is in 3D, some of it isn’t. This was intentional, leave your gorram 3D glasses on, you ADD fruitcakes.”
As soon as I saw this I said to myself “Oh! They’re going for a Wizard of Oz effect. That’s a pretty awesome and inventive use of the medium.” And sure enough, as soon as Sam enters the computer, it goes from 2D to 3D. That right there is Major points for the creators. It made the transition a notable and major part of the story, as opposed to just another transition scene.
Once in, the 3D adds a lot to the landscape scenes (of which there are many) but doesn’t really change the scenes in which things actually happen. There are only two classic ‘OMG big thing coming out of the screen at you blink reflex is go” moments that made me flinch, which is about standard for a 3D film that’s any good whatsoever (The new Alice also had 2-3 of them).
–Minor spoilers–
At the end, when Sam exits the computer, the movie is still in 3D, showing how his growth and time in the machine has effected his perceived world. This was a classic example of using the medium to convey a message that left me smiling at an ending that otherwise tended to fall flat.
–Spoilers End–
tl;dr: It’s worth a few more bucks, see it in 3D
I think the only time the 3D really impressed me was the first time we see the Grid, as the “real world” stuff is mostly 2D, so they used it as a transitional tool. The story is solid and multi-layered. Your concern about the film being extra dark in 3D is well-founded, though. Things can get a bit murky. But is it worth seeing in IMAX? Absolutely.
Tron Legacy was a fine enough movie, but totally skippable in 3-D. First off, most of the movie wasn’t even shot in 3-D. And when there are 3-D moments, you don’t even really notice them.
If given the option, I would have seen this flick in 2D. I didn’t get anything extra from the 3D experience other than ears that hurt afterwards from having to support the weight of the rediculously bulky Dolby 3D glasses and my prescription pair. The glasses are supposedly “better”, but I missed the Rayban Wayfarer-esque ones they’ve been handing out since this whole 3D crazy hit again. For someone that has to already wear glasses, the Dolby ones just aren’t much fun. Other than the weight issue I mentioned, the lenses are incredibly small compared to the old Real D glasses. I don’t know if these glasses were widely distributed for this film, or if it was just my theater.