Apologies for the late comic today. I’m getting into a unusual habit where I am doing more than my requite four panels and adding a ton of effects and emotion to my comics lately.

This would not normally be considered a problem if I were able to plan somewhat in advance and produce the comic on time. But I’ve definitely been playing catch-up lately. Sorry about that.

The good news about today’s delayed comic is that you get to hear my opinion about Tron: Legacy! I finally had a chance to see the film Monday night with some friends and I’m still kind of… processing it (see what I did there?)

I know I’m a little behind the curve, since the movie came out last week. But it’s been interesting monitoring the reaction to it online. The general consensus is that the film is amazing to look at, but light on plot. I’m inclined to agree, but I wasn’t really bothered by the deficiencies in the storyline.

Maybe it was a case of managed expectations, but when compared to a similar feast for the eyes that was light on plot like James Cameron’s Avatar, I was far less disappointed.

If I could make one complaint, the first act of the movie establishes that Jeff Bridges’s character discovers something inside “The Grid” that would change every idea mankind ever had about science, medicine or religion. Once Bridges’s discovery is revealed, the Earth-shattering ramifications aren’t really explored.

I think it’s because the filmmakers would rather have us extrapolate the meaning of his discovery, but I would have preferred a little more discussion around it. I really think it would have helped anchor the story and raised the stakes in terms of why this discovery was worth defending. Instead, it feels a little bit tacked on.

And I guess if I could make one additional complaint, it would have to be about Jeff Bridges’s performance. Basically, he channeling a digital version of The Dude from The Big Lebowski. Trapped inside The Grid for over 20 years, Bridges’s contemporary take on Kevin Flynn has him adopting Zen principles and an odd delight in calling everyone “man.” For me, it comes off as a little too colloquial and flippant. Again, it diminishes the stakes.

But, truthfully, these are petty squabbles. Like I said before, the plot deficiencies in no way subtract from the overall experience Tron: Legacy brings to the screen. The visuals are astounding. Even Bridges’s rubbery, digitized performance as his younger self has an odd allure.

It easy to see why Disney didn’t promote Tron: Legacy with a re-release of the original Tron on blu-ray. The visuals Joseph Kosinski’s film blow the original out of the water. While there are several clever references to the original film, this sequel is an entirely different beast.

I ended up seeing the film in 3D and I don’t know that it particularly added anything to the experience. I don’t think I felt any more or less “immersed” in the world of Tron than I would have if I had watched it in 2D. Frankly, that’s a compliment toward Kosinski’s direction. I felt like I was leaning into the film the whole time. Despite being somewhat dreary, Tron is a place I wouldn’t mind inhabiting for a while!

One more thing I’ll say… there was a lot of hype around Daft Punk providing the soundtrack to this movie. It seemed like a natural fit and something that fans could get excited about. I bought the soundtrack before the movie came out and it left me a little cold. I was hoping for a little more funk and a little less orchestration.

I can say now that I’ve watched the movie, the context for the soundtrack has been completely re-contextualized for me. It is much better than I originally gave it credit for because I was too busy focusing on what I wanted it to be instead of enjoying it for what it was. If you enjoy soundtracks, I strongly encourage you to pick it up. Great stuff.

I’ve run out of things to say about Tron: Legacy, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed it greatly and leave it at that. I have designs to see True Grit sometime in the near future. Although Cami has been trying to pull together a date night so we can see The King’s Speech. Truthfully, I’m good either way. It’s a win-win! But we’ll see what happens.

Thanks for your patience with today’s comic. If you have additional thoughts about Tron: Legacy, feel free to leave them in the comments. See you in 2011!