This weekend saw the release of TRON: Legacy, a sequel the the cult film TRON from 1982.

TRON did not become the blockbuster hit that Disney had hoped for in 1982 and so the film was relegated to home video when that appeared in the market. There TRON found a following and has become something of a cult hit.

Now twenty-eight years later Disney has released a big-budget sequel to the sleeper cult hit. There are those who have called this a remake but that is simply and categorically wrong. TRON: Legacy builds on the story laid down in the TRON. Surprisingly you do not need to have seen TRON to understand the story of TRON: Legacy. The screenwriters and filmmakers have done a pretty decent job of crafting a story that can be followed by people new the TRON universe and one that can be enjoyed by the fans of the original TRON.

There are those who would consider this film a science-fiction film, but I approach it as a fantasy. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of computers can see that the terabytes and terabytes of data and processing that would be required for such a real-time environment is simply beyond anything close to existing in our world. So if you are a computer literate person I would suggest that you leave your specialized knowledge in the lobby and accept TRON as fantasy and allegory.

This story is simple. Sam Flynn, orphaned at a young age, discovers a clue that his father may not have died or abandoned him. He seeks out this clue and ends up in a  realm of fantastic imagery and dangers, both for Sam and for our world at large. Sam must learn to navigate this new and threatening world with a bewildering array of allies and enemies. During the course of the adventure Sam learns about forgiveness and the dangers of arrogance.

My friend Bear and I saw this film during the matinee show this morning and we both enjoyed ourselves. The story moved along, the characters were convincing, and once the ground rules were established the world of the story behaved in a consistent and logical fashion. The 3-D effect was well used to portray the world of the computer-grid and the director resisted the temptation top thrust items repeatedly at the audience. (Though I will say that this film will play perfectly fine in2-D.)

Bear commented on what appeared to be fairly obvious Christian symbology in the film, and his argument for it is not a weak one. However, I think it could be taken too far. I cannot discuss the weakness and the Christian allegory without giving out too many spoilers. What is central to Christian theology, the sacrifice to wash away another’s sins is missing and so I do not think this was a direct Christian allegory.

This is a movie worth watching in the theaters, particularly if you were a fan of the first film.