Movie Project - Day 45: Tron (1982)

I have officially run out of excuses not to do another blog post. My back has recovered to the point that I can get around without my brace, I have recovered from my cold, and most importantly, I have a new job! I'm going to get back on the New Year's resolution bandwagon, and try to post something every day, whether it be a movie project or a Bite a time review. I'll have to revisit the Bite at a Time movies, because I actually talk to my coworkers during lunch now! Eh, I'll figure something out.

Back to the subject at hand, the 1982 cult classic, computer assisted Disney film Tron. To be honest, I did things a little backwards and showed her Tron:Legacy before watching the original with her. Add that to my running list of other parental mistakes.

To my amazement, she sat through the entire movie. I'm happy to say my little girl enjoyed this nostalgic marvel, but I'm not sure why she was so entranced. I would love to watch it again with her, but everytime I suggest it, she insists on watching Tron:Legacy instead.

One moment that I watched three times - once by myself, twice to call Caitlin's attention what I saw, and the third time was due to Rini's request to see it again - was when Tron and Flynn meet up again on the Solar Sailor. There is a wide shot where there is a "hidden Mickey" in the background. It takes up the entire background, so you have to be watching for it, but once you see it, it's hard to miss!

One key difference between Tron and its sequel is the floating little character known as "Bit." While it only ever says yes or no, Rini thought it was quite cute! She hasn't been mimicking the lines like she does with other movies, but it brought a smile to her face when the character came on screen.

Yet, she might have just been excited about the Recognizer, which is one of the scenes where the Bit appears. Rini did enjoy the Lightcycles, but she thought it was hilarious when Flynn was running into walls and columns with the recognizer. I'll admit, the sound effects did add an over the top comedic vibe.

For its day, Tron was a breakthrough in computer animation. It didn't have the most engaging story, yet with this movie, it wasn't trying to be a movie to be remembered for the captivating dialogue or character depth. Tron catered to the geek community from the Ring Game down to the "Gort Klattu Barada Nikto" banner in Alan Bradley's cubicle. It was a milestone in computer graphic design and has provided fuel for the creative fires of current CG artists, including John Lasseter.

Does that mean we're going to be watching Tron again in the near future? Not until Rini gets her fill of Tron:Legacy.

It might be a while.