Mixed first reactions to Tron: Ares praise the sci-fi sequel's "stunning" visuals but criticize "vapid and inept storytelling" and "nostalgic pandering"

News
By published

Tron: Ares has earned some mixed first reactions

Jared Leto as Ares in Tron: Ares
(Image credit: Disney)

The first reactions are in Tron: Ares after the sci-fi sequel's world premiere in LA last night (October 6) – but critics are seriously mixed on the new movie.

The threequel comes 15 years after 2010's Tron: Legacy and takes the action off the Grid and into the real world via Jared Leto's supersoldier AI, Ares. The cast also includes Greta Lee as new ENCOM CEO Eve Kim, Jodie Turner-Smith as Ares' second-in-command Athena, and Evan Peters as rival tech CEO Julian Dillinger.

"TRON: ARES is an audio & visual feast. It's unfortunate that the rest of the film is just okay," echoed InSession Film's Megan Loucks. "A clunky & uneven script leads to awkward humor & repetitive plot points. Greta Lee & Jodie Turner-Smith are standouts. Solid grid action but doesn’t hit the highs of its predecessors."

"Tron Ares is visually stunning and has some of the best 3D I’ve seen in a decade (outside of the Avatar films)," wrote SlashFilm's Peter Sciretta. "That said the movie’s plot is extremely dumb, and I just didn’t care about any of the characters. If after that reaction you still want to see it, IMAX 3D is a must."

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.