Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. TRON: Legacy

10 Things That Must Be In Tron Legacy

Features
By James White published 28 July 2009

What the sequel needs to honour - and avoid...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Disc Battles

Disc Battles

While the original featured a little digi-gladiator action, the new film promises even more.

Legacy director Joseph Kosinski showed off concept art at Comic-Con that boasted a huge arena with shifting game grids that slide and combine as players are de-rezzed and knocked out, until only two are left to battle it out.

It's like a moving, live-action version of a tournament bracket - and the battles need to feel as vicious and visceral as they did in the original movie.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Light Cycles

Light Cycles

Come on, like they weren't going to feature possibly the most iconic vehicles in CG cinema history?

If the evidence of the concept art and the teaser (see it here ) is anything to go by, the designers have done the smart thing: building on the originals and making them cooler and more 21st century (jumps, jinks, curves).

We'll get to see both a second-generation bike belonging to Jeff Bridges' Flynn and a fifth-generation vehicle, as well as off-"road", four-wheeled vehicles.

The Maze must return, too!

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Bruce Boxleitner

Bruce Boxleitner

The man who played Tron himself (and Alan Bradley, his human-world creator) is a definite must for the new film.

And - spoiler alert! - it looks like the filmmakers for Legacy are indeed planning to honour the idea.

While there's no clear word on how much screen-time Bruce gets in the new movie, we definitely heard Boxtleitner's voice in the scene from Legacy played at Comic-Con.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
A Return To Flynn's Arcade

A Return To Flynn's Arcade

Kevin Flynn's (Jeff Bridges) '80s hangout - a bleeping neon, gaming cathedral crammed with kids and soundtracked by a rockin' jukebox - is one of the most important locations in the original, so surely there's a nod?

Again with the spoiler alert! The scene we were shown in San Diego sees Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn turning up at a dark and dusty Flynn's, only to kick the jukebox into gear and light up the machines.

Damned impressive. The '80s kid in us hopes the movie will kick off a second wave of 'amusement' arcade culture - 2010 is pretty much the 25th anniversary of the coin-op crash.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
A David Warner Cameo

A David Warner Cameo

While Sark, MCP and Dillinger (all played by Warner in the original) were defeated or jailed, and it's unlikely that the new movie will feature a return from any of them, we'd love to see Warner involved in some way, even if it's just a vocal cameo.

The man is a genre legend and he's a big part of why the original is so much fun.

So far, the signs are good, with the producers clearly keen to focus on a progressive upgrade while smartly referencing everything that made the original great.

If they can find room for Boxleitner, they can find room for Warner. End of line.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is the huge, complicated-looking laser that deconstructs Kevin Flynn in the original and transmits him into the computer and onto the game grid.

While the laser's manufacturers - the evil ENCOM company - looks to be making an appearance in the film (according to spy snaps from the streets of Vancouver) we're hoping it's Shiva that Sam Flynn uses to dive into the world of Tron.

Probably a good idea to upgrade that block-by-block, '80s music video-style disintegration/materialisation CGI, though.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Easy On The Dance Belts

Easy On The Dance Belts

The Tron uniforms became legendary costume party options.

One man became an internet star by designing and building his own.

But we hope the concept art/footage is played out and the producers have seriously updated the unflattering looks of the suits.

Nostalgia is all very nice, but the leotard look just wouldn't cut it today. Unless they're secretly making a spoof...

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
An Updated Tech Score

An Updated Tech Score

The future-noir pop-synth score (created for the original by Wendy Carlos) is one of the original movie's defining features. So we really hope the sequel honours it.

The producers are certainly going the right way - hiring Daft Punk (confirmed Tron fans themselves who cite the film as an inspiration for their look) to compose fresh tracks for the movie.

They've apparently already penned 24 songs for the soundtrack.

Be nice to see them crop up in in a cameo, maybe in robo-suited Electroma guise...

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
No 'Re-Imagining' Of The Original

No 'Re-Imagining' Of The Original

Too many movies take the original idea from an older film and try to twist it into something new and relevant to current culture.

Here's hoping the Tron Legacy team are aware that this rarely works and just pisses off fans of the original pics - who, 'fanboy' sneers aside, are the crowd who will push the flick from cult hit to mainstream smash.

Thankfully, everything that we saw at Comic-Con points towards Legacy being a proper sequel that keeps the first movie's plot intact and uses it as a jumping off point to tell a new story.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Better Female Characters

Better Female Characters

Don't get us wrong - we love the original Tron with a passion.

But it's very much a boys-and-toys film, with Cindy Morgan's Lora/Yori serving as little more than window dressing or token damsel-in-distress.

To avoid alienating half their potential audience, the producers need to focus more on counterbalancing the tech and testosterone.

With luck, Legacy female lead Olivia Wilde (above) will get a lot more to do (we hear she's been gifted with a few high-kicking action scenes).

What are your hopes and fears for Tron Legacy? Speak below!

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
James White
Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine. 

Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Latest in Action Movies
Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Kathleen Kennedy has "no regrets" over Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
 
 
Batman
James Gunn gives disappointing update on the DCU Batman movie: "Screenplay isn't finished"
 
 
Joker: Folie a Deux
Warner Bros. chiefs give Joker 2 "immense props" for not repeating itself like most sequels
 
 
Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
It's Barbenheimer 2.0 for Robert Downey Jr. as he jokes about Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 releasing on the same day
 
 
Simu Liu in Shang-Chi
Marvel fans are trying to work out why the MCU hasn't given us a Shang-Chi 2 yet, after watching "charismatic" Simu Liu in new thriller series
 
 
Chris Evans as Cap in the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer
Avengers: Doomsday's latest trailer has a suspicious amount of empty space – and fans think it's hiding a major spoiler
 
 
Latest in Features
Baldur's Gate 3 Drunken Master Monk in the House of Hope screenshot
Baldur's Gate 3 reveals Larian's commitment to perfecting its RPG recipe
 
 
Drywall Eating Simulator
Art imitates life, so I'm munching through walls while an AI chatbot tells me to buy a gun in Drywall Eating Simulator
 
 
The poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with a close-up of Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
25 years later, and I'm fully convinced there'll never be a greater adaptation than The Lord of the Rings trilogy
 
 
Key art for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 showing a Blood Raven Space Marine in front of a montage of other factions including orks, necrons, and the adeptus mechanicus - with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame branding
Dawn of War 4 has its sights set on "gameplay that feels authentic to the fantasy of each faction" in Warhammer 40k
 
 
Key art from Cliver Barker's Hellraiser: Revival showing Pinhead holding the Genesis Configuration while lightning crackles from it against a background of dark smog, cropped for a header image with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame
Hellraiser: Revival has such sights to show you, but "most of them pretty visceral and gruesome"
 
 
Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
28 Years Later 3 release date speculation, cast, news, and everything we else we know
 
 
  1. Origin Story box and cards laid out on a wooden surface
    1
    Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for
  2. 2
    Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
  3. 3
    Scythe review: "This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy"
  4. 4
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  5. 5
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  1. Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
    1
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  2. 2
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  3. 3
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  4. 4
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  5. 5
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  1. Holly Hunter as Captain Ake in Starfleet Academy.
    1
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  2. 2
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  3. 3
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
  5. 5
    Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...