Just returned from my local Tron Night screening, and I must say, I think Disney’s done a great job getting people geared up for Tron Legacy so far! But before I get into why I think Disney’s got a hit on their hands, I’ll explain in great detail what I saw tonight. Basically, the footage shown is similar to something press members in NYC saw last month. However, this is a good thing, since the scenes Disney selected for them (and, in turn, us Tron Night participants) were REALLY well done.
The first clip shown wasn’t in 3D, surprisingly. It was explained in the beginning in a message by director Joseph Kosinski that, a la the Wizard of Oz, that the beginning of the movie would be in 2D and the rest would be in 3D. We first see Sam Flynn having a discussion with none other than Alan Bradley, who reveals that he got a page from Sam’s dad’s old arcade (basically an extended version of the exchange from the teaser trailer). Sam ultimately decides to pay the arcade a visit, ultimately getting more than he bargains for when he discovers Kevin Flynn’s secret workshop and is zapped by the digitization laser (which we still don’t get to see the actual effect of! Grrr….).
The scene that follows kicks the 3D effects into high gear with a shot of a massive Recognizer coming down RIGHT IN THE AUDIENCE FACES! I almost fell out of my seat in surprise when that happened. This particular scene is what most of use who were at San Diego Comic-Con and Disney California Adventure’s ElecTRONica (and leaked on Youtube if you look hard enough) have seen many times already: Sam is captured by Clu’s goons and is set up for the games. Otherwise, nothing to see here. Moving right along to scene #3 is where we get to the new bits of footage, beginning with Sam’s first battle in the Disk Wars arena. Sam ultimately wins (of course), but the 2 things to note about this scene are how good the 3D effects are in terms of the new derez effect AND the confirmation of the audience participation recording from this year’s panel at SDCC being incorporated into the film after all! So for those of you who were at that panel and hear the crowd in the film start chanting “DISK WARS! DISK WARS!”, consider yourself an extra in Tron Legacy!
Next comes a quick chase scene where Quorra and Sam escape to the safehouse (again, shown in the trailers), but then comes the final scene. They saved the best for last with this one: Sam’s reunion with his father. It’s a very emotional and well-written scene. We can see how Kevin Flynn has changed since the last movie, and Sam is clearly overjoyed to finally see his dad again after so many years. Overall, a GREAT scene that sets the tone for how awesome this movie’s going to be (plus, a cameo of Flynn’s old lightcycle!)
Overall, the screening was a big success, and I’m fully convinced that Disney’s got a hit on their hands. I apologize in advance in my summary’s not as massively detailed as the ones on Latino Review or other sites (I’m a little tired as I’m writing this), but I can easily say that I DID have a fun time and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the movie. Look for my reviews of the upcoming soundtrack to the movie and the Flynn Lives viral marketing overall.
Hear Dan’s roundtable interview with the writers of Tron Legacy here. Tron Legacy opens in theaters on December 17th.