October 10, 2025

When viewed as a techno-action sci-fi movie, "Tron: Ares" excels in all the essential areas. It's slick, exciting, has a rocking soundtrack that never makes you want to stop bopping your head, and contains some measurable, albeit standard, emotional moments. However, when taken as a "Tron" property, which now includes movies, novels, and comic books, all of which have historically strived to incorporate intelligence as well as captivating visuals, "Ares" seems to settle and shortchange itself. It contains an easy-to-digest, good vs evil plot; traditional character developments; and the usual assortment of "Tron" action sequences in and out of the Grid—namely Light Cycle chases and Identity Disc throwing. I suspect die-hard fans of the franchise will derive enough pleasure out of "Ares" while not being overly enthusiastic about its offerings, whereas more casual viewers will be sufficiently entertained for two hours.