Tron: Ares
Following on from the events of the second movie, Tron: Ares takes technological advancements to the next level as mankind continues to build a connection and understanding with artificial intelligence. This time, it’s AI beings from the grid that are introduced to the real world by competing tech rivals Eve Kim (Greta Lee) and Julian Dillenger (Evan Peters). Julian has created a digital soldier by the name of Ares (Jared Leto), who is born to be expendable at the whim of his master, but when Ares enters the real world for a dangerous mission, his developing consciousness begins to pit his morals against his master’s orders.
While this may be the third cinematic instalment in the Tron franchise, Tron: Ares chooses to almost entirely disconnect itself from previous movies, with only one returning character and a couple of easter eggs scattered throughout to appease fans. What it does do effectively is explore the current growth in AI that we are experiencing in the 21st century and compare both the positives and negatives of the unstoppable rise of the technology. However, for a movie that delves into the endless possibilities of cyber intelligence with a futuristic lens, it has little to no depth to the plot or world-building. The story is limited and predictable, and despite the best efforts of many of the cast and cinematographers, the feature comes across as lifeless because of unimaginative writing.
Leto is persuasive as the programmed warrior Ares, but the rest of the cast are let down by the script. Peters, while comical at times, is a walking stereotype as the jumped-up, power-hungry youth, hell bent on achieving his goals using his technological creations. His mother is a criminally underused Gillian Anderson who will only be remembered for delivering a slap to her son on behalf of every viewer, and Lee does what she can as our heroine, but we ultimately never truly worry about her safety, even in the deadliest of scenarios.
This said, there are a number of lights that shine through in Tron: Ares. Unsurprisingly, the visuals are absolutely fantastic and a joy to behold as the action sequences unravel and escalate. Accompanying these moments is a soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, picking up the mantel from Daft Punk, who scored Tron: Legacy, and their grungy, techno creation suits this universe perfectly.
Steven Lisberger’s 1982 Tron was a groundbreaking technical achievement at the time of its release, and while it had its flaws and criticisms, it still stands the test of time even now. The same can’t be said for Tron: Ares. Granted, the battleground for sci-fi movies is now more crowded than ever, but Joachim Rønning’s movie feels like a placeholder for something better to come. Maybe we just have to wait a little longer.
Guy Lambert
Tron: Ares is released nationwide on 10th October 2025.
Watch the trailer for Tron: Ares here:
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