The Ultimate TRON: Legacy Post
We are just hours away from the U.S. premiere of TRON: Legacy. Five years ago, who would believe we would ever see a TRON sequel, and yet, here we are.
We've brought together the best TRON-related videos/links below so you can quell that TRON fever all in one place. (And we've omitted reviews: why ruin the fun?)
IN REAL LIFE
While we're waiting for the premiere here in the states, TRON had its red carpet premiere in London last week. Couldn't make it? There's a stream for that:
Disney has gone all-in on this movie. To prove it, a nightly "street party" is held at the California Adventure theme park, next to Disneyland. "ElecTRONica" (see what they did there) has a cool atmosphere, and an even cooler live one-man show that has to be seen to be believed. Oh sure, it starts out simple enough, but before long, you will be amazed by... Laserman!
THE APPS
Surprisingly, the official TRON:Legacy iPhone game initially did not have light cycles. Instead, you piloted a tank on a quest to not only vanquish your enemies, but also lead your team to glory. Three teams battle for supremacy. Will you join the underdogs? Fortunately Disney saw the error of their ways (or was it the plan all along?) and now light cycles are part of the game as well. Although, I personally prefer the light cycle play in the unofficial LightRiders app.
Speaking of unofficial apps, if you're a TRON trivia buff, you might want to give the aptly named Tron Trivia a spin.
Additionally, there's an official tie-in game from Coke Zero called LiveCycle. LiveCycle brings TRON into your world, as you move around here in "meatspace" to create Light Walls and unlock achievements. Users have grumbled at needing to login using facebook to play, which is understandable (and a change is coming, at least for the single player mode) but once you get past that, it's a really cool concept.
THE MUSIC
Daft Punk is responsible for the soundtrack to the latest version of TRON. You can order it here, or preview 21 minutes. For me, it's a bit too repetitive, even by electronic music standards. That said, the version of 'Derezzed' released with video (below) really hits the sweet spot with the incorporation of the 8-bit arcade sounds. And the hybrid style of the original film and the sequel is sweet:
THE TOYS
Has there ever been a $300 million movie that didn't have plenty of toys to go along with it? I don't think so. TRON brings some cool new touches to the world of action figures and toys. First, some of the figures have suits that light up when you press a button. Don't expect the full TRON look here: just a few squares on the chest light up. The fun twist comes from another line of action figures that have tiny "projected," or light-impulse faces inside their helmets. Oh, and don't forget the zero-gravity lightcycle:
Or if you're more of the DIY sort, here's a craft/project for the whole family: the TRON ring toss game.
THE INTERVIEWS
Jeff Bridges gives a quick Q & A on his role in TRON. Our friends at Wired have a great article on the film, and
here's an audio interview with Olivia Wilde shortly after she watched the final cut of the film for the first time. What's that? You'd like to see her as well? I can't imagine why, but here's her interview from back at Comic-Con which seems ages ago in the TRON universe:
And lest he be forgotten, here's Fandango's interview with TRON:Legacy star Garrett Hedlund at Comic-Con:
THE ORIGINAL
Disney seems to have done their best to bury the original TRON. It's unusual to base a sequel on a movie that you barely acknowledge exists. Finding a copy of the film on DVD is nearly impossible, at least in new shape. (Although this is what we found at Amazon) and it's been so long, many might not be familiar with the original. Here's a look at the original trailer to get you up to speed:
And the first time around, it wasn't some electronic music duo providing the soundtrack. No sir, it was the London Philharmonic Orchestra. You get pick up/preview the original soundtrack here on iTunes.
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