Tron: Ares (12A)

Neon dreams and digital chaos collide as the line between human and program grows ever thinner.

Disney is still trying to make Tron a big deal. Nearly four decades after Steven Lisberger’s 1982 original, a film that underwhelmed at the box office but built a massive cult following, the studio is back with a third entry. Tron: Legacy (2010) had stunning visual direction and a fantastic Daft Punk soundtrack but, again, didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Yet Disney presses on, diving once again into the cybernetic world of the Grid.

This time, Eve Kim (Greta Lee), a Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disciple, searches for his legendary Permanence Code, a key to bringing digital creations fully into the real world. Her rival, Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), and the unpredictable Master Control program Ares (Jared Leto) complicate her mission, leading to a moderately wild ride of neon-lit chaos and destruction.

The film dazzles on a visual level, aided by a pulsing Nine Inch Nails score, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that Disney keeps trying to kickstart a franchise that few truly need. Still, it’s a vibrant, entertaining trip.