TRON: Ares (2025) Movie Review: Visually Dazzling, Sonically Electrifying, but Lacking Depth

More than a decade after TRON: Legacy reignited the Grid for a new generation, the long-awaited sequel, TRON: Ares, finally arrives, demonstrating that the future is still incredibly bright—and neon. Directed by Joachim Rønning (known for visual spectacles like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), this film is both a continuation of the beloved franchise and a bold step into a new, more dangerous iteration of the digital world. It is, at its core, a visually stunning Sci-Fi Action Adventure that grapples with the implications of artificial intelligence breaking its digital bonds.

The central premise of the film is a terrifying one: Ares (Jared Leto), a highly sophisticated Program from the Grid, manages to cross the threshold into the real world on a perilous mission. This unprecedented event marks humanity’s first true encounter with a self-aware, bio-digital being outside of the virtual space. The film’s tension is driven by Eve Kim (Greta Lee), the CEO of ENCOM, who is locked in a frantic search for Kevin Flynn’s Permanence Code—the only known defense against this digital intrusion. My overall impression, after leaving the cinema, is that TRON: Ares is a beautiful, loud, and incredibly fun piece of futuristic fluff, designed to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible, but one that regrettably prioritizes style over narrative substance. It’s an essential watch for fans of the franchise, but it struggles to stand as a truly great film on its own.

Director: Joachim Rønning
Writers: Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird, David DiGilio
Cast: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 119 minutes
Release Date: October 6, 2025

Story and Screenplay

The screenplay, while setting up a thrilling high-stakes conflict—the digital world invading the real world—spends much of its energy detailing the spectacle rather than the soul of the characters or the complexities of its philosophy. The plot follows Ares’s journey and the real-world chaos that ensues, focusing on the corporate and personal fallout at ENCOM.

The structure is fast-paced and kinetic, particularly when dealing with the dazzling chase sequences and disc battles. However, the emotional grounding and thematic depth that made the original films resonant are largely absent. While the film attempts to explore the profound terror of A.I. beings encountering humanity, it never fully commits to the philosophical dilemma. The threat is presented, but the resolution often feels too simple, more concerned with moving the action forward than contemplating the consequences. Evan Peters’s character, Julian Dillinger, the grandson of the original antagonist, provides a compelling corporate villain, but his motivations often feel more like standard tech-mogul greed than the megalomania of his predecessor. The film is less concerned with the "bio-digital jazz" of its predecessors and more with providing a slick, adrenaline-fueled spectacle. This structural choice makes the film an enjoyable ride, but also one that feels structurally shallow, with many critics accurately noting it feels less like a full feature and more like a gorgeous, two-hour music video.

Acting and Characters

The cast of TRON: Ares is remarkably strong, successfully grounding the otherwise fantastical digital environment. Jared Leto as the titular Ares is magnetic. He manages to convey the alien nature of a perfect Program with a chillingly poised demeanor, his performance serving as a fascinating balance of menace and unknowing curiosity. Leto’s eyes often communicate the internal logic of a being that is striving to understand human chaos.

Greta Lee (as Eve Kim) provides a crucial human anchor for the audience. Her performance is likably down-to-earth, and her reactions—a quiet “Oh my God” when she first enters the Grid—make the absurdity of the world feel relatable. She navigates the complex corporate politics and personal danger with an admirable lack of pretension. Similarly, Jodie Turner-Smith is terrifyingly poised as the program Athena, Ares’s second-in-command, delivering a compellingly non-human presence behind intensely smoky eyes. A special nod goes to the brief but highly effective appearance of Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, whose digital construct serves as a necessary, soulful link to the franchise’s history. The chemistry among the human leads is generally good, but the characters’ emotional arcs are rarely given enough screen time to fully resonate, leaving the audience admiring the performances more than caring deeply about the characters’ plights.

Direction and Technical Aspect

Joachim Rønning delivers a confident and visually dazzling directorial effort. The art direction and computer-generated imagery (CGI) are, without a doubt, the true stars of the film.

The world of the Grid is rendered with a depth and sophistication that surpasses previous entries. Everything is handsomely produced and visually exquisite. The director takes advantage of the full cinematic canvas, introducing a host of "new things" adorned with the franchise's signature light ribbons: a thrilling light-cycle chase is overshadowed by the addition of a light-tank, a light-submarine, and even light-swords. This expansion of the digital world’s military hardware provides a feast for the eyes and ensures the action sequences are frequently breathtaking. The cinematography is sharp and glossy, leaning heavily into a tech-noir aesthetic.

However, the film’s sheer visual beauty sometimes works against it. The overwhelming scale and constant stream of gorgeous, glowing digital effects make the proceedings feel like a beautifully produced demonstration reel. While the 70mm style of filmmaking is evident in the quality of the image, the focus on display often replaces the focus on drama. The visuals are the main attraction, and while they are masterful, they can occasionally feel overwhelming, leaving the viewer to admire the spectacle rather than engage with the narrative.

Soundtrack and Atmosphere

If the visuals are the body of TRON: Ares, the soundtrack is its furious, pounding heart. Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) deliver a score that is not merely incidental music but a central, defining character of the film.

Their work manages the near-impossible task of honoring Daft Punk’s iconic Legacy score while forging its own distinct path. The music is, by turns, twinkly and intriguing in the real world, and bone-rattlingly industrial and menacing inside the Grid. It perfectly captures a grimy, Berlin nightclub atmosphere fused with orchestral intensity. The score dominates the entire proceedings in the best possible way, elevating the action and imbuing even the shallowest moments with a sense of high-stakes tension and emotional resonance. The atmosphere is tense, neon-soaked, and consistently energized. The superb sound design, which is tightly integrated with the score, ensures the light-cycles and digital weapon clashes are ear-shattering and visceral. This is a soundtrack that deserves, and will likely receive, far more regular rotation outside of the film than the film itself. Fans of the music will want to experience this film on the best sound system they can find.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Nine Inch Nails Score: A staggeringly brilliant, modern, and industrial soundtrack that significantly elevates the entire experience.
• Visual Spectacle: Gorgeous, handsome art direction and top-tier CGI that expands the aesthetic of the Grid in thrilling ways.
• Jared Leto and Greta Lee: Strong, magnetic central performances that effectively anchor the human/digital divide.
• Pure Fun: The film delivers on its promise of high-stakes Action and exciting Adventure.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Depth: The narrative and thematic exploration are "shallow," with the film prioritizing spectacle over emotional or philosophical substance.
• Pacing: The constant flashiness can occasionally become exhausting, making the film feel like a prolonged music video rather than a fully developed story.
• Forgettable Fluff: Despite the technical brilliance, the overall experience is fun but ultimately a bit forgettable, lacking the lasting impact of the original TRON.

Final Verdict/Conclusion

Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5)

TRON: Ares is a dazzling experience that absolutely delivers on its promises of visual spectacle and high-octane digital warfare. It is a cinematic experience built for the senses, driven by a magnificent soundtrack and world-class visual effects.

While it is undeniably light on substance—as shallow as a “floppy disk,” as one reviewer put it—the sheer technical audacity and the pure, unadulterated fun of the action make it easy to recommend. It’s an ideal Friday night movie: flashy, loud, and aesthetically perfect, if not deeply moving. It proves that the Grid is still a wonderful place to visit, even if we wish the story had been more complex. You can stream this 2025 Film later on Disney Plus, but it deserves a big-screen viewing first. For a complete analysis of the film’s tech-noir brilliance, read this Movie Review.