TRON Ares Review: The Next Generation of the Grid Is Fun, But Buggy

TRON: Ares arrives with big ambitions: to expand the digital frontier into our world, to throw in spectacular visuals, a bold soundtrack, and to recapture the awe of the original TRON and TRON Legacy. The result is uneven but often exhilarating, a film that dazzles more than it digs deep.

From shot one, the visual design seizes you. The way the Grid bleeds into the physical world, digital constructs appearing in city streets, light-cycle chases cutting across real environments; these moments are jaw-dropping. The sets, lighting, neon accents, and VFX all push high cinema standards, and the film is best appreciated in premium formats like IMAX or 3D. For fans of cyberpunk aesthetics, Ares delivers many sequences you will want to watch again just for the spectacle and world-building.

The soundtrack, from Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross), turns out to be one of the film’s more daring bets, and for me, it mostly pays off. The score leans gritty, dissonant, atmospheric. It doesn’t present a sweeping, instantly hummable theme the way the original TRON Legacy score by Daft Punk did. Instead it creates tension, unease, and mood. Some sections are haunting, others more abrasive. It may not be comfortable listening at all times, but its ambition and risk grant Ares an identity all its own. It’s refreshing to hear a new electronic palette in the Tron universe, though it occasionally distances you from emotion.

Acting is trustworthy throughout. Greta Lee stands out, giving her character emotional grounding, resolve, and some small moments of vulnerability. Jared Leto as Ares is intriguing; his subtle choices, calm delivery, and occasional disquiet lend the role mystery, though sometimes his reticence makes the emotional beats feel muted. Jeff Bridges’ cameo as Kevin Flynn is welcome but underlit; his presence feels more symbolic than fully leveraged. The supporting cast, Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and others, do solid work given the constraints of their arcs, but the script often doesn’t give them much to do beyond plot functions or talking about breakfast burritos.

Where the film stumbles is in story and connection. The plot focuses on Ares entering our realm, corporate rivals vying for control, and the first contact of AI programs with humanity. It is serviceable, but it rarely surprises. Motivations feel familiar, conflicts feel familiar. Many dramatic arcs don’t land because the emotional stakes feel thin. The script leans on callbacks and familiar beats more than fresh inventions. At times, it feels like a grand tech demo wrapped around a skeletal narrative. There are echoes of deeper themes about creation, identity, and control, but they are underexplored. As a sequel/reboot hybrid, it doesn’t deeply tie into Legacy’s lore and characters from prior films are mostly absent, and many plot threads feel new rather than evolving. For fans hoping for tighter continuity, that may sting.

Despite its flaws, Ares is undeniably entertaining. It has enough thrills, strong set-pieces, and sensory punch to keep you invested. It’s a film you’ll talk about for what looks and sounds great, even if it doesn’t fully satisfy on emotional depth. If you love TRON for its world, spectacle, and the idea of digital life, Ares is a worthy ride, even if it doesn’t always soar to its greatest heights.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

TRON: Ares is in theaters October 10th, 2025.