TRON: Ares Movie Review – A Visual Thunderstorm That Reboots the Grid

The Grid lives again in TRON: Ares.

I was happy that I got to experience TRON: Ares the way it’s meant to be seen in glorious 3D IMAX. Just like TRON: Legacy, the immersion was unreal. As a lifelong fan who treats TRON like a digital religion, this was pure bliss. The sound, the FX, the pulsating vibe — everything connects.

The film’s world feels alive again — sleek, hypnotic, and charged with nostalgia. From the opening frame, Ares throws you into a thunderstorm of light and rhythm that only the TRON universe can deliver. The Nine Inch Nails–infused score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross doesn’t just complement the visuals — it fuels them, masking the slower moments with pure sonic adrenaline.

Story and Style Collide

Directed by Joachim Rønning, TRON: Ares follows a sophisticated Program, Ares (Jared Leto), sent from the digital world into the real one on a dangerous mission — marking humankind’s first contact with AI beings. It’s a fascinating concept that pushes the franchise into new territory.

Still, there’s a big gap between Legacy and Ares — one that fans have to accept. The post-credit scene hints at where the film should’ve gone sooner, and if pacing had been tighter, the payoff could’ve hit harder.

The movie also spends too much time in the real world. I get it — this is “the digital world entering ours” — but the Grid is what makes TRON special. That sandbox of glowing circuits and identity discs? That’s where the magic lives.

And while Rønning’s direction is visually confident and sleek, the film’s biggest issue lies in its screenplay. The story needed sharper writing and stronger connective tissue to really make the emotional and thematic beats land. That left Rønning in a bit of a corner — forcing him to direct his butt off just to keep the movie firing on all cylinders. Thankfully, his eye for scale and style keeps the system from crashing.

The Cast and the Code

Let’s talk about the cast. Jared Leto commands the screen and completely sells Ares’ blend of curiosity and control. Evan Peters is solid, too — unpredictable and fun. Jeff Bridges, though underused, reminds you why this series still has a heartbeat.

But this franchise needed bigger names, especially in the supporting roles. As much as I’m a fan of Greta Lee, she feels miscast in this world — not quite the energy needed to go toe-to-toe with Leto or embody the gravity of the Grid. Hasan Minhaj and Arturo Castro’s inclusion felt like scraping the bottom of the barrel, and Jodie Turner-Smith, as Athena, comes across flat as the next “soldier up.” She’s a talent, but this material didn’t give her the spark she needed. It honestly feels like most of the budget went to Leto, leaving little room for complementary star power to balance out the film’s scale.

Outside of those three standouts — Leto, Peters, and Bridges — the ensemble doesn’t fully pop, but there’s still enough fan service, callbacks, and Easter eggs to keep diehards smiling. When those neon lights flare and Daft Punk’s influence echoes in memory, that Legacy-era thrill kicks right back in.

When ranking the TRON saga, I place TRON: Legacy (2010) at the top, followed by the 1982 original TRON, and then TRON: Ares (2025). But let’s not forget the criminally underrated TRON: Uprising animated series that bridged Legacy’s story — something this new era desperately needs.

Verdict

Ares feels like TRON 2.75: a bold, beautifully designed continuation that delivers fan service and spectacle, even if it stumbles on story flow. It’s the kind of blockbuster energy we usually expect from the summer — landing unexpectedly in October.

Watch TRON: Ares in theaters starting October 10th.

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