The Stream: The story is confusing and kind of dull.

The Big Screen: The visuals and music are stunning.

The Final Bill: A feast for the eyes and ears almost makes up for the weak, ridiculous plot.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Joachim Rønning
Writers: Jesse Wigutow; story by Jesse Wigutow and David DiGilio
Stars: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Jeff Bridges, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13 for violence/action
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes (mid credits scene)
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Paradox, Sean Bailey Productions
Platform: In theater October 10, 2025
Notable Trailers: Wicked: For Good, Mercy, The Bride!, The Mandalorian and Grogru, Predator: Badlands, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

What’s up, Streamers! It’s been 15 years since last TRON movie, so naturally, it’s time for a sequel. Right?!?! Thus, among the horror movies and Oscar hopefuls, Disney released TRON: Ares, a follow up to TRON: Legacy from 2010 and the original film, TRON, from 1982. I feel like I’m saying “TRON” a lot. Anyway, in TRON: Ares, rival CEOs Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) and Eve Kim (Greta Lee) are searching for the permanence code which would allow digital constructs to remain in the real world for longer than the 29-minute barrier. Julian wants to utilize Ares (Jared Leto), a Master Control Program, from the Grid as an expendable super-soldier while Eve wants to provide food and support to the world through her digital creations. The fight between Julian and Eve brings Ares and his cohort from the Grid to secure the permanence code for Dillinger Systems, but Ares is more than what he seems to be. AI-coded hijinks ensue.

Full disclosure: I have never seen a TRON movie before. The preview for TRON: Ares looked really cool, so I decided to see it. Unfortunately, for me, the aesthetics are all there really is to this movie. The visual effects and design elements are dazzling. Disney really spent some money making this movie look excellent. I saw it in standard version, but I’m sure 3-D is amazing to looking at. It is a very slick and stylish movie. On top of that, the score is by Nine Inch Nails, which is to say the music is propulsive and injects a lot of energy into the movie. Visually and sonically, this movie is excellent, and for those reasons, it is a worthy venture to the movie theater.

Now, the story and the acting on the other hand are rough. Maybe someone who is steeped in the TRON lore might be more engrossed by this story, but I was confused and bored. There are unfortunate lulls in the story that get very dull as the visuals become static. The plot is pretty basic, but the details get confusing. The performances by the cast are all over the place. Evan Peters is over the top while Great Lee is understated like she didn’t know she was in a ridiculous Disney sci-fi movie. Jared Leto plays the sentient AI fine, but he doesn’t fit in either movie that Peters and Lee are it. The story and the acting don’t come together for me.

Ultimately, TRON: Ares is a visually stunning Sci-Fi sequel. The technical aspects of this movie including the music are enough to justify seeing it in theaters. It may be better for those who are already TRON fans as the story and acting leave a lot to be desired. Grab a big box of popcorn for the theater, but it’ll be on Disney+ soon enough.