The latest installment in the American "Tron" film series, "Tron: Ares" (directed by Joachim Rønning), was released simultaneously in Japan and the US on October 10th. In the US, it debuted at number one with a box office takings of $3.35 billion (approximately ¥5.025 billion) in its opening three days, and its worldwide box office takings have exceeded $6.05 billion (approximately ¥9.075 billion) (according to Box Office Mojo, at an exchange rate of ¥150 to the dollar). In Japan, it got off to a brilliant start, ranking first in weekend box office takings and attendance rankings for foreign films.
Known as the world's first feature-length film to fully utilize computer graphics (CG), the American film "Tron" (1982, directed by Steven Lisberger) became a social phenomenon, depicting the genius programmer Kevin Flynn, who is sent into a digital world to take on a life-or-death game. Eighteen years later, in 2010, the sequel "Tron: Legacy" (directed by Joseph Kosinski) was released, captivating many fans with its cutting-edge visuals at the time, centered around Kevin's son, Sam, and a dazzling pale neon glow.
In the latest film, "Tron: Ares," the first in 15 years, Ares (played by Jared Leto), the most powerful humanoid AI soldier in the real world, is developed. He is the ultimate soldier, endowed with overwhelming strength and superior intelligence, but he can only "survive" in the real world for 29 minutes. In their quest for "eternity," the AI soldiers go out of control, and the digital world begins to encroach on the real world. Then, something strange happens to Ares, who learns about "humans" in the real world. Will Ares really become the savior of humanity? This is the story.
Upon its release, the new film was well received by audiences, earning an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, a major US review site. Furthermore, PostTrak gave it a respectable 4 stars (out of 5) from general audiences. Social media has seen a flood of comments, including "The immersive feeling was amazing," "Not only were the sci-fi mecha cool, but the AI soldiers rampaging spectacularly made the visuals incredibly entertaining! It was a real attraction!" and "It was so much fun to be immersed in the powerful IMAX images and be overwhelmed by the deep bass that shook my stomach."
Fifteen years have passed since the previous film, "Tron: Legacy," and fans who have been waiting for the series' return have commented, "It's incredibly emotional to feel the evolution of the series and the homage to previous works," and "I want to tell my elementary school self who was crazy about Tron back then! A surprise awaits me 40 years later!" On the other hand, many people have also commented that even those seeing the series for the first time can fully enjoy it, saying, "The visuals and sound are so amazing that it was fun even if you didn't understand the story!" and "You can enjoy it to the fullest even without any prior preparation." Furthermore, there were also many praises for the heavy soundtrack, with one saying, "Nine Inch Nails' music is just great." Many also commented that they were moved by the universal themes of the meaning of life depicted through the conflict between humans and AI, with one saying, "The drama between humans and AI made me cry."
Additionally, a special video featuring the powerful AI soldiers Ares and Athena was released. In the Ares video, Leto, who plays Ares, touches on the nine-year production period, saying, "Tron changed my life. I experienced an unprecedented level of imagination. 1982 (the year Tron was released) was the year that the evolution of video games saw the fusion of technology in the film industry. A whole new world unfolded in the cinemas." He reflected on his deep attachment to "Tron" and the impact he felt when it was released. He also paid tribute to Jeff Bridges, who plays Flynn, saying, "He's an actor I admire, and it was truly an honor to work with him."
The Athena footage shows Jodie Turner-Smith, who says she "trained hard" to play the ruthless soldier Athena, taking on physically demanding action scenes, including falling from great heights using wire action and fighting scenes making use of light discs and batons.
