'Tron: Ares' receives mixed early reviews praising its soundtrack but criticising visuals

Early reviews of Jared Leto’s 'Tron: Ares' praise its Nine Inch Nails score but criticise the visuals and story

Early reviews for Tron: Ares, the long-awaited sequel to Tron: Legacy, suggest that while the film’s soundtrack impresses, the rest of the production has failed to meet expectations. Starring Jared Leto as the titular Ares, the sci-fi film will release on October 10, directed by Joachim Rønning.

Tron: Ares continues the legacy of the original 1982 film and its 2010 sequel, following an advanced program named Ares who is sent into the real world by a defence contractor.

His mission is to infiltrate a gaming company competing to perfect technology that can make digital objects exist physically. The film also features Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, and his on-screen son, reprising their roles within the franchise.

However, early critics have been largely unimpressed. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as lacking “drama or jeopardy or human interest anywhere,” commenting that the franchise now “looks about as urgently contemporary as an in-car CD player.” Alison Willmore of Vulture acknowledged the film’s score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross but said it lacked visual distinction.

IGN’s Clint Gage rated the film a five out of ten, stating he “bumped it up from a four just because of Nine Inch Nails.” GamesRadar gave the film 2.5 stars, with reviewer Emily Garbutt criticising Leto’s portrayal of Ares as “thoroughly unconvincing.”

Other critics, including Polygon’s Samantha Nelson, praised the soundtrack for elevating otherwise “lacklustre scenes,” comparing it favourably to Blade Runner’s music. David Ehrlich from IndieWire said Leto’s performance “works because he’s so utterly believable as a soulless ghoul.”

Despite the mixed feedback, Tron: Ares marks Disney’s latest effort to revive a legacy franchise, blending nostalgic references with new technology to attract both returning fans and newcomers.