TRON (1982)

A hacker is literally abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.

Director:

Steven Lisberger

Writers:

Steven Lisberger (screenplay), Steven Lisberger (story),

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Kevin Flynn / Clu
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Alan Bradley / Tron
David Warner	...	Ed Dillinger / Sark / Master Control Program
Cindy Morgan	...	Lora / Yori
Barnard Hughes	...	Dr. Walter Gibbs / Dumont
Dan Shor	...	Ram / Popcorn Co-Worker
Peter Jurasik	...	Crom
Tony Stephano	...	Peter / Sark's Lieutenant
Craig Chudy	...	Warrior #1
Vince Deadrick Jr.	...	Warrior #2 (as Vince Deadrick)
Sam Schatz	...	Expert Disc Warrior
Jackson Bostwick	...	Head Guard
David S. Cass Sr.	...	Factory Guard (as Dave Cass)
Gerald Berns	...	Guard #1
Bob Neill	...	Guard #2

Storyline

Hacker/arcade owner Kevin Flynn is digitally broken down into a data stream by a villainous software pirate known as the Master Control and reconstituted into the internal, 3-D graphical world of computers. It is there, in the ultimate blazingly colorful, geometrically intense landscapes of cyberspace, that Flynn joins forces with Tron to outmaneuver the Master Control program that holds them captive in the equivalent of a gigantic, infinitely challenging computer game.

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Plot Keywords:

computer | security | arcade | computer programmer | cyberspace | 

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Taglines:

Trapped in a fight to the finish inside the video world he created [UK theatrical]

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

TRON: The Original Classic

Filming Locations:

1150 S Olive St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$33,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions, Lisberger/Kushner

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pac-Man makes a graphical and audible cameo on Sark's control screen just after the light cycles escape the game grid.

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Goofs

When Flynn, Tron and Ram escape from the lightcycle arena, the first shot of all three cycles (when Flynn is heard saying "Greetings, programs!") shows Tron in front, followed by Flynn, then Ram. In all subsequent shots, Flynn is in front, then Tron, then Ram.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Boy in Video Game Arcade: All right, give me room. Here we go.

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Crazy Credits

A section of the end credits is in Taiwanese.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Ian McKellen/Kylie Minogue (2002)

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Soundtracks

"1990s Theme"
Written and Performed by Journey

User Reviews

Tron works

For the average viewer, 'Tron' is a puzzling film. The language is loaded with jargon, the world experienced by Clu and Tron (inside the computer) appears strange, forbidding and two-dimensional. It is a world that seems to work though, but how does the human Clu instantly know how to adjust to its peculiarities?

Viewers have come to expect that techno-babble jargon in SciFi flicks is completely meaningless. That isn't entirely the case for 'Tron', much of it is firmly based in computing. Even more importantly, this strange world Clu and Tron inhabit is equally firmly based on the way computer operating systems work, and that is the reason why Clu (in real live a computer hacker) knows how to handle it.

Using this world as the basis for a movie was pretty audacious, especially in 1982. Thankfully, the writers did not compromise on their idea, and consequently the film not only worked but it stood the test of time.

'Tron' works, because computers work.