TRON (1982)

A computer hacker is abducted into the digital world 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 2 wins & 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
Stuart Thomas	...	Peter / Sark's Lieutenant (as Tony Stephano)
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 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:

arcade | computer | computer hacker | cyberspace | computer program | 

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Taglines:

Trapped inside an electronic arena, where love, and escape, do not compute!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The MCP's original form is shown using an Oliver typewriter - most likely a model 3, produced from 1902-1907.

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Goofs

When Flynn is hanging off the Solar Sailor shots from his point of view show very rough, craggy terrain, but in all other shots the Solar Sailor is above smooth terrain.

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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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Alternate Versions

Some non-USA versions of the film have a brief prologue of text explaining the difference between the computer world and the real world right before the starting credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Remote Control (1988)

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Soundtracks

1990s Theme
Written and Performed by Journey

User Reviews

On the otherside of the screen, it all looks so easy

I recently watched this film again, and I must say that it still looks good.



Tron is the story about Kevin Flynn, a young ,hotshot computer programmer who is determined to find the proof the he is the creator of five of the most popular video games from the man who stole them. When Flynn gets too close, the artificial intelligence super-computer ,MCP, digitizes Flynn into the video game world he created, to fight for his life, all for MCP's amusement.

This film may have been for too ahead of it's time in 1982. It told the story about a super-computer gone power hungry (two year prior to Terminator and seventeen years prior to The Matrix) and it was the the springboard for early computer generated images. Although this film mixed CG with hand-drawn animation, I dare anyone to sort out one from the other. The film also sported computer terms such as bit, ram ,end of line ,etc.)

This film also sported some of the most unique and original action sequences, such as the "Lightcycle Maze/chase" and the "Disc Duel" The same goes for the computer world ,that is unlike anything presented on the big screen. Even the score done by Wendy Carlos was unlike any other. The performences by the cast were well done. One in particular was the commanding performance of David Warner as the ruthless Commander of the gameworld Sark.

This film is one of those over-looked gems from the 80's that should be seen in it's pristine DVD release. End of Line

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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,761,795, 11 July 1982

Gross USA:

$33,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,000,000

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:

2.20 : 1