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:

On the other side of the screen, it all looked so easy...

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Flynn's personal computer, which he uses to interact with CLU and hack into the ENCOM mainframe, is an Apple III (///) desktop computer with a monochrome green-on-black monitor.

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Goofs

When Sark has his power cycles slowed down by the MCP the first time (0h:33m), the shot from behind Sark has his arms flailing about, but the front shot of Sark shows his arms holding on to the panels.

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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

Certain versions of the European/American re-release have the explanatory title cards establishing the viewer into the world of the Programs and Users.

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Alternate Versions

Trailers feature a deleted scene, where Flinn de-rezzes an unknown program on the ring-game with a direct hit.

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Connections

Referenced in Real Playing Game (2013)

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Soundtracks

Only Solutions
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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

TRON: The Original Classic

Filming Locations:

Stage 4, Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, 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