3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When Sam (Garrett Hedlund) was seven years old, his father (Jeff Bridges) left for work one night and was never seen again. Some thought he couldn’t handle the pressure of being CEO of Encom and fled the country, but little did anyone know he had left our world and was trapped in a digital realm he had created. Now 20 years later, Sam is sent to his father’s old shop to investigate a mysterious page from the abandoned building. It’s there he discovers a hidden room and before he knows it he’s transported into a digital reality he must join forces with his father in order to defeat a rogue program that has overtaken the digital paradise.

I was 13 when I first saw Tron and was disappointed with the story, although I was a huge fan of the video game. The technology talk in the script went over my head because I didn’t discover computers until a couple years later. Surprisingly, the film holds up quite well by today’s standards if you discount the rudimentary special effects and my kids and I really enjoyed it a lot (although my wife fell asleep).

The much anticipated sequel ups the ante in the special effects department, but the screenplay is a major disappointment. Hedlund delivers a decent performance in the lead role, but Bridges' hippy act got on my nerves and the villain wasn't very frightful.

Video Highlights

• MVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Shifting aspect ratio between 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 to mimic IMAX presentation
• Natural 3D presentation without resorting to gimmicks
• Stark color palette
• Zero ghosting
• Seamless special effects

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack
• Room encompassing track
• Reference-quality LFE
• Powerful score
• Intelligible dialog

Like The Dark Knight, the aspect ratio zooms in and out depending on the scene. I was so mesmerized with the fabulous audio and video that I never was distracted by this effect. The 3D presentation is decent with adequate depth and dimension, but this isn't one of the better 3D discs I've viewed. The audio track is where the presentation shines with an encompassing surround presentation and reference-quality bass.

Bonus Materials

• The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed
• Disney Second Screen tutorial
• Launching The Legacy featurette
• First Look Tron: Uprising Animated Series
• 3 Behind-the-Scenes featurettes
• Music Video
• Original Tron Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy of Tron: Legacy

After watching the original Tron the night before my expectations grew for the sequel. While it isn’t a horrible film, one would think that nearly 30 years after the original that the script would have been better. I really like the action scenes and the special effects, but found Bridges' character to be very annoying and hard to root for. As expected, the A/V presentation is outstanding and is definitely worth checking out on your home theater system, but the entertainment value takes a back seat to the A/V.

Release Date: April 5, 2011
Studio: Disney

Movie: 5/10
3D Ness: 7/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Movie: 9/10
3D Picture: 10/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS40 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics