Tron has an extremely weak plot and poor character motivations. But with a little more work by the story editor and with the inclusion of a few short scenes, it could have been a lot better. Hearing the film makers talk about the making of Tron, it sounds like they spent all of their time worrying about back lighting Kodaliths and animating and not much time writing the script.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
In its villain's monologue with Dillinger, the MCP tells how it is taking over the world by stealing and integrating the programs from all the banks and governmental offices, the Pentagon and the Kremlin. So the stakes to stop it should have been really high. But as the movie actually plays, this information is pointless. It is never paid off by any other character acknowledging it.
Flynn's sole motivation is to find prove that Dillinger stole his games. So he commits felonies to prove it? And Alan's and the Lora's motivations are what, friendship? Flynn and Alan never know that the MCP is sentient or that it has a plan. And while Flynn's life is apparently at stake in the electronic world, there's no peril for Alan or Lora. Alan is worried about his program and being locked out of the computer system that his employer pays him to program. It makes no sense. The film makers were trying to riff on the centralization of computer resources that was happening at that time in the corporate world, which was limiting and annoying for programmers and stifled innovation, but makes for a really boring movie plot point.
To fix it, the writers could have had Flynn discovered what the MCP was doing. Maybe discover it had nuclear launch codes, or some other thing that would pay off the MCP's monologue with Dillinger. They could have made the stakes relevant to all of us in the real world. In Tron, nobody finds out what the MCP was doing.
In the real world Alan and Lora could have discovered evidence of what the MCP was doing. Lora could have witnessed Flynn being digitized. They could have discovered that Flynn wasn't just stored in the grid, he was actually alive and aware inside of it. They could have added peril for them that they had to help Flynn from the real world to get him out of the grid before taking down the MCP. There could have been a lot more suspense.
In the electronic world, in addition to running into accounting programs and actuarial programs, Flynn could have met CIA programs, Pentagon programs, Kremlin programs. He could have pieced together the MCP's intention.
Tron could have been a good movie instead of just innovative in movie making techniques that is in people's hearts and minds because it was unusual.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
In its villain's monologue with Dillinger, the MCP tells how it is taking over the world by stealing and integrating the programs from all the banks and governmental offices, the Pentagon and the Kremlin. So the stakes to stop it should have been really high. But as the movie actually plays, this information is pointless. It is never paid off by any other character acknowledging it.
Flynn's sole motivation is to find prove that Dillinger stole his games. So he commits felonies to prove it? And Alan's and the Lora's motivations are what, friendship? Flynn and Alan never know that the MCP is sentient or that it has a plan. And while Flynn's life is apparently at stake in the electronic world, there's no peril for Alan or Lora. Alan is worried about his program and being locked out of the computer system that his employer pays him to program. It makes no sense. The film makers were trying to riff on the centralization of computer resources that was happening at that time in the corporate world, which was limiting and annoying for programmers and stifled innovation, but makes for a really boring movie plot point.
To fix it, the writers could have had Flynn discovered what the MCP was doing. Maybe discover it had nuclear launch codes, or some other thing that would pay off the MCP's monologue with Dillinger. They could have made the stakes relevant to all of us in the real world. In Tron, nobody finds out what the MCP was doing.
In the real world Alan and Lora could have discovered evidence of what the MCP was doing. Lora could have witnessed Flynn being digitized. They could have discovered that Flynn wasn't just stored in the grid, he was actually alive and aware inside of it. They could have added peril for them that they had to help Flynn from the real world to get him out of the grid before taking down the MCP. There could have been a lot more suspense.
In the electronic world, in addition to running into accounting programs and actuarial programs, Flynn could have met CIA programs, Pentagon programs, Kremlin programs. He could have pieced together the MCP's intention.
Tron could have been a good movie instead of just innovative in movie making techniques that is in people's hearts and minds because it was unusual.
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