In “Tron: Ares,” we follow a super advanced digital program called Ares, played by Jared Leto, who’s given the big task of stepping into the real world. This marks the first time humans meet artificial intelligence face-to-face. As Ares moves around and interacts with people for the first time, he starts to learn and grow in surprising ways. Alongside him is Eve Kim, portrayed by Greta Lee—a bright mind and CEO at a tech company named Encom. She’s on a mission herself to find some critical code left behind by Kevin Flynn, played by Jeff Bridges.

The story kicks off with an unscrupulous CEO from a tech firm named Dillinger—who often clashes with his mom (Gillian Anderson) over how things should be run—showing off to some big wigs his wacky new creations: a tank that can smash through walls like it’s nothing and an android soldier equipped for immediate battle.

“Tron: Ares” takes things beyond what we saw in “Tron: Legacy” and even further than the iconic 80s original. It dives deep into today’s fast-paced world where wars can spring up in no time flat and artificial intelligence feels so common it’s like it lives among us now. Unlike its predecessors, this film feels surprisingly timely, blending fiction with today’s realities surrounding AI.
Imagine a digital world, kinda like a video game universe, called the “grid.” It’s supposed to stay in its own space but suddenly wants to play in our real-life sandbox. This shift brings up some cool (albeit not completely fresh) ideas to think about. In this story, there’s an AI named Ares, named after the Greek god of full-on chaos and war, designed to protect the grid. But now, Ares is starting to have its own thoughts.

The script by Jesse Wigutow explores what happens when AI gains awareness—think Isaac Asimov’s rules for robots with a few tweaks. The twist here is that AI might end up being more morally sound than us humans. Despite being told again and again just how replaceable he is, Ares decides he’s tired of taking orders from his bad-guy creator and starts rebelling against him. Meanwhile, his buddy Athena sticks to following orders right down to Greek myth perfection and deserts Ares completely.

The face-off between Jared Leto as one character and Jodie Turner-Smith as another makes for some riveting scenes. The film draws a lot of strength from these performances as well as the stunning visuals created by Norwegian director Joachim Rønning—showcasing perhaps his finest work yet.
Alright, so here’s the deal with the third movie in this series: everything revolves around the color red. It’s basically what ties the whole film together, just like in the earlier ones. The coolest parts are about this digital world called “the grid,” where you see this hacker program and a security system going head-to-head. It’s crazy how they show it all.

Now, when it comes to those motorcycle chases through city streets, yeah, they might remind you of something out of Terminator. But man, they pulled them off really well! Kudos to Tyler Nelson and Pietro Scalia who edited these scenes—top-notch stuff right there. You might spot their names rolling by with all that credit scene jazz, which also hints at some sequel possibilities that maybe aren’t totally needed.

Oh, and Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn. Dude always brings a special vibe even when he starts talking deep and philosophical.

As for the soundtrack vibe? It’s freaking awesome! Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross brought in their Nine Inch Nails flair and wow—it hits home with that electronic beat they’ve got going on. It’s like taking a trip back to ’80s video games—super simple stories but packed with nostalgia.