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Does Tron Legacy = Clash of the Titans++?

Tron Legacy – Opens December 17th

Michael Lynderey: I kind of have to ask the same question here as I do about The Last Airbender. Why is everybody saying Tron: Legacy will be so huge? The first movie pulled in $33 million. I don't doubt that it has a big cult following, but so does Killer Klowns From Outer Space. So what gives?

As for the trailer... well, it sounds like they used some music from Watchmen, and that's good, because I loved Watchmen.

Josh Spiegel: I haven't seen the original and, before this trailer and the ensuing hoopla, all I knew of the film was its put-down reference in a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror ("Has anyone here seen Tron?" "No." "No." "No." "No." "Yes. I mean, no."). And that trailer is amazing. The movie may be a letdown, but I'm ready. Bridges plus cool effects is, oddly, enough to get me in the theater.

I have no idea if the movie will be huge and, like Michael, I'm not sure that it's got enough of an audience. But I'm sold on this one.

David Mumpower: Michael, Josh's answer is why I'm starting to believe Tron Legacy will be a juggernaut. Most people only know the word Tron and have never seen the movie. I've seen it several times, but all I remember about it is that it was shiny. As fate would have it, the two primary stars from that movie, Bruce Boxleitner and Jeff Bridges, wound up having extended careers, which means that this is the rare cult film with recognizable names, one of whom recently was named the Best Actor at the Oscars. This is something Killer Klowns from Outer Space cannot claim. Is Bridges a box office draw? Of course not. And I have to say that on paper, I still would not expect this to be a winner since I see it in the same light as Clash of the Titans. Yes, there is name recognition, but I don't know how much it helps.





Why, then, do I believe this is a blockbuster? If Tron was shiny, I do not even have the words to define what Tron Legacy is. This is a Pink Floyd laser lights show, the best fireworks presentation of all time, and HDNet's Bikini Destinations all rolled up into one. We have been trying to quantify the 3-D phenomenon for going on two years now and it's been a focus of the site since last January. This is at worst the second best looking film in terms of incorporating the new technology and I am of the opinion that it blows Avatar away in this regard. It's Avatar++ in terms of visuals.

Now, I do not believe that this alone would be enough to sell every film. This is the unfortunate lesson we learned from Speed Racer, an aesthetically gripping production that mainstream consumers felt did not have enough going for it otherwise. Tron Legacy can escape that fate, because it does have a great story to sell. A mysterious father drops off the face of the planet and a son searching for his absentee dad accidentally discovers a world that makes The Matrix look like Candy Land. I also think that the casting of Olivia Wilde is inspired since she gives great vixen and I believe that this could break her as the next Angelina Jolie.

Stating the obvious, I think the world of this trailer and it makes me believe we are looking at a potential box office juggernaut here. I worry about the Speed Racer scenario, but I see Clash of the Titans as the worst case scenario for this December release. I'm expecting box office north of $200 million as long as the movie doesn't prove to be a bust, which is a distinct possibility. The original is notoriously complex.

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