Home Theater Geeks 505: Tron: Ares in IMAX 3D

Summary

---

Home Theater Geeks 505: "Tron: Ares" in IMAX 3D

Host: Scott Wilkinson
Published: October 23, 2025
Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, home theater expert Scott Wilkinson delivers an in-depth review of the much-anticipated "Tron: Ares," which he experienced in IMAX 3D. Wilkinson traces the history of the Tron franchise, breaks down the visuals, sound, story, and shares his candid opinions on the strengths and shortcomings of the film, especially from a home theater geek’s perspective. The episode will be of particular interest to both movie buffs and AV enthusiasts interested in technical details of presentation, as well as long-time Tron fans.

---

1. Quick Franchise Recap & Context (02:28–08:15)

• Scott opens with a concise summary of the entire Tron franchise:
  • Tron (1982):
    • "Used state of the art CGI, which looks really crude by today's standards." (03:07)
    • Notably, Scott’s sister was an assistant to an executive at one of the three original CGI companies involved, and her name is in the credits.
  • Characters:
    • Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges): Programmer digitized into “the Grid”
    • Ed Dillinger/Sark (David Warner): Antagonist
    • Alan Bradley/Tron (Bruce Boxleitner): Friend of Flynn and program Tron
  • Tron: Legacy (2010):
    • "Much better CGI, as you would expect, and a great score by Daft Punk. It also had an interesting story. I thought the reviews were only mixed, but I thought it was great." (04:36)
    • Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn, Olivia Wilde as Quorra; digital de-aging of Jeff Bridges as Clu.
• Setup for "Tron: Ares":
  • Third installment, 15 years after Legacy.
  • Jared Leto stars as Ares, a security program written by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters).
  • Julian Dillinger is the grandson of Ed Dillinger and runs Dilinger Systems, a rival to Encom.
  • Gillian Anderson plays Elizabeth Dillinger (Julian's mother).
  • Introduction of new Grid-to-real-world technology: Objects/programs from the Grid can manifest in the real world, but only for 29 minutes ("Why that is is not really explained. It certainly didn't occur in the second movie, okay?"). (06:31)
  • Greta Lee as Eve Kim, CEO of Encom, competing for the "Permanence Code"—a plot device allowing permanent transfer from the Grid.

---

2. "Tron: Ares" Detailed Review

Plot & Story Analysis (08:15–12:45)

• Premise & Characters:

  • Julian’s breakthrough: Bringing things/programs from the Grid into the real world, but with a 29-minute time limit.
  • Ares and Athena (Jodie Turner Smith), both security programs, are brought to the real world.
  • Main rivalry: Eve Kim (Encom CEO) vs Julian Dillinger for the Permanence Code—originally crafted by Kevin Flynn 40 years prior, allowing permanence in the real world.
  • Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) reappears for an extended cameo—making him the only actor in all three films.

• Criticisms:

  • The "Permanence Code" and the 29-minute rule are abrupt plot inventions: "None of this is spoken about in the first or second movies. They just all of a sudden this thing, this concept appears." (07:47)
  • The main trope: Ares develops human emotions—"AI spontaneously developing sentience and human feelings is a pretty tired trope by now." (14:12)
  • Questions left unanswered:
    • How did Kevin Flynn survive after destroying himself in "Legacy"?
    • What happened to Sam Flynn and Quorra?
    • How does the 29-minute rule apply to the previous film’s real-world transfers?

• Easter Eggs & Fan Service:

  • Numerous callbacks and details for longtime Tron fans, including scenes, light cycles, recognizers, and “Bit” from the original film.

---

3. Technical Presentation: IMAX 3D Experience (11:32–15:25)

• Visuals:
  • Shot with IMAX cameras (1.90:1 aspect ratio)
  • Post-processed into 3D. Not shot natively like "Avatar."
  • Use of polarizing 3D glasses: "Visually, the movie is stunning. It's beautiful and the 3D works really well, especially in the grid in the computer world." (11:57)
  • Special effects highlight: A light cycle in the real world, "the light band behind it cuts a police car in half. Cool effect. Really very good." (12:27)
• Audio:
  • Six-channel IMAX sound system (not Dolby Atmos, but highly immersive)
  • "The sound was swirling all around—really, really good. And even better, the dialogue intelligibility was excellent. I could understand everything even when I had my earplugs in..." (12:46)
  • Sound levels: Very loud but kept within industry specs
    • "Average level... was 84.3 dBA... max 101.6 dBA." (13:27)
• Music:
  • Score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails)
  • "I didn’t like it as much as the Daft Punk score. I thought the Daft Punk score was beautiful, really good. This was, you know, energetic and everything, but I just didn’t like it as much." (13:59)

---

4. Critical Assessment & Reception (15:25–18:30)

• Story and Continuity Disappointments:

  • "Aries goes from cold and calculating to warm and fuzzy very quickly. That was not very believable. And the permanence code motivation seems very contrived to me." (14:22)
  • Scott would have preferred to see the story follow up on Sam Flynn and Quorra in the real world rather than introducing entirely new rules and abandoning previous main characters.

• Standalone Approach:

  • Disney appeared to make this film as a “standalone” hoping for a broader audience, but: "It didn’t work. The box office for the opening weekend was very poor."
    • $33 million in the US/Canada; just under $67 million worldwide.
    • Estimated budget: $180 million. “I’ve read a number of things that say there ain’t going to be any more Tron movies, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true.” (16:42)

• Recommendation:

  • "Is it worth the 25 bucks I paid with a senior discount and a midday discount…? I’d have to say no, unless you’re a big Tron fan. And even then, the story is likely to disappoint, as it did me." (17:10)
  • Visuals and soundtrack are phenomenal: Good example of state-of-the-art theater technology, and the Easter eggs are fun for fans.
  • But: "As for the movie itself, I can’t say I can really recommend it. So there you are. That’s my impression of Tron: Ares." (18:03)

---

5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Tron’s 1982 Legacy:
  “It used state of the art CGI, which looks really crude by today’s standards. But back then they had three CGI companies… my sister was an assistant to the executive of one of those companies. So her name is actually in the credits of the original Tron.” (03:07)
• Music Critique:
  “I didn’t like it as much as the Daft Punk score. I thought the Daft Punk score was beautiful, really good. This was, you know, energetic and everything, but I just didn’t like it as much. That’s personal opinion.” (13:59)
• About the sudden plot invention:
  “None of this is spoken about in the first or second movies. They just all of a sudden this thing, this concept appears.” (07:47)
• Box Office & Franchise Futures:
  “The box office for the opening weekend was very poor. $33 million in the US and Canada and a little less than 67 million worldwide.… there ain’t going to be any more Tron movies, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true.” (16:42)
• Final Recommendation:
  “Is it worth the 25 bucks I paid…? I’d have to say no, unless you’re a big Tron fan. And even then, the story is likely to disappoint, as it did me.” (17:10)

---

6. Listener Engagement

• Scott encourages listeners to send questions to htgwit TV for response on future episodes.
• Reminds listeners about ad-free options via Club Twit.

---

Summary Table: Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamps | |---------|-------|------------| | Franchise recap | Franchise overview, prior films, setup for Ares | 02:28–08:15 | | Story review | Plot breakdown, new concepts, critical take | 08:15–12:45 | | Visual/audio | IMAX 3D experience, visuals, audio, music | 11:32–15:25 | | Critical verdict| Final assessment, recommendation, box office | 15:25–18:30 |

---

Bottom Line

Scott Wilkinson’s review of "Tron: Ares" paints a picture of a visually brilliant but narratively disappointing film, one that tries for broader appeal but risks alienating both new viewers and loyal fans. While the IMAX 3D and state-of-the-art sound impress, both story and continuity missteps leave much to be desired. The episode is a must-hear for home theater geeks who want the technical lowdown, and an honest look at sci-fi franchise filmmaking in 2025.

Transcript

[Leo Laporte]

This episode is brought to you by Cohesity. For security and IT professionals, Resilience is not just a feature, it's a movement. Cohesity makes sure you're ready for the midnight alerts and morning reviews. With Cohesity, you can secure and protect your company's entire data estate with a single platform, reduce your risk from threat actors, and quickly respond and recover from destructive cyber attacks, strengthening your company's resilience. That's why Cohesity is trusted by 70% of the Global 500. Learn [e-mail] Resilience everywhere Morning Zoe.

[Jeff Bridges]

Got donuts.

[Dana]

Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you teach me.

[Dana]

So Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Jeff Bridges]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Nice. Jeffrey, you heard them. T Mobile is the best place to get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[Jeff Bridges]

So what are we having for lunch?

[Dana]

Dude, my work here is done.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

The 24 month bill credit is on experience beyond for well qualified customers + tax and 35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs 1099.99 and new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto paypal taxes and fees required. Best mobile Network in the US based on analysis by Oklahoma Speed Test Intelligence Data 1H 2025 Visit t mobile.com AI.

[Rubrik Announcer]

Agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U V R I K.com in this episode.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Of Home Theater Geeks, I give you my review of Tron Ares in IMAX 3D. So stay tuned.

[Leo Laporte]

Podcasts you love from people you trust. This is Twit.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Hey there Scott Wilkinson here, the home theater geek. In this episode I'm going to talk about the new movie Ares, which I went to see in IMAX 3D. Now I've been a fan of The Tron franchise ever since the first movie came out in 1982. It used state of the art CGI which looks really crude by today's standards. But back then they had three CGI companies, computer graphic companies working on it. And as a matter of fact, my sister was an assistant to the executive of one of those companies. So her name is actually in the credits of the original Tron. In case you haven't seen it. I'll give you a quick, quick recap. In the original movie Tron, a video game programmer by the name of Kevin Flynn, played by Jeff Bridges, gets digitized using a laser and enters the mainframe where the game is being developed. It's this environment is called the Grid, and he has an adventure trying to get back into the real world. Other characters in the movie that are important to understand for the new one. David Warner plays Ed Dillinger, CEO of the game company encom, which Kevin worked for. He also plays a character in the in the Grid called Sark. Who's the bad guy? Bruce Boxleitner is also important in that original movie. He plays Alan Bradley, Kevin's friend and collaborator, as well as the program program Tron when. When the in the scenes on the Grid. Second in the franchise was Tron Legacy in 2010, so already 30 years plus. Beyond the original, it had a much better CGI, as you would expect, and a great score by Daft Punk. It also had an interesting story. I thought the reviews were only mixed, but I thought it was great. It followed from the first film. Kevin Flynn's son Sam, played by Garrett Hedlund, enters the Grid looking for his father who has disappeared and is being held captive. Or he's trapped there. In the Grid, he faces the evil program Clue, which is played by a digitally de. Aged Jeff Bridges, which a lot of people objected to. I thought it was. There was no problem at all since it's in the Grid now. Kevin has created a race of sentient programs that Clue has all but wiped out. There's only one survivor whose name is Cora, played by Olivia Wilde. Now Flynn destroys Clue at the end of the movie and by sacrificing himself, while Sam and Cora escape into the real world. And Bruce Boxleitner returns as Alan. Alan Bradley and as Tron in the grid. Okay, now 15 years after that comes the third installment which is the subject of this review, Tron Aries. It stars Jared Leto as the titular character, a security program written by Julian Dillinger, played by Evan Peters, who is seen in this photo with Jillian Anderson, who plays his Mother, Julian Dillinger is Ed Dillinger's grandson and he now runs Dillinger Systems, which is a competitor to Encompass. And his mother, Elizabeth, as I said, played by Jillian Anderson, is there as well. Now, Julian has devised a way to bring things from the Grid into the real world using lasers, including tanks and vehicles, as well as individual quote unquote people such as Ares and another security program called Athena. They're big into Greek mythology here, obviously, the Athena characters played by Jody Turner Smith. Now, the problem is things from the Grid who are created into the real world only have 29 minutes before they de res and vanish back into the grid. Why that is is not really explained. It certainly didn't occur in the the second movie, okay? Other characters of import, Eve Kim, played by Greta Lee, is the CEO now of encom, and she and Julian are racing to find something called the Permanence Code, which was written by Flynn 40 years ago, that will allow things from the Grid to be permanent in the real world. They don't have to disappear after 29 minutes. None of this is spoken about in the first or second movies. They just all of a sudden this thing, this concept appears. Now, Jeff Bridges returns as Kevin Flynn in this movie for a kind of an extended cameo. Is the only actor to appear in all three movies. And he looks a lot older even than he did in Legacy, which. Which he looked, you know, quite a bit older than he did in the original Tron or that that his de aged version, the program Clue, looked in the second movie. Now, the whole point of this movie, Tron, Ares, is that Aries starts to go beyond his militaristic programming and become more human with empathy and feelings. It's a common sci fi trope. I mean, data from Star Trek Next Generation, right? And there are lots of things carried over from the first two movies. Light cycles, for example, flying suits, those big floating ships called recognizers. And there are a lot of Easter eggs in this movie that hearken back to the previous two. Especially there's a scene or two in the original grid from the 1982 movie with a light cycle and a little character called Bit, which is kind of supposed to be a computer bit. And there are some other more subtle ones too, that people who are fans of the first movie will catch.

[Leo Laporte]

This episode brought to you by Red Canary. When cybersecurity threats hit fast, you need an MDR partner that moves faster. Red Canary delivers 24.7expert MDR support, total visibility and actionable insights. Plus it helps you detect four times more threats. So you can stay ahead without burning out. Red Canary clears the noise and has your back every hour, every incident. Get the backup you deserve. Visit redcanary.com difference to learn more.

[Rubrik Announcer]

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U V R I K.com hey everybody, it's Leo Laporte.

[Leo Laporte]

Are you trying to keep up with the world of Microsoft? It's moving fast, but we have two of the best experts in the world, Paul Thurat and Richard Campbell. They join me every Wednesday to talk about the latest from Microsoft on Windows Weekly. It's a lot more than just Windows. I hope you'll listen to the show every Wednesday. Easy enough. Just subscribe in your favorite podcast client to One Windows Weekly or visit our website at TWiT TV WW Microsoft's moving fast, but there's a way to stay ahead. That's Windows Weekly every Wednesday on Twitter.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Now Tron Ares was shot on IMAX cameras for a 1.90:1 aspect ratio in IMAX theaters. So that's where I went to see it. I found the largest IMAX screen I could, which is about an hour's drive away from my house, but I really wanted to check it out and it was post processed to be in 3D. It wasn't shot in 3D like Avatar, but they post processed it into 3D and I said okay, I'll go check it out in 3D. IMAX uses polarizing 3D glasses like real Real D does in Dolby Cinemas and other theaters now. Visually, the movie is stunning. It's beautiful and the 3D works really well, especially in the grid in the computer world. It it just looks beautiful and it works really well. I liked especially the the effect of the light bands that trail the light cycles and even the so some of the soldiers pikes have this light band effect going on which is is really cool. I I thought it was great. There was especially a shot of in the real world, Ares is riding his light cycle and the light band behind it cuts a police car in half. Cool effect. Really very good. Likewise, the sound is beautiful. Highly immersive. In IMAX they use a six channel sound system and in that case, even though it's not Dolby Atmos, the sound was swirling all around really, really good. And even better, the dialogue intelligibility was excellent. I could understand everything even when I had my earplugs in, which I did for about half the movie. And the reason, of course, is that it was very loud. They were. They kept it just barely within industry specifications, which is very interesting to me. It's usually what I find. So they. They keep it within where it has to be, but just barely. The average level over the entire movie was 84.3 DBA. The average over the whole film is what's called LEQ. Elmax, which is the highest 1 second peak was 101.6 DBA. And it stayed over 89. 10% of the time and over 77.7 50% of the time. So, you know, it wasn't. By measurement standards, it wasn't terribly loud, but it sure sounded loud to me. And so, as I said, I wore my earplugs for about half of the movie and I could still understand the dialogue quite well. Now, unlike Tron Legacy, which the score was by Daft Punk and the original Tron, whose score was by Wendy Carlos, this one, the music was by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails, and they sort of. It was music by Nine Inch Nails. I have to say I didn't like it as much as the Daft Punk score. I thought the Daft Punk score was beautiful, really good. This was, you know, energetic and everything, but I just didn't like it as much. That's personal opinion. I have to say, I didn't care much for the story either. AI spontaneously developing sentience and human feelings is a pretty tired trope by now. Aries goes from cold and calculating to warm and fuzzy very quickly. That was not very believable. And the permanence code motivation seems very contrived to me. There's no mention of it in the previous movies. It just all of a sudden appeared that, oh no, people can't stick stick around from the grid in the real world. Even more interesting, it's this permanence code written by Flynn 40 years ago, stored on a Five and a Quarter Inc. Drive. And how did Kevin Flynn survive to appear in this movie when he destroyed himself to save his son? And this sentient program, Korra, in the previous movie that's never explained. I would have much preferred if Disney had continued the story from Legacy. What happened to Sam Flynn and Cora after they emerged into the real world? That would have been much more interesting. But of course, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde are now 15 years older than they were then. I don't think that would be a problem for Sam because he's a. He's a human being. But Cora, they probably would have had to de age Olivia Wilde a little bit so that she looked the same because she's a digital person. Or did Cora d res after 29 minutes in the real world? I. I would like to have known that. From what I've read, Disney was trying to make a standalone movie that did not depend on the previous titles. Although, as I said before, there were a ton of Easter eggs and lots of references back to the other two titles. I think they were trying to appeal to a wider audience than fans, the Tron fans. But it didn't work. The box office for the opening weekend was very poor. $33 million in the US and Canada and a little less than 67 million worldwide. The estimated budget to make this movie, $180 million. So I don't think I've read a number of things that say there ain't going to be any more Tron movies, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's true. So is it worth the 25 bucks I paid with a senior discount and a midday discount I went in the middle of the day? I'd have to say no, unless you're a big Tron fan. And even then, the story is likely to disappoint, as it did me. Now, the visuals and the soundtrack are phenomenal, so to see the state of the art in that regard, sure. And the Easter eggs are kind of fun. There were a couple in there that were very subtle, and you probably would have missed them if you weren't a big fan. But as for the movie itself, I can't say I can really recommend it. So there you are. That's my impression of Tron Aries. Now, if you have a question for me, send it along to htgwit TV and I'll answer as many as I can right here on the show. And as you know, Twit has all of its shows on YouTube for free, but with ads. If you want to go ad free, join the club. Go to Twit TV Club Twit. And join today. Until next time, Geeka.

[Jeff Bridges]

Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Dana]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you teach me. So, Dana.

[Dana]

Oh, no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Wow.

[Jeff Bridges]

Impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Scott Wilkinson]

Nice.

[Dana]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Scott Wilkinson]

T Mobile is the best place to get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[Jeff Bridges]

So what are we having for launch?

[Dana]

Dude, my work here is done.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

The 24 month EBITDA is on experience beyond for well qualified customers. Customers plus tax and $35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance Agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1,099.99 and new line minimum $100 plus a month plan without a PayPal. Taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oklahoma Speed Test Intelligence Data 1H 2025 Visit t mobile.com.