Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982)

When Tron came out in 1982, it was intended to be a visually stunning parable against the powers of computers and technology. More than twenty years later, the movie plays more like a nostalgic ode to the early 1980s, than a simple good vs. evil morality tale. Tron evokes the heady days when video games like Pac Man, Defender and Centipede ruled the arcades and when everyone owned a Commodore 64 or an Atari 2600 -the eight track of personal computing.

Writer/director Steven Lisberger creates a flashy, neon-drenched world, a cybernetic version of Social Darwinism where lowly computer programs must participate in gladiatorial battles against the Master Control's ruthless minions. Even though the computer effects look primitive now, back then they were considered ahead of their time. Fortunately, Lisberger has not remastered the special effects with contemporary computer graphics (take note George Lucas). There is a certain clunky charm to the effects that makes Tron all that more endearing to its fans.

Tron is one of those rare examples where style over substance works. The computer world that Lisberger and his team worked so hard to create is rich in detail. It also plays on our romantic notions of what really goes on inside our computers -not a collection of microchips and circuit boards but a vast world where programs fight each other for survival. It's no wonder that visionary science fiction writer, William Gibson once commented in an interview that the cyberworld in Tron is how he envisioned the cyberspace in his novels.

The audio commentary with director Steven Lisberger, producers Donald Kushner and Harrison Ellenshaw, and special effects wizard, Richard Taylor. There is a relaxed feel to the track as these guys reminisce about working on the movie. The commentary does tend to lean more towards the technical aspects of making the movie as opposed to anecdotal content but the documentary on disc two covers this aspect in more detail.

Disc two features a wealth of supplemental material that was mostly carried over from a special edition laserdisc set that Disney released many years ago. The DVD reorganizes all of these extras into several easily navigable sections.

The best extra on the second disc is a comprehensive 90-minute documentary entitled, "The Making of Tron." Every aspect of the movie, from its humble origins to the struggles of getting it made are covered with brand new interviews with Lisberger and his crew and Jeff Bridges and the cast (minus David Warner). Everyone speaks fondly of his or her experiences working on Tron. This retrospective look at the movie 20 years later is a real treat for the fans and is the crowning touch on this excellent set.

I've read so many reviews TRASHING the special effects of Tron and its plot. First of all, it's easy with our modern ILM and digital masterpieces like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc. to criticize a movie made in 1982 but the bottom line is that the effects, for its time, were amazing!! I remember as a kid watching this movie with my mouth hanging open. I watched it, as a matter of fact, this week, on DVD and it still impresses me.

The key to being thoughtful and critical of movies is to be able to watch them in the context of their time. I could easily watch Star Trek episodes and say, "ha!! Look at that! Since our FX are so much better now days, that series isn't even relevent!!" That's, in a nutshell, what I read one reviewer saying, that the FX of Tron are corney by modern standards to it's irrelevent. Not at all.....

I think the plot, and keep in mind this IS a Disney movie, though simple, is a good one. It deals with a big brother government that wants to make everyone think the same, live under one rule, if you're not with us you're against us, etc. kind of government. To be in good standing with the Master Control, one must not believe in the "users," or, to the computer programs, 'God.' So, atheism is the key to getting good training, promotion and success. Those who oppose the MCP are treated like Roman Gladiators only to perish. Flynn takes on an incarnation of sorts becoming a "user" and a "program" almost resembling a kind of computer Christ. Very interesting notion. Neat parallel. The movie if full of Christian-type allegories and overall is very entertaining.

There is no sex, hurtful violence or garbage. Clean movie, I as an adult still love it, and it's in general a great flick. Give it a break folks!

Buy Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Now

Greetings, Program!

It seems the previous reviews were written about some other, earlier DVD edition of this film. The 20th Anniversary Edition is a great 2-Disc package with plenty of extras, including a 1 1/2 hour retro-documentary of the making of both the original film and this DVD edition. Also included are a collection of production drawings by Moebius, Storyboards & Animatics, Deleted Scenes, and some deleted music! (Please note that Disney & Wendy Carlos have FINALLY remastered the original soundtrack and added a few missing tracks for a new CD due to release January 29th. 2002!) Check out ... for the full story why this took so long!

This new edition is well worth the price and is certain to please die-hard TRON fans! In the Supplementary materials, Director Steven Lisberger even hints at the possibility of a sequel! TRON 2.0!

A word of warning to Sony Playstation2 Users! There is a MAJOR GLITCH that seems to only affect Playstation2...during Chapter 8, the scene where Flynn/CLU is introduced to RAM in the Game-Grid holding cells, the picture wigs-out into a mess of pixelated garbage and artifacts that can only be eliminated by resetting the machine! I returned my DVD to [retail store], only to discover the defect on the replacement disc, as well! The defect did not show up when I played the disc on a friend's dedicated DVD Player. (a small horizontal blip/glitch did appear, but caused no serious problems.)

Playstation Users If you experience this Glitch, Please do not hurry to return "defective" discs to Amazon.com! You can get past this glitch by simply "fast-forwarding" a frame, or two, past the problem spot! In fact, if Playstation2 is your only means of playing DVDs, you may have no alternative!

There is also a small problem with the Sound Mix during SARK's Introductory Speech to the "Programs" being readied for the Game Grid....When SARK is not actually On-Screen, or is seen from the Grid Warriors' Point-Of-View, his dialogue volume drops noticably to the point where his speech is quite difficult to understand!

Hopefully, the manufacturer will remedy these problems in a subsequent pressing. But, Playstation2 & Sound Glitches aside, this a wonderful package that I highly recommend! I was lucky enough to find the disc on [retail store's] shelves a few days before the release date! ...but buy yours here, the price is the same!

End of line...

Read Best Reviews of Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Here

I could not believe how good this movie looked on Blu Ray. Disney did an excellent job putting this movie to Blu Ray. I felt like a kid the first time in the movie theater when I went to see this movie. The picture quality is outstanding and also the sound. When the Master Control program is talking its nice and loud on a surround sound system. If your a fan of the original Tron and was wondering if to pick this up or not on blu ray just do yourself a favor and get it. I had watched Tron in theaters on VHS countless times and had the 20th aniversary edition on dvd and must say the picture quality far exceeds the standard dvd in picture and sound and is the closest your going to get to a theater experience of this movie. Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up while you can. A fan of this movie will not be disapointed.

Want Tron: The Original Classic (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1982) Discount?

I think I speak for every Tron fan out there when I say that this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is long overdue but most welcome! The only way you could improve upon this brilliant piece of work is to release it in a director's cut with DTS, but this still gets 5 stars in my book. For everyone's information, this is a 2-DVD set. First one contains the movie, complete with THX Optimizer. Second one could be entitled "Everything you ever wanted to know about Tron but were afraid to ask." It not only contains the deleted scenes, but it also contains storyboards, photo galleries, and an extensive "Making Of Tron" documentary with interviews. I learned a ton (or should I say Tron) of stuff out of that documentary, among which is the fact that Cindy Morgan still looks magnificent after all this time!

This DVD is a vast improvement over its DVD predecessor, being THX-certified with beautiful widescreen picture and rich 5.1 sound! Wendy Carlos's music score has never sounded better; I look forward to getting the CD soundtrack when it is released (again long overdue.)

When this movie came out, it quickly became my all-time favorite and to this day, it has stayed there. Thank you, Disney, for creating this 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, and thank you to everyone (cast and crew) who helped make it a reality!

Save 25% Off