Tron: Ares Premieres to Mixed Reviews

Tron: Ares premiered in Los Angeles on Oct. 6 and will open in theaters and IMAX on Friday, Oct. 10. Early critical reaction is mixed: reviewers widely praise its spectacular visuals—especially on IMAX—and the propulsive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (associated with Nine Inch Nails), but many fault a clunky script, uneven fights, nostalgic pandering and an underwhelming narrative. Directed by Joachim Rønning, the threequel sends Jared Leto’s AI Ares out of the Grid and into the real world in a topical story about humanity’s first direct encounter with sentient programs. The ensemble includes returning Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn alongside Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj and Gillian Anderson, with several critics singling out Lee and Turner-Smith as standouts. Disney has rolled out marketing including a new IMAX poster.