Tron: Ares (spoiler-free) film review

While Tron: Ares is a sequel to the earlier Tron films, it’s a standalone one at that; you don’t have to be very clued in to the general Tron cinematic universe to get into the frame of things. It mentions characters and concepts from the older films, but the relevant characters to Tron: Ares are fresh and quickly introduced and developed with no time wasted on unnecessary backstories. 

The lead characters are Eve Kim (Greta Lee) and Ares (Jared Leto), with the former playing a video game company CEO looking to solve a major problem related to using AI to ‘laser print’ everything from battle tanks to people and trees. Ares is an artificial intelligence Master Control Program for Kim’s evil competition, but plays on the greatest fear of everyone right now - AI coming to life, and developing feelings and a mind of its own.

On the other side are Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith), who play the CEO of rival Dillinger Systems and the program which is second-in-command to Ares. In supporting roles are Gillian Anderson as Julian’s mother Elisabeth Dillinger, Arturo Castro and Hasan Minhaj as Eve Kim’s associates - they all do their parts admirably, with Castro bringing in some fun comic relief and Minhaj drawing on his famed stage personality.

What makes Tron: Ares interesting in 2025 is its exploration of tech concepts and themes that are undoubtedly futuristic, but perhaps not that far off either. Watching the antagonists laser print AI programs into reality sounds oddly relevant, as does the idea of an AI program developing its own thought processes that may not adhere to the directives of the human creators. The virtual world (Dillinger and Encom’s servers) is also detailed and world-like, giving the AI characters personality and an environment.

The original Tron film was a pioneer in visuals and animation for its time, and that was a big selling point for the 2010 movie as well. Impressive visuals are a lot easier to achieve in 2025 thanks to leaps forward in CGI, but Tron: Ares is impressive even if you consider that. From the colours and visual themes, to the seamless blending of CGI elements into real world locations, Tron: Ares delivers, and how. 

It’s a visual masterpiece not only in quality, but also in getting the aesthetic right. The ‘Grid’ or corporate servers are represented as futuristic and fantastical urban sprawls, while a throw back to the original virtual world of the 1980s looks and feels suitably retro in its aesthetic. This is combined with high-speed flowing action sequences, both in the entirely CGI virtual world as well as when showing virtual elements in the real world.

All of this is backed up by a gritty and on-theme soundtrack, brilliantly put together by Nine Inch Nails. Daft Punk’s fantastic soundtrack to Tron: Legacy is topped by Trent Reznor’s industrial rock, going slow or intensifying at the optimal times. There’s one particular scene involving Ares and Eve Kim on the run inside the Dillinger Grid, which is simultaneously the narrative, visual, and audio highlight of Tron: Ares - pay close attention when you get there.

Tron: Ares is a fun movie on so many counts. This isn’t a cinematic marvel given that the flow might seem a bit basic even if the core plot line is interesting, but it’s definitely worth the ride if you enjoy sci-fi and are interested in modern tech concepts. Visually striking and with a gritty and haunting soundtrack, Tron: Ares is relevant and enjoyable, especially if you’re interested in where tech is going in the near future.

Tron: Ares releases on October 10, 2025. I watched the film at PVR Imax, Phoenix Mall (Lower Parel) in Mumbai.