Tron Review

Tron

Release Date: 3rd December 1982 – Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Productions

Lisberger/Kushner

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: G

Runtime: 96 minutes

Budget: $17,000,000

Box Office Gross: $50,000,525 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A young computer genius named Kevin Flynn tries to hack into the mainframe of ENCOM, where he searches for evidence that the video games he wrote got stolen by a senior executive of ENCOM, Ed Dillinger. Unfortunately, Dillinger's Master Control Program (MCP) zaps Flynn into the digital world where computer programs are the alter-egos of the people who created them and sentenced him to die within the game. With the help of an electronic security program named Tron, Flynn escapes and has to help Tron defeat the MCP before he can go back to the "real" world.

Cast

Jeff Bridges – Kevin Flynn/Clu

Bruce Boxleitner – Alan Bradley/Tron

David Warner – Ed

Dillinger/Sark/Master

Control Program (Voice)

(Uncredited)

Cindy Morgan – Lora Baines/

Yori

Barnard Hughes – Dr.

Walter Gibbs/Dumont

Dan Shor – Ram/Popcorn

Co-Worker

Peter Jurasik – Crom

Stuart Thomas – Peter/

Sark's Lieutenant

Craig Chudy – Warrior #1

Vince Deadrick –

Warrior #2

Sam Schatz – Expert Disc

Warrior

Jackson Botswick – Head

Guard

David S. Cass Sr. – Factory

Guard

Gerald Berns – Guard #1

Bob Neill – Guard #2

Ted White – Guard #3

Mark Stewart – Guard #4

Michael Sax – Guard #5

Tony Brubaker – Guard #6

Charlie Pirceni – Tank Commander

Pierre Vuilleumier – Tank

Gunner #1

Erik Cord – Tank Gunner #2

Loyd Catlett – Conscript #1/Video Game Cowboy

Michael Dudikoff – Conscript #2

Richard Bruce Friedman –

Video Game Player

Rick Beck – Boy in Video

Game Arcade

Jon Kenworthy – Boy in

Video Game Arcade

Crew

Story/Writer/Director/Visual

Effects Concepts – Steven Lisberger

Story – Bonnie MacBird

Associate Producer/Visual Effects Supervisor –

Harrison Ellenshaw
Executive Producer – Ron Miller

Producer – Donald Kushner

Technical Advisor – Sam Schatz (Uncredited)

Production Designer – Dean Edward Mitzner
Pre-Production Concepts – Roger Allers,

Chris Lane and Peter Mueller
Pre-Production Concepts/Production

Storyboards/Effects Animator – John Norton

Conceptual Artist: Electronic World – Syd Mead

Conceptual Artist/Design: Electronic World –

Jean 'Moebius' Giraud

Conceptual Artist: Electronic World/
Background Designer – Peter Loyd
Production Storyboards – Andy Gaskill
Production Storyboards/Computer Image

Choreography – Bill Kroyer and Jerry Rees

Electronic Conceptual Design/Computer/
Visual Effects Supervisor – Richard Taylor

Art Directors – John B. Mansbridge and 

Al Roelofs

Set Decorator – Roger M. Shook

Costume Design – Eloise Jenssen and

Rosanna Norton

Makeup Supervisor – Robert J. Schiffer

Director of Photography – Bruce Logan

Camera Operators – Gregg Heschong,

Rexford L. Metz and Ronald M. Vargas Sr.

First Assistant Camera – Jamie Anderson,

Horace Jordan, Lynn Tomes and Michael D. Weldon

Stunt Coordinator – Richard E. Butler

Effects Technical Supervisor – John Scheele

Effects Unit Managers – David V. Lester

and Stephen McEveety

Technology Concepts: MAGI Synthavision –

Phil Mittleman

Scene Creation Concepts: MAGI Synthavision –

Larry Elin

Scene Programmers: MAGI Synthavision –

Chris Wedge and Nancy Hunter Campi

Design Supervisor: Robert Abel & Associates –

Kenny Mirman

Systems Programmers: Robert Abel &

Associates – Frank Vitz, Bill Kovacs,

Richard Baily and Tim McGovern

Systems Supervisor: Robert Abel & Associates –

Robert Abel

Computer Production Supervisor: Digital

Effects Inc. – Jeffrey Kleiser

Photographic Process Lab Supervisors –

Art Cruickshank and Peter Anderson

Opticals – Bob Broughton

Matte Production Supervisor – Arnie Wong

Sound Effects Design & Synthesis – Frank Serafine
Sound Design/Music Supervisor – Michael Fremer

Sound Department Supervisor – Robert Hathaway

Supervising Sound Editor – Gordon Ecker Jr.

Re-Recording Mixers - Bob, Lee &

Michael Minkler

Film Editor – Jeff Gourson

Music – Wendy Carlos

Songs – Journey

Awards

1983 Academy Awards

Best Costume Design – Eloise Jenssen

and Rosanna Norton (Nominated)

Best Sound – Michael, Bob & Lee Minkler

and James LaRue (Nominated)

Review

TRON is an iconic, dazzling, imaginatively conceived movie filled with terrific state-of-the-art (though now dated) CGI visuals. It is one of my favourite movies ever and is the cornerstone of computer animation. Because of this, the film inspired countless filmmakers and animators to explore computer-generated imagery. One of my favourite scenes in the movie is the Light Cycle battle, which has become iconic in film history. It has a brilliant cast, including Jeff Bridges, Cindy Morgan, Bruce Boxleitner and David Warner, all of whom are engaging.

TRON is a true classic and a must-see for anyone interested in the history of computer-generated animation and this film. If you have seen this movie and have liked it, you will enjoy its sequel, Tron: Legacy. Did I mention that the Disney studio is planning a third Tron movie? This film should be exciting for all Tron fans.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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