It’s been almost twelve years and I don’t remember much. But that could actually be a good thing.
Peace,
mangeorge
Good luck finding a copy. For some reason, they’re releasing the new Tron, but you can’t get the old one on DVD.
Nice marketing strategy.
They’re afraid GenY won’t see Tron: Legacy if they see any of Tron first.
And for that reason, there probably isn’t any reason for a refresher. It’ll be expositioned out the wazoo for catch-up purposes.
From what I’ve seen of trailers and snippets, this is indeed the case. You can skip the original.
The original came out when computers were, for most people, mysterious and rare machines, so a lot of the original story was spent getting that unfamiliarity out of the way. Watching it for the first time today will mostly yield a combination of “yeah, I get it, get to the action” and “oh, well I suppose this was cutting edge at the time.” I say this as a fan, mind you. The idea of a human existing on the level of programs is a neat one, and I think the special effects of the original once in the computer world hold up, despite recent commentary to the contrary. If you do get to see the original, I’d skip the first half hour of human-world stuff.
A lot of the “logic” of the computer world relied on knowledge/appreciation of early video game culture; the tanks and lightcycles are references to ubiquitous early game genres; tank games were so common that the movie even acknowledges it (“I shouldn’t have written so many tank programs” when Flynn sees dozens of tanks), and lightcycle games were a reference to barricade-type games from the late 1970s. The original was a big wink to video game and computer users of the era, so it won’t mean as much to anyone watching it now.
The new film seems to trade on public familiarity with computers and computer companies (especially Gates, Wozniak, and Jobs type folks), so hopefully a lot of the “this guy is bad because he cracks down on innovative engineers” or “computers process data, and here’s some data, let’s see how it gets processed” storyline can be glossed over.
The new one left out the best character anyhow. 
Dr. Lora Baines / Yori played by Cindy Morgan (from Caddyshack) was the only main character left out. My favorite in that movie… I saw a recent pic of Cindy Morgan and she still looks great. I’m not sure it’s worth seeing the new one without her.
I don’t know the answer to your question, but I want you to know it’s one of my favorite thread titles ever.
FWIW, she appeared as Alan’s wife with Boxleitner at a press event in order to promote Legacy.
Copies are so scare that you probably couldn’t see it even if you wanted to. One friend of mine got it through Netflix, but most people I know are being told Netflix doesn’t carry it. I saw part of the original on TV a few years ago and I don’t think you need to know anything other than “Jeff Bridges gets sucked into a computer program.”
Homer: Uh… it’s like… did anyone see the movie ‘Tron’?
Hibbert: No.
Lisa: No.
Marge: No.
Wiggum: No.
Bart: No.
Patty: No.
Wiggum: No.
Ned: No.
Selma: No.
Frink: No.
Lovejoy: No.
Wiggum: Yes. I mean… um, I mean, no.
Really? I got mine sitting on my shelf. Didn’t even know it was rare.
I sold my copy of the pre-20th anniversary DVD on eBay for ~$20, years ago . I’m slightly regretting that now…
I saw it again over Thanksgiving weekend with my brother and sister in law and my other brother and sister in law (one set had it, the other set hadn’t seen it). It …doesn’t hold up really well. The new one will probably tell you all you need to know.
I too was wondering whether I should see the original before the sequel. I actually have never known much about the franchise but when one of my favourite bands, Daft Punk, did the soundtrack (which is 100% amazing), I decided I had to see the film. Might be the first time I’ve ever seen a film purely on the strength of the score, I’m eager to see how they handle the music in the film.
Yes. Or… no.
Yes: Reviews have mentioned there being both moments which are easier to understand given an understanding of the first movie and also easter eggs that are fun to spot if you remember the first movie fairly well. Plus, you know, Boxleitner and Bridges…
No: There will no doubt be many people who haven’t seen or barely remember the original - it would be interesting and useful to get a review from someone who hasn’t recently rewatched the first one or never saw it.
No: Also, it’s not like it was rereleased recently. You’ll have to get a pricy copy on ebay, a illegal copy on the internet, or a free no hassle rental from your local library (or less free video store).
Hopefully we can get some useful reviews from people who:
- Saw original when in theater, liked it
- Saw original when in theater, disliked it
- Never saw original
- Recently saw or resaw original, liked it
- Recently saw or resaw original, disliked it
I’m a #1 and I’m considering whether I should be a #4-5
- Saw original when in theater, disliked it
Not an unbiased opionion though.
I was wondering the same thing as the OP, but never imagined that being able to see it wasn’t even an option. I can’t believe Netflix does’t have it. The movie may not have been great, but it’s got a lot of cultural cache…at least with my generation. That’s a pretty big gap in their collection. Color me surprised.
Are you kidding? We’re throwing a dinner party tonight to watch the original in preparation for next week. One of our nerd friends (he teaches advanced math at the a 4 year college) was six when it first came out and he just never got around to it.
So this evening is us, our two girls, him, his wife and their two girls eating fajitas and pasta, perhaps some wine, and TRON.
GREETINGS, PROGRAM!
Seriously, it’s that hard to find? All you’d really need is THE wherewithal to look online for it. I mean, some people may have to PIRATE it somewhere but I try to keep those suggestions at BAY.
I was surprised at your reply for a millisecond or so. Of course you’re right.