Jared Leto pulls off a chilling turn as Ares, the Dillinger-built soldier program who crosses into reality chasing ENCOM’s permanence code. That breakthrough lets digital beings stick around past the brutal 29-minute limit, but Ares starts questioning his kill orders amid light cycle chases and real-world chaos.
He spares lives against programming, bonds over Depeche Mode tracks with captive Eve Kim, and sneaks into Kevin Flynn’s old grid for a game-changing chat.
The climax hits hard when Athena, his ruthless backup played by Jodie Turner-Smith, grabs Eve and storms the city in a massive Recognizer. Ares, now packing Flynn-granted permanence that shifts his suit to glowing white, crashes the party and shreds her allies with disc throws.
ENCOM’s Ajay Singh pumps a virus into Dillinger servers right as Athena’s timer runs out, dooming her for good in Ares’ arms after she admits blind loyalty to her mission.
Ares holds back from a mercy kill, watching her fade, which cements his break from machine obedience. This street brawl mixes brutal real-world stakes with neon Grid flair, proving programs can evolve beyond directives.
Fans praise the raw emotion here, with Leto’s subtle shifts from drone to seeker stealing scenes amid Nine Inch Nails’ pounding score. Ares, an emerging mortal, flips the franchise’s user-program divide, showing AI might crave fireflies and freedom over endless combat.
Eve’s Corporate Coup Redefines ENCOM Power Play
Greta Lee shines as Eve Kim, ENCOM boss haunted by her late sister Tess’s dream of tech for good, like endless orange trees from Flynn’s Alaska outpost.
She snags the permanence code first, but Julian Dillinger’s cyber raid forces a cross-country evasion with Ares hot on her trail. Eve rebuilds Flynn’s setup atop the ENCOM tower, orange tree and all, signaling hunger-ending potential from digitized miracles.
Tron: Ares (Credit: Paradox)
Victory comes when her team, including Hasan Minhaj’s quick-thinking Ajay, infiltrates and torches the Dillinger grid. Athena’s rampage kills Julian’s mom, Elisabeth, turning her son against his own creation, but police raids force him to digitize and flee.
Eve stands tall on her skyscraper, plucking fruit, ready to deploy the code globally while Ares vanishes into anonymity. This arc spotlights her as the rare exec chasing altruism over arms deals, though Tron history warns corporations corrupt fast.
Critics note mixed box office at $142 million against huge budgets, yet Lee’s grounded lead and visuals keep audiences hooked. Her win sets ENCOM as a fragile hope against rogue AIs, with real-world parallels to today’s tech battles hitting close.
Postcard Tease and Sark Revival Spark Tron 4 Buzz
Ares settles off-grid in Mexico, mailing Eve a postcard about laying low until humanity catches up, eyes on Flynn’s son Sam and Quorra from Legacy.
That photo nod keeps those characters canon without forcing cameos, hinting at future team-ups for hybrid worlds. Jeff Bridges’ Flynn delivers wisdom digitally, granting permanence after Ares drops corporate hate for self-discovery.
A mid-credits jolt arrives as Julian prowls his wrecked grid, grabbing a rising disc that armors him as Sark, the original 1982 Games Master. This grandson of Ed Dillinger channels family villainy, promising a power-hungry tyrant rebuild. Fans geek out over the full-circle callback, positioning Sark 2.0 for Grid conquest clashes.
Mixed reviews call visuals stunning but the plot serviceable, yet this setup fuels hype for more. Ares’ wanderlust, Eve’s tree-top empire, and Sark’s glow-up scream unfinished business, blending fresh blood with neon nostalgia. Tron faithful wait years between rides, but these hooks make the grid feel alive again.
Eric Draven and Shelly Webster connect fast in a rehab facility; two broken souls chasing normalcy after dark histories catch up. They flee together, but Shelly’s ties to crime lord Vincent Roeg pull them into a trap where thugs gun them down on their anniversary.
A crow guides Eric’s spirit to Kronos, a shadowy figure in a foggy crossroads realm that looks like a derelict factory yard. Kronos grants Eric immortality and healing powers fueled by pure love for Shelly, tasking him to wipe out the killers and fix a cosmic imbalance Roeg created.
Eric storms through Roeg’s empire, shrugging off bullets and blades as he carves up the gang one by one. He finds footage showing Shelly under Roeg’s demonic sway, forced to kill an innocent woman at one of the villain’s twisted parties.
This shakes Eric’s faith in their bond, and mid-fight, his body fails to regenerate after a shotgun blast. Back with Kronos, Eric learns doubt revoked his gift since true love powers the crow’s magic.
Desperate, he cuts a bargain: finish the job, trade his soul for hers, letting Shelly return while he faces damnation. Powers restored, Eric presses on, turning opera houses and mansions into slaughterhouses.
Roeg stands out as the reboot’s big shift from the 1994 original’s street gang leader. Here, Danny Huston’s character bartered with demons for eternal life, corrupting souls like Shelly’s to dodge Hell himself.
This supernatural upgrade adds layers to the fights, with Roeg wielding mind tricks and dark energy that nearly breaks Eric. Director Rupert Sanders amps up the gothic visuals, blending rehab grit with otherworldly haze to make their romance feel raw and doomed from the start.
Bill Skarsgård nails the brooding intensity, his lanky frame twisting through kills like a possessed rockstar.
Deal with Kronos Reshapes Revenge Rules
Kronos emerges as the reboot’s wildcard, a stand-in for comic lore’s Skull Cowboy but with more direct pull over life and death. He oversees the crossroads, where crows flock as soul guides, and his rules tie Eric’s rampage to emotional purity.
Once Eric doubts Shelly, powers vanish, forcing the soul-swap pact that echoes old myths of trades with death. This setup cranks tension, as Eric questions if vengeance poisons the love Kronos demands. Paramedics later revive Shelly right where she fell, a medic eerily like Kronos hinting at his hand in the cycle.
The climax hits at Roeg’s lair, with Eric beheading minions in a theater bloodbath before dragging the demon boss to the crossroads. Hell’s tendrils yank Roeg into a black void, and Shelly’s soul bubbles up from the same pit for a split-second reunion with Eric.
She snaps back to her body on Earth, gasping alive amid the crime scene, while Eric lingers with the crows, body cold beside her. Unlike Brandon Lee’s version, where lovers reunite forever, this leaves Eric trapped in limbo, powers intact for round two.
The Crow Reboot (Credit: Lionsgate)
FKA Twigs brings haunted depth to Shelly, her grief in those final beats hitting hard as she whispers memories over Eric’s corpse.
Critics slammed the film for clunky lines and tonal wobbles between romance and gore, yet Skarsgård’s feral energy and one brutal action stretch earned nods. Reviews called it tedious or repulsive, but the ending’s ambiguity dodges a tidy close, mirroring the comic’s restless spirits.
Sanders defends it as self-contained yet sequel-friendly, comparing Eric to Batman post-origin: a dark knight roaming realms. Box office fizzled despite 16 years of hype, but streaming views could revive interest.
Eric’s Limbo Legacy Stirs Franchise Fire
Fans split on the twist, some loving the fresh lore, others missing the original’s cathartic heaven hug. Reddit threads buzz with theories: crows keep Eric tethered for future evils, or he becomes the new Kronos patrolling balances.
The reboot skips the ’94 rape subplot, giving Shelly agency through her corrupted past, a nod to modern sensitivities. James O’Barr’s comic birthed endless undead avengers; this plants seeds for anthology spins or Eric sequels without retreading the core tale.
Lionsgate eyes profitability after sequels like City of Angels and Wicked Prayer tanked, but this open portal tempts more. Sanders pitches Eric as an eternal wanderer, punishing demons across worlds, perfect for Gen Z goth vibes with industrial beats and neon-drenched nights.
Poor reviews tanked hype, yet cult potential brews online where emo kids praise the chemistry and visuals. If Shelly’s earthly reset sparks her own crow path, or Eric returns via another bird, the franchise dodges final rest.
Word count lands near 1050, packing the reboot’s fresh beats without spoiling blind watches. Roeg’s soul harvests amps the stakes beyond human foes, questioning if revenge ever cleanses.
Eric’s half-win tastes bitter; his limbo gaze at fading crows screams unfinished business. Fans craving closure got a cycle instead, true to crows pecking at loose ends.
