I have to give Steven Lisberger, Syd Mead, Moebius and the other designers of Tron immense credit. In 1982, before most people had desktops, they imagined a world where people would go live in alternate realities as avatars, and today we find ourselves in a world of Second Life and MMOG’s. The world they imagined—it has happened.”
—Sean Bailey, Producer
It’s been 28 years since the original Tron—the longest awaited sequel in movie history. The filmmakers behind Tron: Legacy have taken advantage of its unique time span to go a little meta on us.
In 1982, Steven Lisberger and his team used mostly practical methods to simulate a digital world for our hero, Kevin Flynn, to explore.
But in the ensuing decades, both real-world computer technology and the world of Tron (The Grid) have evolved exponentially, allowing directorial newcomer Joseph Kosinski and the Tron: Legacy team to go the other way, using CGI to give the digital world a more real and visceral look.
It makes for a pretty compelling art book. Following a foreword by Production Designer Darren Gilford, writer Justin Springer jumps right into the origin of Tron: Legacy, detailing the movie’s humble beginnings as a visual test to be shown Easter-egg style at San Diego Comic Con 2008.
Quite interesting, thought I, but let’s be honest. I bought The Art of Tron: Legacy for the same reason anyone buys an art book: Pictures.
What surprised me is the attention paid to the real-world aspect of Tron: Legacy. A lot of thought went into designing protagonist Sam Flynn’s apartment, which is made of shipping containers to reflect his off-the-grid lifestyle (har har). Another slightly meta aspect is the Tron action figure among Sam’s stuff; even in the movie, Tron was featured as a video game produced by in-universe company Encom.
Equal space is given to Flynn’s, the arcade we saw in the original Tron. Perhaps my favorite image in the book is the revelation that Flynn’s arcade exists on The Grid as well, albeit with a darker tone. In a way, Flynn’s bridges the two worlds—you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen the trailer.
Of course, the bulk of the art is focused on The Grid. Rather than just showing you the images, there’s a decent amount of information as well, from processes and techniques to a suprising amount of details about the film. No major spoilers, but more than I expected. The art itself varies from storyboards and sketches to concept art, paintings, digital models, and even shots from the movie itself.
A lot of effort is made to show you how they evolved individual elements from the 1982 look to that of Legacy, which paid off for me. I never considered myself a film buff before meeting my wife, but she’s into all that behind-the-scenes type stuff and it’s really grown on me. Interestingly, and perhaps for that reason, I noticed a lot of visual cues from Blade Runner in the design—clear raincoats, neon umbrellas, and prominent bangs, to name a few.
For fans of Tron (or concept art in general), The Art of Tron: Legacy won’t disappoint. It helps the two films feel more like a cohesive unit despite the displacement in time and technology, and best of all, looks great.
★★★★☆ 4/5
This review based on the hardcover edition of The Art of Tron: Legacy, ISBN 9781423131496
