Disney’s new TRON serial doesn’t kick off until next month, but the entire first episode has gone live to hold us over until then.
The plot is not quite revolutionary, in fact I couldn’t stop thinking about Batman Beyond through the entire exposition, but it doesn’t need to be. The show has style to spare.
The animation is beautiful, the characters well-developed – especially for a half-hour pilot – and the voice performances are beyond expectation. The dynamic of Bruce Boxleitner, our TRON, and Elijah Wood, as Beck, the young program training to take TRON’s place as the savior of The Grid, is outstanding.
Yes, the story is a bit trite, and the show is filled to the brim with flick tropes, but with the talent, beauty, and sheer fun of the show, it won’t take long for it to find its legs, and really get going strong. I’m looking forward to the second episode to drop in the middle of next month.
Here’s the synopsis if you’re not familiar:
Beck is a young mechanic living in Argon City, a growing metropolis in a far off corner of the grid that has just been occupied by General Tesler, a henchman of the notorious Clu. After his best friend Bodhi is ruthlessly derezzed by Clu’s army, Beck seeks justice for his lost friend and launches a crusade against the regime. His rebellion captures the attention of Tron, the greatest warrior The Grid has ever known, who sees the potential in Beck and trains him to be his successor. Labeled with the moniker of The Renegade, Beck sparks a revolution to fight for the freedom of The Grid.
TRON: Uprising officially debuts on Disney XD on June 7th, 2012 at 9pm.
