TRON (1982)

Director:

Steven Lisberger

Writers:

Steven Lisberger (story) and
Bonnie MacBird (story)

Release Date:

9 July 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Electronic Gladiator

Plot:

A hacker is literally abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.

Plot Keywords:

Computer | Cyberspace | Computer Programmer | Alter Ego | Video Game

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Kevin Flynn / Clu
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Alan Bradley / Tron
David Warner	...	Ed Dillinger / Sark / Master Control Program
Cindy Morgan	...	Lora / Yori
Barnard Hughes	...	Dr. Walter Gibbs / Dumont
Dan Shor	...	Ram / Popcorn Co-Worker
Peter Jurasik	...	Crom
Tony Stephano	...	Peter / Sark's Lieutenant
Craig Chudy	...	Warrior #1
Vince Deadrick Jr.	...	Warrior #2 (as Vince Deadrick)
Sam Schatz	...	Expert Disc Warrior
Jackson Bostwick	...	Head Guard
David S. Cass Sr.	...	Factory Guard (as Dave Cass)
Gerald Berns	...	Guard #1
Bob Neill	...	Guard #2

Also Known As:

Tron (UK)
Tron: The Electronic Gladiator (Australia)
Tron (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Tron (France) [fr]
Tron (Sweden) [sv]
Tron (Netherlands) [nl]
Tron (West Germany) [de]
Tron (Finland) [fi]
Tron (Italy) [it]
Tron - Uma Odisséia Eletrônica (Brazil) [pt]
Tron, el guerrero electrónico (Spain) (alternative title) [es]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | Taiwan

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 (20th anniversary collector's edition) | Iceland:L | Peru:PT | South Korea:15 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California, USA

Company:

Lisberger/Kushner

Trivia:

During the ENCOM exterior shooting (where the giant door was), there had been radioactive spillage near the shoot. Cindy Morgan even stepped in a contaminated area and had to have her shoes decontaminated.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Flynn, Tron and Ram escape from the lightcycle arena, the first shot of all three cycles (when Flynn is heard saying "Greetings, programs!") shows Tron in front, followed by Flynn, then Ram. In all subsequent shots, Flynn is in front, then Tron, then Ram.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Boy in Video Game Arcade: All right, give me room. Here we go.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Homestarrunner.com: Everything Else, Volume 2 (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

1990s Theme

Tron works

For the average viewer, 'Tron' is a puzzling film. The language is loaded with jargon, the world experienced by Clu and Tron (inside the computer) appears strange, forbidding and two-dimensional. It is a world that seems to work though, but how does the human Clu instantly know how to adjust to its peculiarities?

Viewers have come to expect that techno-babble jargon in SciFi flicks is completely meaningless. That isn't entirely the case for 'Tron', much of it is firmly based in computing. Even more importantly, this strange world Clu and Tron inhabit is equally firmly based on the way computer operating systems work, and that is the reason why Clu (in real live a computer hacker) knows how to handle it.

Using this world as the basis for a movie was pretty audacious, especially in 1982. Thankfully, the writers did not compromise on their idea, and consequently the film not only worked but it stood the test of time.

'Tron' works, because computers work.