Essential properties for a Tron sequel
I’ve calmed down since I wrote my last couple posts, so this one probably won’t have any caps lock and cursing like last time. I want to start off with a more secularized take on what I was talking about last time: the Tron spirit. Today I want to look at the essential properties for a Tron sequel - what is the essence of Tron. By “essential properties” I mean: a property without which sth would cease to be an x (some thing, or kind of thing). So, what is essential for a movie to be a Tron sequel (apart from being titled as one). What features are necessary for a Tron sequel to be a Tron sequel. So, for example, you couldn’t have an Indiana Jones movie without Dr. Jones and archaeology.
This topic has been largely implicit in this blog, but here I want to state my position more clearly. I take it that what the producers of the Tron sequel, the PC game and the comic, that the essential properties for something to wear the ‘Tron’ name are:
- Glowing suits and discs
- a computer world where everything is permanently darkness
- MCP security program
- light cycles
- religious analogy
- The Flynn family line
- Encom
- etc.
These are exactly the tenets that I’m arguing against. Don’t get me wrong: I have no problem with the original movie. I suppose I’m arguing for a different kind of “sequel”. Here are what I take to be the essential properties of a Tron movie:
- being sucked into video games/computer world
- real world/computer world mirroring
- Some nominal reference to the original Tron movie
- Wendy Carlos
Notice that I have not included the dark computer world and the glowing circuit board suits. Also, I have included Wendy Carlos as essential, whereas the producers of the Tron sequel obviously don’t see it this way. If you want to see how the first 3 of these properties might be worked into a Tron sequel story, see my earlier posts.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
[...] is the fun part. How could you make a Tron sequel out of a concept like that above (see my earlier post for my guidelines)? There would have to be some at least nominal reference to Tron. There could be [...]