Almost three decades after Tron premiered in theaters, the sequel, Tron: Legacy, debuted in 2010. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (F1: The Movie) and with a budget of $170 million, Tron Legacy went on to gross $410 million worldwide. As the third film, Tron: Ares, makes its way to theaters on October 10, 2025, Disney has made both Tron and Tron: Legacy available in 4K for purchase. With both the previously released Blu-ray and the newly remastered 4K versions presented in a beautifully packaged SteelBook, Tron: Legacy would make a great addition to anyone's home entertainment library.
In 1989, Sam's (Garrett Hedlund; Four Brothers) father, ENCOM CEO Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges; The Big Lebowski) disappeared. Twenty years later, a pager message originating from the now shuttered arcade is received. Exploring the Arcade, Sam finds a hidden basement with a computer and a laser that suddenly digitizes Sam and lands him in The Grid, a virtual reality created by his father.
Once there, Sam is captured and sent to "the Games". When he is injured and bleeds, the computer program realizes Sam is a User and brings him to the evil CLU (Bridges). With the help of Quorra (Olivia Wilde; Don't Worry Darling), Sam escapes CLU, and Quorra brings Sam to his father. There, Kevin explains how CLU betrayed him and closed the portal, effectively trapping Kevin inside. With Kevin's assistance, Sam eventually gets back to the human world, ready to take over ENCOM.
The sequel definitely benefits from Bridges' return, and it would have had a different feel had he chosen not to return. He brings a certain gravitas and credibility to the film and essentially passes the baton to the younger cast. Wilde is both interesting and intriguing as Kevin's apprentice, and the curious nature she brings to Quorra plays out well throughout the film. Hedlund is also good, but at times he comes across as wooden and devoid of emotion.
The most notable change with this release is the incredible quality of the special effects in 2160p resolution. The Dolby Vision video quality showcases the graphics, featuring a cold grey and neon blue hue. The color palette definitely benefits from the deeper saturation display and the fine details shown throughout. However, it's a shame they didn't take the opportunity to fix Jeff Bridges' CGI to make him look younger, which was one of the more criticized aspects of the original film's visual presentation.
Perhaps where this remastered version shines the most is in the audio upgrade. The Dolby Atmos audio is layered with ambience sounds throughout and makes excellent use of the surround speakers. The soundtrack has never sounded better, and the dialogue is clear and crisp.
While the film went through a 4K restoration, there are no new Bonus Features included with this combo pack. The archived extras include Featurettes: The Next Day and Special Look at Tron: Uprising: The Disney XD animated series, Music Video: "Derezzed" written, produced and performed by Daft Punk, Launching the Legacy: Uncover how the writers and filmmakers created this amazing story, Disc Roars: Director Joseph Kosinksy rallies the fans at Comic-Con, Visualizing Tron: See the filmmakers bring the world inside the grid to life, and Installing the Cast: The stars discuss their unique Tron experience.
Even though the acting and the plot may not be as strong as its predecessor, the 4K combo pack of Tron: Legacy has much to offer fans and casual viewers alike. The SteelBook is in and of itself a treat, and the upgraded technical aspects make owning this latest release a solid purchase ahead of the third theatrical installment in the franchise.
Perhaps the only drawback of this and the Tron 4K SteelBooks is the lack of new and fresh extras. Otherwise, this is the best the film has looked and sounded to date.
Grade: B
