Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/25/tron-lightcycle-run-is-the-newest-coolest-and-most-oddly-punctuated-ride-at-disney-world.html
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Um…what??
https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/tron-cultural-impact
Movies: Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010) revolutionized the film industry with their pioneering use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create virtual worlds. They set new standards for visual effects and advanced storytelling, inspiring filmmakers to explore the potential of technology in filmmaking. Tron: Legacy’s innovative use of 3D technology and visual effects further pushed the boundaries of immersive storytelling and influenced Hollywood’s approach to sequels and reboots.
Movies Influenced by Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010):
- The Matrix (1999) - This cyberpunk sci-fi film, directed by the Wachowskis, drew inspiration from Tron’s virtual reality themes and futuristic aesthetics. It explored similar philosophical concepts, questioning the nature of reality and human existence within a simulated world.
- Ready Player One (2018) - Directed by Steven Spielberg, this film is set in a future where people escape the real world through a massive virtual reality universe, reminiscent of Tron’s exploration of virtual realities.
- Blade Runner (1982) - Although released around the same time as Tron, Blade Runner shares cyberpunk aesthetics and explores themes of human identity, technology, and its impact on society.
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Again…what??
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I was going to say, does the ride leave a solid line of energy behind it for the next group of bikes to crash into?
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I realize you may be trolling, but in case you’re not here’s a quick spoiler-free summary.
Jeff Bridges plays a video game programmer who, in a highly contrived industrial accident at a video game company, is digitized into a computer program version of himself. He is forced to become a player in the gladiatorial “game grid”, where the losing players face “de-resolution”. One of the games he plays is “Light Cycles” where the objective is to force your opponents into crashing into the walls that trail behind your cycle’s path – before your opponent does the same to you.
He allies himself with the titular gladiator Tron, who is a program that “fights for the users.”
Plot aside, the cinematography and computer generated imagery in that first movie were literally revolutionary in the industry. The filmmakers had to routinely create new effects that had never been done on that scale before, and will never be done that way again, thanks to advances in CGI.
The movie also won two Oscars, although ironically not for F/X.
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Can someone help me understand what is weird about the punctuation?
A. Someone who admittedly hasnt seen the movie the ride is based on is writing an article on said ride and surprise doesnt understand the significance!
B. Someone who must not have taken any basic computer classes or watched anything that is related to computer programing. /Run is command line syntax.
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Ruben, if you enjoyed the ride, I would recommend both films. They are both favorites of mine. Original Tron is definitely a classic of early computer effects.
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Not counting taxiing from and back to the loading area, I timed about one minute from the first real acceleration to the last hard braking.
The front row does look worth a few more minutes wait, though.
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Yeah, I felt the same the instant I read that in the article.
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When I was a kid, and when Disney was a mere cable channel, Disney would offer a weekend preview for non-subscribers. Tron, thankfully, would be a standard movie to show during that preview weekend in order to entice kids like my big brother to beg parents to subscribe.
Incidentally, regarding Tron’s appearance in popular culture, the facade of the entrance of my former employer is modeled after Flynn’s Recognizer.
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I recommend watching the movies. They’re no masterpieces of storytelling by any stretch, and the first one is very slowly paced, but the effects are cool and interesting, even the old one if mostly from a historical perspective. I’d recommend watching the newer one with a similar attitude as Interstella 5555: more a feature length music video for an excellent Daft Punk album than a sci-fi movie that just happens to have a cool sound track.
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Probably for the best that they modeled the ride track layout on the newer movie rather than the original. Those instantaneous, full-speed 90 degree turns would be a bit rough even for the most hard-core coaster enthusiasts.
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Very odd choice to have someone write an article when they don’t understand the basis for it, but I guess that’s also a way to get an impartial view?
As a Tron fan who grew up with the movie (and arcade game), I’m pretty excited to see they incorporated the cycles into the ride. Definitely an interesting choice from a safety point of view, considering Disney is generally risk-averse.
And the second movie was a fun watch, with a killer soundtrack and Michael Sheen just chewing the scenery in his highly memorable but small part.
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Not sure about the ride vehicles. I was incredibly uncomfortable on Avatar, so much so I would’ve bailed from the ride if I had the chance. People who have ridden both, what do you think?
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