Can you call a film a classic if it didn't do well at the box office back when it was released, wasn't exactly a huge hit in rentals and reruns either and yet people of a certain age think back on it fondly as part of their childhood? The original "Tron" film from the 80s may not show up in a lot of "favorite films" lists, but most kids at a certain age still perceived it as something unique at its time, if only visually. Almost 30 years later, there's the sequel now and you can see that the creators appreciated the original for its impact on special effects and visuals. Especially the beginning makes sure to pay tribute to the predecessor, including wonderfully cheesy 80s music playing at the arcade. To get right to the point: the sequel is a worthy one.

Of course, the story easily fits on a beer coaster. Flynn's son (accidentally) goes into The Grid to find his father who has been missing for 20 years. It's not surprising to report that the plot has few surprises to offer (at least in the first half) and doesn't exactly reach Shakespearean proportions of drama. The movie's smart enough to add plenty of really gorgeously looking action sequences just at the right times. The visuals of the world inside The Grid is sometimes breathtaking, always impressive, but surprisingly dark. The decent but not stunning 3D effects are limited to this part of the film, the real world remains 2D.

The list of actors worth mentioning is relatively short, considering 80% of the characters are wearing masks throughout the entire film. Newcomer Garrett Hedlund delivers a surprisingly confident performance as the leading man. Jeff Bridges sometimes even channels The Dude Lebowski in his role as older Flynn and reaches the excellent level of acting one can expect from him towards the end of the film. Olivia Wilds's character as female sidekick may not give her much space to shine, but yet she manages to add a quirky quality to it that's rather likable. Michael Sheen as flamboyant club owner overacts by a notch or two.
The problem is the bad guy, a pretty well known but computer generated face, that once again shows that actors won't have to fear replacement any time soon. A couple of time you forget that it's just a computer trick, but most of the time it's a tad disenchanting.

The soundtrack by Daft Punk, mixing a classic score with their pumping electronic rhythms, may be one of the best aspects of the film. Together with the stunning visuals the movie creates a pulsating, enchanting rhythm, especially during the club fight sequence that is a pleasure for all senses.

The final verdict for the film may have been style winning over brains and heart, if it wasn't for the ending, which finally reaches an emotional level the viewer can connect to. And the final frame of the movie is actually so sweet that it entirely redeems the emotionally somewhat cool and indifferent first half of the story.

It's easy to rip this movie apart if you're not willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy pointing out plot holes (or maybe I simply didn't get it.) Or you can just let yourself get drawn into his world and have two pretty damn entertaining hours with this. It's mostly up to the audience.

7 out of 10 light bikes.