The year of 3D

It's fair to say that 2010 has been the year of the explosion of 3D films. It seems fitting that the year would end, then, with a 3D film like "Tron Legacy."

Back in 1982, when "Tron" was released, it was a futuristic idea that was ahead of the technological capability of the times. The film looks pretty awful by today's standards, and considering it was mostly supposed to be about visuals, that's not a good sign. There is little story to it and the visual effects leave a lot to be desired.

In comparison, the new film is light years ahead of that mark. But that doesn't make it a great film. Though it was released in December of 2009, it's fair to say "Avatar" kicked off this new 3D craze. That wasn't my favorite film either. While I thought the visual style, particularly the use of 3D, was outstanding, there wasn't enough to the story in "Avatar" to make it worthwhile. I thought it was one of the most overrated films to the year, with a weird Earth worship theme to boot.

"Tron Legacy" is in that same class. While it has a unique visual style created for its world, and it makes good use of the 3D technology, the story leaves something to be desired. The film also offers a weird pseudo-religious message that doesn't make a lot of sense. If I could figure out what they were actually trying to say, I'm pretty sure I would have been offended. But it was the visual style that really adds a little punch to the presentation.

While I don't expect "Tron Legacy" to earn a Best Picture nomination — at least I hope it doesn't — it's interesting to see that, after all that we've seen in the overuse of 3D in 2010, we're back where it all started. Much like "Avatar," "Tron Legacy" is beautiful to look at but ultimately a hollow presentation.

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