I haven’t really spent much time writing or thinking about “TRON: Legacy” since it was released, but when Disney sent out the announcement for the DVD and Blu-ray release for the film, I’ll admit that it seems like a really impressive overall package, with some great bonuses onboard as well.
In particular, I’m fascinated by the Second Screen bonus, which does a two-device synch between your TV and, say, an iPad or your laptop, and allows you watch the movie on one device while watching all sorts of secondary features on the second device. I’ve never heard of that happening before, and it’s an interesting way of keeping the film itself unburdened of pop-ups and windows, but making the material available.
I’m also very curious about this new footage that was first rumored over at Ain’t It Cool, and which appears to have been titled “The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed” for this release. In it, we’ll see cast members dealing with the fallout of the events in the film, and we’ll also get a tease for the sequel that Disney is still considering. One of those teases evidently sets up the father-son Dillinger team of Cillian Murphy and David Warner, and I can’t say I’m remotely surprised. I still say they missed a great opportunity to have a real-world villain working against Flynns senior and junior in the real world by not using Murphy’s character more. Why couldn’t they have them trying to shut down the servers that held the Grid? Just that little ticking clock, with Murphy trying to assert ownership of what was obviously an ENCOM asset, would have added some real-world tension to the film.
Whatever. There are several different configurations of DVD and/or Blu-ray for consumers to choose from. There’s a five disc deluxe bundle that comes in a collector’s case that looks like an identity disc, and it comes with a Blu-ray 3D version of the film, a Blu-ray 2D version of the film, a DVD copy, and a Blu-ray of what they are now calling “TRON: The Original Classic.” There ‘s a four-disc version, which is everything except for “TRON: The Original Classic,” a 2-disc version that’s just DVD and Blu-ray, and a single-disc DVD version.
If you just want the original film, you can get it as a 2-disc Blu-ray and DVD edition or a 2-disc DVD version, and the film comes with many new bonus features that weren’t part of the first DVD release. I’m guessing that the hardcore fans are going to want to get the whole enchilada, and I’ll be honest… I’m going to want the five-disc one myself. I don’t love the film on a narrative level, but it is striking, and the Daft Punk score really works better in context. And although I don’t have a 3D TV, I’m sure I will at some point in the life of the format, so why not go ahead and get that version now? Joseph Kosinski is still one of the few people to attempt a giant-budget live-action 3D film that was shot in the format, and there’s a lot of what he did that I’d like to see preserved that way. Besides, when they’re only asking $74.99 for the 5-disc version, it seems silly to spring for anything else.
You’ll be able to own both films in high-definition on April 5th, and on the same day, Disney is releasing “TRON: Legacy RECONFIGURED,” an entire album of remixes of the Daft Punk score. And, yes, I’m sure I’ll be picking that up as well so I’m even more of a menace when I’m out on the road.