REVIEW: Tron: Ares is a Stunning, High-Voltage Film Worthy of Your Time
By Jonathan Subido
October 11, 2025
Directed by Joachim Rønning, the Oscar-nominated co-director of Kon-Tiki who later helmed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Tron: Ares is poised to be his next blockbuster. Teaming up with Nine Inch Nails for the score, this movie looked promising on paper. But did it deliver? Let’s see.
Tron: Ares is the third installment of Disney’s Tron series and a sequel to Tron: Legacy (2010). The film features Jared Leto as Ares, alongside Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson, with Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn, who was zapped into the Grid in Tron (1982).
Sleek and visually-stunning
Jared Leto as Ares, the new Master Control Program
Programs Break Out in a Race for Permanence
In Tron: Ares, a new Master Control Program is introduced in the form of the highly sophisticated Ares (Leto). He is sent from the digital world into the human world, where digital constructs can remain for only 29 minutes before their de-resolution. Eve Kim (Lee), the new CEO of EXCOM, and Julian Dillinger (Peters), the grandson of former ENCOM executive Ed Dillinger, race to find the Permanence Code—the key to allowing programs to exist in our world for good.
Greta Lee is Eva Kim, CEO of ENCOM
A Fun Ride Powered by Terrific Human (and Program) Performances
The fun factor is high enough to let you turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride—and for me, it absolutely delivered.
The acting is top-tier across the board. The cast feels believably grounded, with just the right sprinkle of comedy. Standouts include a tamed Jared Leto as Ares, who perfectly captures a program with sentient curiosity, and the magnetic Greta Lee as Eve. Their dynamic is hilariously awkward—like a Terminator trying to figure out small talk—making their interactions a highlight. Evan Peters is delightful as a spoiled, power-hungry young CEO. Unfortunately, Gillian Anderson is terribly underused, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Where the Score Is as Immersive as the World Itself
The soundtrack isn’t just background noise—it’s a living, breathing character of its own. Nine Inch Nails infuses the film with a dark, industrial pulse that electrifies every frame. When the music swells, it doesn’t merely set the mood; it drags you straight into the Grid.
Crafted by Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross under the Nine Inch Nails banner, the 24-track original score elevates the film to an entirely new level—something rarely achieved in recent years. As executive producers as well, Reznor and Ross blur the line between sound design and storytelling, creating an auditory experience that’s as haunting as it is immersive.
Jeff Bridges returns as the original game developer of the video game Space Paranoids and former employee of ENCOM, Kevin Flynn.
Visual Fireworks Ignite a Dazzling Digital Frontier
This movie is a visual feast. The digital world isn’t just circuits and code—it’s a breathtaking, advanced civilization you’ll desperately wish you could explore. The action scenes are a flashy, fireworks-like spectacle that I couldn’t get enough of.
Flawed, but a Feast for the Eyes
Of course, a movie this focused on spectacle comes with trade-offs. The flaws aren’t glaring unless you stop to think—but they’re there. The villain chooses to communicate through a giant, talking avatar and complex code instead of, you know, just using a microphone.
Sure, the storyline doesn’t rewrite the rules of science fiction, but what it lacks in novelty, it makes up for in sheer spectacle.
And my biggest gripe? I wanted to explore more of that incredible digital world.
Jodi Turner-Smith is Athena. 2nd in command to Ares and an AI warrior.
Verdict: A Fun Visual Thrill Ride Worthy of Your Time
At its core, Tron: Ares is a neon-soaked love letter to its predecessors. Even if you’ve never seen the earlier films, this latest chapter stands firmly on its own—accessible to newcomers yet peppered with nostalgic Easter eggs that longtime fans will instantly recognize.
On IMAX, the visuals are breathtaking. It’s a wild, high-voltage ride that dives into the idea that AI, for all its perfection, mirrors the same flaws as its human creators.
If you’re into sleek visuals, adrenaline-pumping action, a few existential questions here and there, and a soundtrack that hits like a digital heartbeat, Tron: Ares deserves a spot on your must-watch list.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Tron: Ares is showing in theaters now. Catch it in IMAX.
Photos courtesy of SM Cinemas and Disney.