Tron: Series Recap

Tron: Past to Present

Forgot what happened in the original Tron movie? Don't feel bad. After all, it has been 28 years. Take a quick trip through our gallery as we summarize the movie that started it all, and take a look at the upcoming blockbuster.

Tron - 1982

Kevin Flynn is a young programmer who once worked at ENCOM, a software mega-company. Flynn created several video games on the ENCOM mainframe while working after hours.

Tron - 1982

Before he is ready to present his projects to senior management, his work is stolen by another programmer, Ed Dillinger. Dillinger locks Flynn out of the system and goes on to present the games as his own work, thus earning himself a series of promotions. Flynn thinks Dillinger is the one who stole his ideas, but needs help from his friends to prove it.

Tron - 1982

Alan Bradley, an ally and current ENCOM programmer, is hesitant to sneak Kevin into corporate headquarters.

Tron - 1982

Kevin, however, is adamant that somewhere on one of the computers is the evidence that will prove Ed Dillinger stole Kevin's games.

Tron - 1982

Eventually, Alan caves and sneaks Kevin (past the "door") into the building.

Tron - 1982

Kevin finds the MCP (Master Control Program) and decides to give it a whirl.

Tron - 1982

Unfortunately, no one told him about a laser that can literally digitize you into the computer world.

Tron - 1982

Stuck in a holding cell, Kevin bides his time before meeting with the boss.

Tron - 1982

He meets a program named Ram while in the holding cell. Flynn becomes friends with Ram who is also friends with Tron. The trio will later bond together in hopes of destroying the MCP and escaping from the Grid.

Tron - 1982

Dillinger, known as Sark in the computer world, is the evil overlord doing the MCP's bidding. He demands that everyone renounce users and give in to the program. Otherwise, they will be eliminated.

Tron - 1982

Kevin listens to Sark break down the rules and recognizes that face.

Tron - 1982

Kevin is then thrown into his first game - a sort of computer world version of jai alai.

Tron - 1982

Kevin refuses to finish off his opponent, Crom. Sark decides to take care of the matter himself and "de-rezzes" him. Sark is about to de-rezz Kevin when he is summoned by the MCP.

Tron - 1982

On his way back to his holding cell, Kevin inquires about a young man who is currently playing a game. He is informed that the young man is named Tron, a fighter for the users. Tron is Alan in the real world.

Tron - 1982

Tron, Ram and Flynn are summoned to the light cycle arena and forced to play another game. In this game, they must keep themselves apart from their enemies' light trails or else be obliterated.

Tron - 1982

The trio speed across the light cycle arena.

Tron - 1982

They team up and manage to force one of their enemies into the side of the arena, opening a large crack in the wall through which they escape.

Tron - 1982

The three locate an I/O tower that Tron needs to access in order to communicate with Alan, but on the way, Flynn's and Ram's light cycles are destroyed by a tank and Tron is separated from the group. Tron breaks into a simulation chamber where a Solar Sailer is being constructed. The MCP is angered and senses Tron's presence.

Tron - 1982

Tron breaks into a simulation chamber where he finds fellow program Yori. After Tron breaks Yori out, the two make their way to the I/O tower, where Tron receives the instructions he needs from Alan to destroy the MCP.

Tron - 1982

They attempt to evade and destroy the MCP with the help of a Solar Sailer. The craft collides with Sark's ship, though, and leads to a showdown between Tron and Sark. With an assist from Flynn, they are able to destroy both Sark and the MCP. Flynn is then transported back to the real world, where he rises through the ranks to become the new CEO of ENCOM.

Tron - 2010

Now, 28 years later, we are treated to the second part of the story.

Tron - 2010

The new film opens with a flashback to Kevin Flynn in the late 1980s, promising to take his son to the arcade in the morning.

Tron - 2010

A news report alerts us that Kevin Flynn, the CEO of ENCOM, has disappeared.

Tron - 2010

Kevin's son, Sam, is left an orphan.

Tron - 2010

Flashforward to the present, and Alan (Bruce Boxleitner) meets up with Sam, now a young man, and alerts him that he received a page from Kevin's arcade - a number that's been out of service for almost 20 years.

Tron - 2010

Reluctant to go back, Sam eventually hops on his Ducati and walks through a dilapidated and dusty Flynn's arcade.

Tron - 2010

He finds a secret room, where his father worked on his programming. Sam activates the computer and is accidentally digitized himself into the Tron universe.

Tron - 2010

A foreboding Recognizer ship inside the computer world startles Sam. His worst fears have become a reality.

Tron - 2010

We learn that Clu 2 was created by Flynn to operate inside the computer world and make it better, but has been corrupted and is creating its own interpretation of what "better" is.

Tron - 2010

Sam meets Clu 2, who he first takes to be his father. That misconception is shattered when he responds, "I'm not your father, Sam..."

Tron - 2010

After following a similar path as Kevin Flynn in the first Tron, Sam is rescued during a light cycle game by Quorra. The two manage to escape the game grid and make their way to Kevin's "house."

Tron - 2010

When Quorra and Sam arrive at Kevin's home, they are met with a look of disbelief and joy.

Tron - 2010

Father and son hug for the first time in over twenty years.

Tron - 2010

Quorra explains to Sam that Kevin thought he would never see his son again.

Tron - 2010

At the same time, Clu 2 is seeking out the real deal and is growing increasingly frustrated.

Tron - 2010

Quorra and Sam unite to get Kevin out of the computer world once more, and the duo prepare to take on Clu 2 and his army.

Tron - 2010

We'll leave the story up to here, since the rest of the action, coupled with the film's ground-breaking 3D, are best experienced on your own. Tron: Legacy in 3D and IMAX 3D begins Dec. 17th, starting at midnight.