Finally! The grid was re-opened at 12:01am on Friday, December 17. We got our tickets two months ahead of time on Fandango and they were said to have sold out one week later. The crowd of 450 Programs was a bit rowdy and everyone was Tweeting, Facebook Checking, and picture taking like mad.
As you looked down the 3 hallways that we all sat and waited for two hours to get the best IMAX 3D viewing experience, people were talking about everything from Daft Punk to Olivia Wilde, Googling, and You tubing like I’d never seen before. It was a glorious Geek fest and we loved it! Everyone was clad in their Tron T-Shirts, Threadless jackets, glow sticks, Identity Disks, and even a homemade Tron Jacket my boyfriend made with EL Wire and sewn with fishing string. It was amazing!
The theater managers let us in about an hour before the film and people all around us were engrossed with their cell phones and electronic devices. At one point, a guy in the front row stood up and announced, “Excuse Me! If anyone has a Nintendo DS and would like to play Mario Kart let’s do it!” Everyone roared with laughter. At another point, someone asked us to sing Happy Birthday to an elderly gentleman, and the crowd obliged.
About 10 minutes before the start of the film, the managers of the theater announced that glow sticks and glow devices were not allowed during the film. Needless to say the crowd was quite annoyed but complied. They had a short quiz session with prizes afterward and their questions were what I’d call “Simpleton” level. “What company did Flynn work with?” “Which game did he create?” “What does Tron Stand for?” … Simpleton! Needless to say, I didn’t win anything.
Cue the Film! Don’t worry no spoilers. In all it’s glory, the film began complete with a Tron inspired Disney Castle logo and loud Daft Punk music playing. The overall feeling was of excitement and joy.
Everyone was completely silent. All of us were on the edge of our seats the entire film. Nobody dared leave his/her seat to use the restroom.
Personally, my overall feeling of the film was utterly awesome! I was impressed with the digital images and younger version of Flynn. I also appreciated the “Easter eggs” they strategically placed throughout the film for those of us who saw the first film. I didn’t think it was necessary to have seen the first film to understand the second but it was great background and made you look deeper at the film. For example, look closely at the fireworks over the City, and notice the name of the warehouse that adult Sam Flynn lives in. Quite awesome! And finally, I learned what C.L.U. , Flynn’s likeness in the game, stands for “ Chipset Likeness User.” Rad!
I did think that they needed more “battle” scenes. I was expecting more gladiator type games and less “epic hero storyline.”
There was one controversy of the film. Part of the IMAX 3D version was shot in 2D. They announced that at the beginning of the film, but honestly, I didn’t think it took away from the film at all.
Ok, now that I’ve seen it, I plan on seeing it again very soon! You should totally check it out. I heard, but have yet to have seen, that D Street and California Adventure Tron Stores both have new merchandise after the release of the film. I hope to report back on that sometime this week. I also hope that it is better than the last Disney merchandise they released. It was a HUGE disappointment in that they did not have what I like to call “real people sizes,” clothes that are a large are a large and not an extra small, fitted. Likewise, the cost for merchandise was outrageous! Let’s hope they go on clearance and brought in some newer size-friendly merchandise. Oh! One last thing, I found some very cool Mickey ears . For $80 you can own your own Tron inspired Mickey Ears! How cool is that! If anyone wants to get me a present, this would be the one! *hint, hint*
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