Following last night's social media reactions, the TRON: Ares review embargo has lifted, and these full verdicts from critics are as mixed as expected. It's rare for those posts on X to be anything other than glowing, so the fact that so many of them pointed out the threequel's flaws suggested this might be the case.
Regardless, this movie has been a long time coming, and it's the third instalment of the iconic sci-fi franchise that kicked off with 1982's groundbreaking TRON. That was followed by TRON: Legacy in 2010, and after years of stops and starts, the Jared Leto-led third instalment arrives in theaters this weekend.
In Variety's review, it's said, "Whereas the original 1982 Disney film on which it was based felt ahead of its time, Sean Bailey’s latest attempt to franchise-ify the 'Tron' brand reads mostly as an exercise in nostalgia."
Deadline believes it's "entertaining enough on its own dazzling techno level," and The Hollywood Reporter acknowledges that while it's "no sci-fi insta-classic...there are worse things to be than a surprisingly entertaining post-summer popcorn bucket."
GamesRadar+ writes, "A serviceable blockbuster falls short of being truly fun by swapping the Grid for a real-world setting. Despite a good lead performance from Greta Lee and a great score, Ares lacks the charm and silliness of its Tron predecessors after one upgrade too many."
Empire was on the same page, noting, "It has about as much depth as a floppy disk, but some lovely, shiny CGI and a stunningly ear-shattering score from Nine Inch Nails makes for a fun if forgettable bit of futuristic fluff."
Still, TRON: Ares, at its core, might be one for the die-hard fans. "Rønning’s dazzling action sequences and the killer soundtrack might be enough to satisfy fans, but Tron: Ares feels just as likely to get lost among a sea of the type of films Tron inspired," explains Polygon. io9 adds, "Tron: Ares is certainly cool, but in no way edgy. It’s familiar, safe, and formulaic in very Disney ways that make it work overall."
IGN states, "Tron: Ares somehow forgets where it came from and relentlessly revisits the original, only making the latest version of the Grid paler by comparison."
Finally, we hear from TheDisInsider. "Tron: Ares is very much fast food sci-fi, presenting itself as something more intellectual than it actually turns out to be," the review points out. "Luckily, it’s a feast of visual spectacle, a lightshow of gorgeous special effects and well-choreographed action."
Like The Grid itself, Tron: Ares' Rotten Tomatoes' score is in a state of flux. It's been both "Rotten" and "Fresh" since the embargo, but with 54 verdicts counted, it has now landed dreaded green splat with 57%.
Disaster, right? Not necessarily. While this won't help its box office prospects, the score isn't that much different to TRON (61%) or TRON: Legacy (51%). Given how beloved both movies are, there's every chance that TRON: Ares will find an audience and a die-hard fanbase, even if it doesn't go down in the record books as a huge critical and commercial hit.
TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.
TRON: Ares arrives in theaters on October 10, 2025.