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The kids might not remember, but “Tron” was once one of Disney’s most innovative projects, with big ideas, eye-popping visuals and seriously rad lightcycles that a generation thought might be awesome to ride in the near future.Now, the best thing you can say about the flagging sci-fi franchise is that it sounds pretty cool.“Tron: Ares” (rated ★★ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters Oct. 10) is a light-up armored shell of its former self, an aggressively unremarkable combo of “Pinocchio,” “Frankenstein” and generic disaster flick with Jared Leto as an exceedingly dull digital warrior. Beat-thumping techno songs and score by Nine Inch Nails help it all go down easier, as does original “Tron” guy Jeff Bridges dude-ing up a few scenes, but traveling to that nifty high-tech landscape in this third "Tron" outing has become a chore rather than a pleasure.One would think that with artificial intelligence being on everyone’s mind, a new “Tron” might be the vehicle to explore that theme in a nuanced, albeit entertaining fashion. Nah, “Ares” botches that, too, starting with a “digitized” exposition dump to get everyone up to speed on what you need to know. (AI Robin Roberts even pops up for a little Disney synergy.)Two tech companies, Dillinger Systems and ENCOM, are racing to see who can take the next step in using AI to change the world. And even if you don’t know a darn thing about “Tron” mythology, they make the different sides clear: ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee) creates an orange tree with the use of technology, while rival honcho Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) harnesses AI to make a war machine. One's about giving life, the other about destruction.Neither of these corporations can keep a physical AI creation from dissolving into grainy black bits in 29 minutes. So when Eve cracks the Permanence Code (which makes them, yes, permanent) by using an old computer once owned by former ENCOM CEO Kevin Flynn (Bridges), Dillinger deploys soldiers from the digital Grid – including his Master Control main man, Ares (Leto) – to nab it from her.Ares, though, is a malfunctioning program and yearns to be a real boy. When Eve winds up blasted into the digital world of the Grid, they strike a deal: If Ares gets her back home, she'll help him become flesh and blood. But as soon as they return, a villainous armed force from the Grid – including a ginormous, flying tank-like Recognizer – shows up to start wreaking havoc on the real world. Director Joachim Rønning’s adventure has all the trappings that a “Tron” fan would want, from snazzy visuals like light-up discs and Ares' surf-speeder contraption to passing references to previous films. None of them really assist a story that’s straight up nonsensical, even if you’re a hardcore Gen Xer with a "Flynn Lives" shirt who agrees with Ares that Depeche Mode is totally better than Mozart. It’d be one thing if there were so many whiz-bang sequences to make you forgive the odd plot point, but instead, you’re just left wondering things like how a laser can just make a human being.As Ares, Leto weaves wildly between AI-brained fighter and fish-out-of-water man-child. Lee does her best with what she’s given, though Eve is one of many underdeveloped characters. Peters’ villain isn’t given much to do other than type a whole bunch – it’s still more than Gillian Anderson (who plays Julian’s somewhat more morally righteous mom) has. And Bridges is parachuted in for a little while to remind us all that, yeah, “Tron” used to rule.Somehow, over the years, these movies have turned into better albums than they are films. The 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy” was an OK flick with a fantastic Daft Punk soundtrack. “Ares” offers up a forgettable threequel with some Nine Inch Nails that’ll have you jamming in your theater seat while what looks like a Godzilla-sized game of “Space Invaders” unfolds over a nightly cityscape.Unfortunately, the rest of the movie isn’t as inspired as Trent Reznor and friends.How to watch 'Tron: Ares'"Tron: Ares," starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Jeff Bridges, opens in theaters Oct. 10. It is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association "for violence/action."
