4K Review: "TRON: Legacy" Derezzes Its Old Look with a Vibrant 4K Upgrade
Less than a month before the release of TRON: Ares, Disney is encouraging fans to relive the previous entries through new 4K restorations. 2010’s TRON: Legacy is now available on 4K Ultra-HD in collectible SteelBook packaging. Like the 1982 classic, the sequel was a special effects juggernaut, one that refreshed the graphics of this digital world in a way that felt like a leap from Atari to gaming consoles of the future.
Two decades after Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) vanishes, his rebellious son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is drawn into the digital Grid, a dazzling virtual realm created by his father. There, he discovers Clu (de-aged Jeff Bridges), Kevin’s corrupted duplicate who seized control and wiped out a race of self-generating programs called ISOs. With help from Quorra (Olivia Wild), the last surviving ISO, Sam reunites with Kevin and learns that Clu plans to escape into the real world using Flynn’s powerful identity disc. Racing across light cycles, solar sailers, and soaring jets, father, son, and ally fight to stop Clu’s quest for perfection.
Disney has lovingly upscaled this film to 4K from its 2K Digital Intermediate source. TRON: Legacy receives its most significant visual improvement from the expanded HDR color palette capabilities, and the new Dolby Atmos mix helps to recreate the theatrical experience in the comfort of your home. The new disc is paired with the 2011 Blu-Ray release, and while it feels like an opportunity was missed to provide any sort of exclusive tease at the third installment, with less than a month until that film’s release, it doesn’t feel like a huge oversight.
Video
The 4K presentation of TRON: Legacy makes the Grid shine like never before. Even though the film originates from a 2K digital source, the upscaled image is impressively sharp, with skin tones, costumes, and set textures holding up well against the movie’s sleek digital sheen. HDR gives the neon blues, glowing whites, and amber highlights a vivid punch, while shadows stay deep without swallowing detail. The shifting IMAX ratios suit the spectacle, drawing you deeper into the world. It’s not reference-level 4K, but it’s a clean, vibrant upgrade that flatters the film’s stylish production design.
Audio
The new Dolby Atmos mix brings Daft Punk’s score and the film’s futuristic soundscape to exhilarating life. From the opening Disney logo through the thunderous Light Cycle battles, the track envelopes you in rich layers of music, effects, and ambience. Dialogue remains crisp, but the real thrill is how seamlessly effects sweep through the room. Recognizers rumble overhead, light jets dart across channels, and the Sirens’ footsteps click from every corner. Bass has extra punch, giving the action real presence, while the overall soundstage feels expansive and alive. Additional audio options include a descriptive audio track, 7.1 French, German, and Japanese, and 5.1 Quebec French, Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, Czech, and Polish.
Bonus Features
- The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed (10 minutes + Easter Eggs) - When the son of a famous video game engineer receives a virtual signal from his long-lost father, he sets off on a thrilling, high-tech adventure through a cyber universe to rescue his dad.
- Play Movie with Disney Second Screen - A now-defunct BD-Live feature that Disney discontinued and has stopped supporting, rendering it inaccessible.
- What is Disney Second Screen? (0:40) - A video advertisement for this BD-Live relic.
- First Look at TRON: Uprising, the Disney XD Animated Series (1:15) - A teaser for the short-lived animated series that can be streamed on Disney+.
- Launching the Legacy (10:20) - Uncover how the writers and filmmakers created this amazing story.
- Visualizing Tron (11:46) - See the filmmakers bring the world inside the grid to life.
- Installing the Cast (12:04) - The stars discuss their unique Tron experience
- Disc Roars (3:00) - Director Joseph Kosinksy rallies the fans at Comic-Con.
- Music Video: “Derezzed" written, produced and performed by Daft Punk (2:58)
- Discover Blu-Ray 3D with Timon & Pumbaa (4:23) - The sidekicks from The Lion King try to promote 3D TVs in this 2010 ad.
- Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on the Go (1:04) - A guide to redeeming a Disney File Digital Copy, which at the time of this disc’s pressing, required a disc and a code.
Packaging & Design
TRON: Legacy comes to 4K Ultra-HD exclusively in SteelBook packaging, with metallic artwork that leans into the glowing aesthetic of the film. The 4K disc has artwork of a light disc and reuses the 2011 Blu-Ray’s menu. There are no trailers or bonus features on the 4K disc.
The Blu-Ray disc is an exact copy of the 2011 release, including opening with outdated previews (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Prom, TRON: Uprising) and references to obsolete interactive features. Despite this disc having artwork in 2011 with a similar light disc aesthetic, the included disc here lacks artwork, instead featuring Disney’s typical blue disc with white text, accompanied by a new Sony copyright around the edges. It’s odd that the Blu-Ray disc in the TRON set was lightly modified, while this one remained untouched.
The only insert is a digital copy code, redeemable through Movies Anywhere.
Final Thoughts
Disney’s 4K upgrade of TRON: Legacy gives the sleek sequel the home presentation it’s always deserved. The HDR pass amplifies the film’s luminous blues, rich shadows, and golden highlights, while the Dolby Atmos mix turns Daft Punk’s score and the Grid’s effects into a thrilling sonic ride. The SteelBook packaging adds collector appeal, even if the included Blu-ray feels frozen in 2011 and the 4K disc lacks new extras. Still, for fans revisiting the saga ahead of TRON: Ares, or newcomers ready to experience its cutting-edge style, this release offers a vivid, immersive return to one of Disney’s most ambitious modern adventures.
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