TRON: Uprising Indeed

The TRON: Uprising Mobile Studio
A Disney Parks Blog Photo

I can't get rid of this thing and Disney just won't seem to let it go. Please note this is only the personal opinion of the aging Disneyland Traveler and maybe an opinion not shared by those who are younger and more hip, as the kids used to like to say. Once again, the Disney franchise known as TRON is resurfacing to needle my existence.

The original TRON movie in the early 80's, while a clever original concept, was poorly executed. The movie was nonsensical and not very well received by critics and movie audiences. Guess what? Disney tried again a few years ago and once again produced a movie that was nonsensical for many and at best, marginally profitability. The clamoring to put up a TRON attraction in Tomorrowland died down a bit after the movie came out and fell on its face. But Disney tried and planted the nighttime street party known as ElecTRONica in DCA for an almost 2 year run. For someone like me, it was an assault on my senses saved only by an appearance of a pretty cool Laserman.

But here it comes, back again, a new animated TV show on the Disney xD channel called TRON: Uprising. While TRON fans (and they do exist) can't wait, I've got an uprising for you, an uprising of one called the Disneyland Traveler who is just a bit weary of having TRON forced down my throat. Yeah, it's a little extreme. To promote TRON: Uprising Disney has put together a pretty cool truck and trailer rig that features a mobile viewing theater where people can look at previews for the new show. It's due to set up a position in Downtown Disney Anaheim later this week.

But life is full of choice, and my choice is, while I had hopes for the reboot of the TRON franchise, I have been pretty dissappointed with what has been delivered. My choice is to go out of my way to avoid anything TRON related until I actually hear that Disney may finally be on to something.

End of Line Club

I posted the following to MousePlanet Forum a little while ago.  It bears repeating here I suppose.  ElecTRONica is over, my life can now move on.

______________________

OK... I may be in the minority, or maybe the majority (but in the end my vote doesn't count) but tonight brings a merciful end to ElecTRONica, a spectacle that should have had a shelf life of 6 months tops but somehow managed to live close to a year and a half. I guess there are some dance-off finals going on but in my world, I'm just doing a quiet happy dance because the production is being shown the exit door, don't let it hit you in the rear on the way out. Imagine, no more tweets from Disney to my cell phone announcing who tonight's DJ is going to be. I can't hit the DELETE button fast enough for these.

And so ElecTRONica is gone only to be replaced by something that seems to be even more savagely attacked by bloggers and forum posters - this Mad T Party, which only saving grace may be that it promises to be less obtrusive and occupy a smaller footprint in the new Hollywood Land than its predecessor. Disney missed the boat. This would have been the perfect time to bring in an Avengers audio-visual spectacle with the anticipated blockbuster hitting the movie screens in a few weeks. Kids would have ate it up as would their parents unless they are part of the "KEEP MARVEL OUT" contingent. Then again, with all thats going on with DCA this summer, did Disney really need to bring in something that would have brought even more people into a park that may present opportunities for grid-lock?

Getting Sledgehammered By TRON

I got a Netflix movie in the mail yesterday - TRON blu-ray edition. Not the recent TRON:Legacy movie, the family  watched that one a few weeks ago. The movie I received yesterday was the original 1982 TRON also enhanced with blu-ray HD technology.

Now, I'm old enough to semi-remember seeing the original TRON when it came out in the early 80's. As I recall, it was heavily promoted by Disney but not particularly well received by movie patrons. Interesting concept, technically advanced for the time, but in the end, a confusing muddled mess.

With all the hype surrounding TRON: Legacy last December when it was released, my plan was to see it in the theater probably in IMAX 3D. Unfortunately, my urologist thought it would be a better idea to remove part of my prostrate around that time so TRON:Legacy had to wait for the video release. My impression - same as the original TRON - Interesting concept, technically advanced, but in the end, a confusing muddled mess.

I'm not sure what the final bookkeeping will be for TRON:Legacy the movie. It is estimated that the movie cost about 165 million to make. I think the box office receipts went well above that world wide but when you take in the accounting for what it costs to promote a film, profitability gets a little questionable.

In our trip to the Disneyland Resort in March, my wife and I experienced ElecTRONica that takes place each weekend Disney California Adventure. Disney said I had to see it, just had to, since they send about 45 Twitter tweets a week saying if you want to be "with it", ElecTRONica was the place to be. It's something of a techno-street party with music, video, dancing, and, well the rest is kind hard to explain. My ultimate impression of ElecTRONica? - Interesting concept, technically advanced, but in the end, a confusing muddled mess.

Had TRON:Legacy been a huge success, the rumors were swirling that it could be imagineered into a featured attraction in Tomorrowland. Not sure if that is on the drawing board still or not. If it does make it let's hope it doesn't end up as an-  Interesting concept, technically advanced, but in the end, a confusing muddled mess.

As for me, I'll watch the original TRON again tonight but I already know what my impression will be. I've had enough of being sledgehammered over the head with TRON for the last 6 or 8 months. Just wish Disneyland would quit sending messages to my phone saying who this week's ElecTRONica DJ will be because I really don't care. Can't delete these tweets fast enough...

Oh, and before this blog segment ends I give you (well, actually, Mrs. Disneyland Traveler shot the video) - Laserman.