TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 13, 2025

Note: With the impending theatrical release of Tron: Ares in about a month as of the writing of this review, Disney / Buena Vista is/are offering fans a chance to revisit the first two Tron films with new 4K SteelBook editions that also include, well, "legacy" 1080 discs. And for those already up in arms about the no all caps on both the link to the new movie and mention of the other two films, the thumbnail titles on those selfsame legacy 1080 discs have the same orthography, which may indicate the revisionist history about "the way it should be" or "has always been" may not be able to completely elude actual historical artifacts.

The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits linked freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I would never see. And then, one day, I got in.

Those (of us?) with jaded senses of humor probably can't help but equate some of the imagery the opening voiceover of Tron: Legacy offers with the now iconic musings of one Senator Ted Stevens, who of course informed all of us nitwits that the internet had tubes that information moved through. The fact is both Tron and Tron: Legacy hinge on such a ridiculous conceit that it might have been thought up by Senator Stevens, but the first film was undeniably groundbreaking, if now just as undeniably antiquated, in its use of CGI and live action. Tron: Legacy at least benefited from the upgrade in actual technology, which helped bring a new luster to the visuals, even if some elements of the story remained in (to purloin another venerable Disney location) Fantasyland.

TRON: Legacy was released on 1080 disc in 2011, along with a 3D version and the original TRON, and Ken Brown's TRON: Legacy Blu-ray review provides a plot recap, a list of supplements and Ken's reaction to the technical presentation.

TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

TRON: Legacy is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.35:1 and 1.78:1, mimicking both the IMAX theatrical exhibition and the 1080 presentation. An accompanying press sheet only offers a bit of generic information, stating the film was "remastered in high dynamic range from the original digital sources under the supervision of director Joseph Koskinski". This is a fascinating film to compare to its progenitor both in terms of an evolving available technology but also the matriculation to high definition and/or ultra high definition. The original TRON was such a marvel in its day for its kind of frankly insanely complex compositing of CGI, hand drawn and live action elements. There's some passing information imparted in our TRON 4K Blu-ray review about the scanning and restoration of that film, but in this instance a pre-existing 2K DI provided a "one stop shopping" source. That may arguably prevent this 4K presentation from offering a huge uptick in fine detail, though fine detail is nonetheless quite impressive throughout this presentation. Where this new 4K UHD version probably easily makes its, well, Identity Disc best known is via the HDR / Dolby Vision grades, which are extremely impressive. This film tends to almost wallow in slate grays and cooler blue tones, all of which have significant new luster here, especially once the blues tend to tip slightly over into green-teal territory in some of the grid material. But it was actually in some of the orange to yellow side of things that I saw the most discernable highlights when compared to old 1080 version. Those hues are utilized in both some of the real world material, notably the opening vignette and then Sam's "investigations", but repeatedly later inside the grid. Ken wasn't especially fond of the shifting aspect ratios, but I personally didn't really find them a big problem.

TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the first film's new 4K presentation, this outing also gets a really impressive sounding Dolby Atmos track. Also as with the first film, and I'd argue substantially less subliminally than in the first film, surround activity is discernable from the first moments. Here, there's a kind of welling up from the depths (albeit without a ton of actual LFE) that slowly pervades the side, rear and Atmos speakers as the "new, improved" digital looking Disney masthead appears. Once the actual film begins, Daft Punk's pulsing score surrounds the listener, and the surround channels are rarely unutilized thereafter. In both "real world" environments (even with CGI elements like the not especially effectively youthened Jeff Bridges), there is really good use of the side and rear channels to establish spatial locations and provide ambient environmental effects. The "grid" offers a glut of fantastic sound effects, along with even more pulsing score from Daft Punk. Some moments, like a rider magically manifesting his light cycle in midair, also offer good Atmos integration. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K disc in this package offers no supplementary content. See Ken's review linked to above for the bonus content available on the 1080 disc. Along with its "sibling", TRON: Legacy is being packaged in an appealing looking SteelBook that offers a just slightly more green look than the blue of the first film's SteelBook, kind of in line with the actual palettes of the film. Here, the front panel offers Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde with, a somewhat smaller Jeff Bridges (also kind of like the first film's SteelBook). The rear panel offers a solitary figure in a cross of light. The interior panel offers Hedlund riding a light cycle. A digital copy is enclosed. The score above is based on the supplements available on the 1080 disc plus the added allure of the SteelBook.

TRON: Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The press sheet accompanying this SteelBook states that Fandango has pronounced TRON: Ares as the "most anticipated movie of the fall". Those jonesin' for a return trip to the grid now have two great new options to enjoy until that film arrives in theaters. TRON: Legacy features secure technical merits in an appealingly designed SteelBook. Recommended.