Evelyn Rose is a junior and a reporter for the Fishers Tiger Times. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Gavin Koontz is a senior and a reporter for the Fishers Tiger Times. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Recently, “Tron: Legacy,” a total dud at the box office, soared into cult classic status because of the visuals and the amazing Daft Punk soundtrack. Which led Disney to think of the bright idea of making a third “Tron” film, but they decided to skip over “Legacy” entirely. The writing required to make this disregard of the past film turned “Ares” into one of the worst films of 2025.
I am going to get my praise out of the way immediately. There were alright visuals with a soundtrack that fit. Jared Leto did a stiff performance, which worked in his favor. The IMAX 3D experience was entertaining. That is all my praise for this film.
The reason that “Ares” does not work is because it is just other films I have seen thrown into a bowl of soup. The plot beats are “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” mixed with “T2: Judgment Day.” A woman must be saved by a member of the enemy team. However, what really ruined this film is the clunky exposition.
I am a believer that if they cut all the exposition and just had it be the action scenes in the first forty minutes, they would have a much better movie. There was not enough energy in the film for me to be interested in.
When I watched the first ten minutes of “Ares,” I was pumped. The music was blasting, and I thought maybe this was going to be better than I expected. All of that energy fizzled out into nothingness. I was getting bored during certain action scenes because it started to feel like the film was phoning it in. In a scene where an entire bridge was blowing up, I started zoning out. It is an incredible shame to see a waste of potential in “Tron: Ares.”
If I were to fix this film, I would have taken away exposition and made the music louder. I have never come to an action film for the exposition. I am here for the action as an audience member, and “Tron: Ares” failed in that regard.
Overall, as a movie, “Ares” gets a generous 2/5 stars. I had a bit of fun in the first forty-five minutes until it just felt bland. I probably will never rewatch this movie again, and it will be forgotten until someone brings it up on TikTok in twenty years.
Gavin Koontz on the music of “Tron: Ares”
The soundtrack by the American industrial rock and metal band Nine Inch Nails is where this movie shines. It is clearly inspired by retro arcade games, with bouncy syncopated eight-bit beats making it a fitting accompaniment to the Tron franchise.
As a longtime fan of Nine Inch Nails, I believed their soundtrack would rival the soundtrack of “Tron: Legacy,” which was done by the electronic music titans Daft Punk. In my opinion, they did just that, capturing the spirit of the franchise perfectly.
While I absolutely enjoyed the Legacy soundtrack, which was focused on more lush electronic soundscapes, the music in Ares was more minimalist, which feels reminiscent of the soundtrack of the original movie from 1982. Every note and chord is essential, and there is absolutely no filler to be heard. The soundtrack makes the movie feel alive, working in tandem with striking visuals to elevate the film.
The highlight track for me was the lead single “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”, which felt like a proper Nine Inch Nails song, and it kills in their live setlists. It hits all the beats I want out of Nine Inch Nails; dark electronic arrangements, tight production, and a passionate performance by singer and band leader Trent Reznor. The orchestral loop in the buildup to the chorus perfectly builds tension, and it is my favorite part of the song. The rest of the soundtrack is primarily instrumental, composed of similarly styled synth sections.
This soundtrack is a solid 5/5 stars, and I would recommend seeing Ares for the soundtrack alone. I truly hope that Nine Inch Nails venture into more soundtracks, as with “Tron: Ares”, they have proven that they are masters of atmosphere and vibe, which can work beautifully with the right movie.
