History YMMV / Tron

* AwardSnub: The UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s refused to nominate the film for Best Visual Effects, saying that [[InsaneTrollLogic they "cheated" by using computers]]. Then ''Film/YoungSherlockHolmes'' was nominated three years later, and ''Film/TheAbyss'' won six years later, both for computer digital effects. Today, CGI is an integral part of visual effects.

* UnfortunateImplications: Made Numero Uno on Website/{{Cracked}}'s [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19853_5-light-hearted-movies-with-dark-moral-implications.html "Five Lighthearted Movies with Dark Moral Implications."]] Not only did humanity create AIs by ''accident,'' we created an entire ''ServantRace''! It's the bad guy who is trying to liberate his people from humanity (and overthow them), and the good guys are arguably a case of HappinessInSlavery.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Some fans of the film really like the score, created by Music/WendyCarlos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. There's lots of synthesizer pipe organ and CherubicChoir. {{Music/Journey}} also contributed pop songs to the soundtrack.

* IdiosyncraticShipNaming: Crops up sometimes, especially with Website/{{Tumblr}}. Aside from "Shall We Dance," [[ThemeNaming they are named for]] Music/{{Journey}} songs.

* VindicatedByHistory: It may have been a flop at first, but now it's considered a classic revolutionary pioneering effort in film science fiction and visuals. Creator/JohnLasseter, in an interview which is part of ''The Making Of Tron'', stated that "without ''Tron'' there would have been no ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''."

** With ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', naturally. Similar premise and computer-based humor. ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' fans also gravitate towards ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' and ''Film/RogueOne'' (similar themes and DoomedByCanon), or the ''WesternAnimation/Voltron'' reboot. [[Website/{{Tumblr}} Tronblr]] has plenty of cross-pollination with ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' as well. And due to the actors, they're also friendly with ''Film/TheBigLebowski'', ''Series/BabylonFive,'' and ''Series/ScarecrowAndMrsKing.''

* MemeticBadass: More BadassBookworm than traditional "badass," but there's a good argument for Alan Bradley being the most dangerous guy in the franchise and plenty of fanfic to lay out the case. ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' added fuel to the joke by having Tron's user in that contunity being Ansem the Wise. Queue a few jokes in the fandom that Alan was another alias of Ansem.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** Flynn tells CLU, "I wrote you. I taught you everything I know about the system... Now, you're the best program that's ever been written. You're dogged and relentless!" In ''Film/TronLegacy'', CLU 2.0 turns into a villain.
** The other ones come from the tie-in games. UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}} got an early draft of the script to work from, so ''Tron: Deadly Disks'' depicts the title character as an ''orange'' figure cutting down ''blue'' colored "enemies." Simple color goof in 1982, but considering what happens later...
** The other one was Maze-A-Tron, again from Intellivision. Playing Flynn, you're alone and trapped in a circuitry maze. There is no way to win this game, just keep playing until an enemy recognizer or other obstacle does you in. Again, consider the sequel...

** Those threatening Recognizers in the film? In ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointZero'', they're reduced to being ''cargo carriers''. HowTheMightyHaveFallen.

** Peter Jurrasik makes a cameo as Flynn's opponent in the ring game. He and Bruce Boxleitner would later co-star in ''Series/BabylonFive''.

* ContestedSequel: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. While ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' and ''Film/TronLegacy'' are technically in different continuities, the video game is much lesser-known. ''2.0's'' supporters point to Lisberger's direct involvement, the colorful look, the sympathetic treatment of Programs, and relatively hopeful ending as being closer to the original. The change from AIIsACrapshoot to HumansAreTheRealMonsters is also brought up as a selling point. ''Legacy's'' supporters will prefer the filmed sequel's sleeker look and bleaker storyline as a more mature take on the mythos. Of course, there's also enough support for [[TakeAThirdOption discarding neither sequel]] by saying [[PatchworkFic they both happened.]]

** The last scene where the three human protagonists have a GroupHug and walk off into the sunset? Well, no matter what timeline you use ([[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh 2.0]] or ''Film/TronLegacy''), that PowerTrio breaks up, with Alan left to carry on alone. It's actually ''nicer'' in the ''Legacy'' timeline as Lora's PutOnABus instead of StuffedIntoTheFridge.

* AwardSnub: The Academy refused to nominate the film for Best Visual Effects, saying that [[InsaneTrollLogic they "cheated" by using computers]]. Then ''Film/YoungSherlockHolmes'' was nominated three years later, and ''Film/TheAbyss'' won six years later, both for computer digital effects. Today, CGI is an integral part of visual effects.

** Do not keep ALL your work in one file with no backups.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Kevin Flynn. He's either thought of as a CrazyAwesome LoveableRogue (in the first film) and a good man who tried to build Utopia and ended up in ruin (''Legacy''), or as a egotistical, charismatic jackass who blundered his way into heroism, sexually harassed one of his allies, completely made a hash of things with The Grid, and threw his friends and allies under the bus, leaving them to clean up the mess when it inevitably blew up in his face.

* VindicatedByHistory: It may have been a flop at first, but now it's considered a classic revolutionary pioneering effort in film science fiction and visuals. [[Creator/PixarRegulars John Lasseter]], in an interview which is part of ''The Making Of Tron'', stated that "without ''Tron'' there would have been no ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''."

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: ''TRON'' is a manifestation of the power of CGI... and a testimony to how quickly the effects become dated.
** Ironically, much of it has held up surprisingly well, in part because a lot of practical effects were used to achieve the TronLines and green-screen environments; the CG rotoscoping and vehicles look great. But the fully-CG environments used in a couple scenes to "show off" ironically look their age.

* RoboShip: {{Justified|Trope}}, given how many of the characters are sentient computer code. There's the established RoboRomance with Tron and Yori, and the DatingCatwoman scenario with [[WesternAnimation/TronUprising Beck and Paige]]. Zed's hopeless crush on Mara in the same series. In ''Film/TronLegacy'', there's the downplayed flirtation between Sam and Quorra. With the AlternateContinuity of ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'', Jet and Mercury are interested in one another (it develops more in the ''Ghost in the Machine'' comic) and there's a case to be made for [[spoiler: Alan and [=Ma3a=], given [=Ma3a=] is Lora's VirtualGhost]]. And once you hit the fanfic? See the entries for OneTrueThreesome and HoYay.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Some fans of the film really like the score, created by Music/WendyCarlos with the London Symphony Orchestra. There's lots of synthesizer pipe organ and CherubicChoir. {{Music/Journey}} also contributed pop songs to the soundtrack.

* SpecialEffectFailure: A behind-the-scenes example as revealed in the DVDCommentary; as due to the optical work being shipped back to America from Taiwan's [[Creator/WangFilmProductions Cuckoo's Nest]] in very quick order and the film stock used being uneven in parts, a flicker developed that persisted in many of the background shots. Unlike most examples of this at play, [[ThrowItIn they liked this unintended effect and added in a sound effect for every instance it happened]].

* SpecialEffectFailure: A behind-the-scenes example as revealed in the DVDCommentary; as due to the optical work being shipped back to America from Taiwan's [[Creator/WangFilmProductions Cuckoo's Nest]] in very quick order and the film stock used being uneven in parts, a flicker developed that persisted in many of the background shots. Unlike most examples of this at play, [[ThrowItIn they just rolled with it and added in a sound effect for every instance it happened]].

** There's a moment at the film climax where Yori's hit DespairEventHorizon, and Flynn argues back "We're only defeated if we give up!" In the sequel, he says, "Life has a way of moving you past wants and hopes." Ouch!

* RoboShip: {{Justified}}, given how many of the characters are sentient computer code. There's the established RoboRomance with Tron and Yori, and the DatingCatwoman scenario with [[WesternAnimation/TronUprising Beck and Paige]]. Zed's hopeless crush on Mara in the same series. In ''Film/TronLegacy'', there's the downplayed flirtation between Sam and Quorra. With the AlternateContinuity of ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'', Jet and Mercury are interested in one another (it develops more in the ''Ghost in the Machine'' comic) and there's a case to be made for [[spoiler: Alan and [=Ma3a=], given [=Ma3a=] is Lora's VirtualGhost]]. And once you hit the fanfic? See the entries for OneTrueThreesome and HoYay.

* ContestedSequel: {{Downplayed}}. While ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' and ''Film/TronLegacy'' are technically in different continuities, the video game is much lesser-known. ''2.0's'' supporters point to Lisberger's direct involvement, the colorful look, the sympathetic treatment of Programs, and relatively hopeful ending as being closer to the original. The change from AIIsACrapshoot to HumansAreTheRealMonsters is also brought up as a selling point. ''Legacy's'' supporters will prefer the filmed sequel's sleeker look and bleaker storyline as a more mature take on the mythos. Of course, there's also enough support for [[TakeAThirdOption discarding neither sequel]] by saying [[PatchworkFic they both happened.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: ''TRON'' fans remain unforgiving over ''Tomorrowland'' being a failure and putting the third film in limbo while [[CashCowFranchise 18+ live-action remakes are in production]]. Only three years later, HistoryRepeats when ''Film/{{Solo}}'' would also be a failure, bringing a halt to all ''Franchise/StarWars'' Anthology films until at least 2019.

* IAmNotShazam: People who only know of ''TRON'' through its significance and the [[TronLines aesthetic it inspired]] sometimes assume TRON is the name of the cyber-world itself, when it's actually the name of a character ''in'' the cyber-world.