Tron: 1982 vs 2010

When Tron first came out in 1982, it was considered a breakthrough in CGI technology when the majority of the movie was not live action. It failed at the box office but developed a cult following years later. The reboot in Tron: Legacy that came out in 2010 propelled the graphics into a three dimensional world that was not limited by the computer. The game in the 1982 version was stuck just moving forward and turning a right angles. But the 2010 version upgraded them to realistic motorcycle movements where the there is a non-grid scenario. I also think that light is a big contributing factor to the newer movie because it makes the characters stick out more and a darker environment caters to the audiences emotions.

Jeff Bridges stars in both films, young and old. In Tron: Legacy, they used CGI to model his face to seem younger so he could appear besides himself. Similar to the effects in Benjamin Button, Bridges face was mapped and digitally recreated, then stuck on a younger actors body. I think this is also what they used in The Social Network to create the Winklevoss twins.

This article shows how CGI has advanced through films from Tron to Tron: Legacy.