Tron: Ares Makes This Misunderstood Steven Spielberg Masterpiece a Must-Watch 7 Years Later

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The new *Tron* film is now playing in theaters, and it manages to improve upon one of Steven Spielberg‘s already-great movies – a surprising feat! Though critics have had mixed reactions, there’s plenty to enjoy, especially with Jared Leto leading the cast. While the story might not fully satisfy longtime *Tron* fans, the direction by Joachim Rønning (known for *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales*) is fantastic. The movie’s visuals are truly stunning, demonstrating how much special effects technology has advanced – they even surpass the best moments from both the original 1982 film and the 2010 sequel, *Tron: Legacy*.

Despite its ambition, *Tron* doesn’t fully explore its complex ideas. The concept of the real and digital worlds colliding isn’t new—we’ve seen it in other films, even comedies where digital elements cause real-world chaos. *Ares* attempts to offer commentary on modern society and our relationship with technology, which are timely themes. However, it doesn’t quite reach the same impactful level as a highly regarded film from 2018, a movie that continues to resonate with audiences today.

Ready Player One Shows A Much Better Intersection Between The Real And Digital Worlds

Both *Tron: Ares* and *Ready Player One* explore the increasing overlap between the real and digital worlds, but *Ready Player One* presents a more believable vision of this future. The film depicts a bleak real world where most people escape into the OASIS, a vast virtual reality game. Within the OASIS, users can create and live out any life they desire. The main character, Wade Watts, explains in the beginning how immersive and limitless the possibilities are for those who enter this digital world.

The story is based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel of the same name. Both the book and the film are set in a future where most people’s lives revolve around a virtual world called the OASIS. The OASIS was created by James Halliday, who died before the story begins. A central plot point is a treasure hunt Halliday designed, with clues hidden within the OASIS. Whoever finds all the clues wins control of the entire virtual world. This sparks a huge interest in the pop culture that Halliday—and the author, Cline—loved, like the movies Ladyhawke and The Last Starfighter, and countless other references.

The main conflict in the story revolves around IOI, a powerful and intimidating corporation that poses the biggest threat to the future. Led by Nolan Sorrento, IOI isn’t interested in enjoying the OASIS for its own sake; they see it as a way to make money. They hire skilled players, known as gunters, to hunt for the Easter Egg, offering them high salaries in exchange for the rights to whatever they find. Essentially, IOI is trying to take control of the OASIS for profit.

If IOI, or anyone associated with them, wins Halliday’s Easter Egg Hunt, they’ll essentially control the OASIS. Since most of the world spends a significant amount of time within it, this would give IOI immense power over what people see and focus on. They intend to capitalize on this by selling as much advertising space as possible, even going so far as to put ads in the virtual sky and directly onto users’ displays. Driven by profit, IOI becomes the main antagonist of the story, and their plans must be stopped.

How The Real World Has Grown To Resemble Ready Player One

The idea of IOI taking over the OASIS mirrors what’s happening in the real world, where a few powerful companies have come to dominate industries using technology. We’re seeing fewer independent players control online life, and advertising is often used to further this control. While most companies aren’t as villainous as IOI and Sorrento, their actions share similarities with the film’s plot, making these corporations increasingly influential as the real world starts to reflect the OASIS.

We’re seeing more and more video games feature characters and brands from other popular franchises. Games like *Fortnite* are leading the way, becoming similar to the virtual world in *Ready Player One*. Players can now take on the roles of famous characters like John Wick, Sarah Connor from *Terminator*, pop star Ariana Grande, and Marvel’s Doctor Doom. This constant stream of familiar faces and brands has helped keep these games popular and is changing the gaming world to feel more like the movie *Ready Player One*.

As a moviegoer, I’ve noticed how games are increasingly hosting real-world events – concerts, meetups, things that really blend the digital and physical. Let’s be honest, a lot of our social lives *are* lived online now, whether we’re hanging out in *Roblox* or just scrolling through social media. *Ready Player One* really captured this idea of fully immersing yourself in a digital world, but the thing is, we’re already living it! Even just looking at our phones connects us to these spaces. While new films like *Tron: Ares* are trying to explore this connection, I think *Ready Player One* understood the bigger picture in a way those movies haven’t quite managed.

Will Ready Player One Ever Get A Sequel?

A film adaptation of the sequel is still possible. Ernest Cline wrote a follow-up to his original novel, which came out in 2020, and it feels like it was written with a movie in mind. The new book centers around ONI technology, which would take the OASIS experience to a whole new level. Previously, people used various gadgets to connect with the digital world, but ONI allows for a completely seamless, immersive experience through direct neural connections – making it feel truly real.

The idea behind this technology is unsettling, but it clearly represents where things are going. Devices like the Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro already offer immersive digital experiences, and they’re only getting better. The ultimate goal seems to be creating a digital world where people can truly connect and interact, which is both exciting and a little frightening. A sequel to *Ready Player One* that explores these themes would be a fantastic way to continue the story and could even surpass the original film.

Reviews for Ernest Cline’s second novel weren’t positive. Though his books continue to gain readers, some critics have questioned his writing style. Cline relies heavily on references to popular culture, which worked well in *Ready Player One*, but his later novels, *Armada* and *Ready Player Two*, received much more criticism. However, Steven Spielberg successfully balanced Cline’s pop-culture focus in the *Ready Player One* film, using it to create a vibrant world while also developing meaningful characters. A similar collaboration could help Cline’s sequel novels succeed.

It’s currently unknown whether director Steven Spielberg would be involved in a sequel. He generally prefers working on original stories, so another director might take the lead. Robert Zemeckis would be a strong candidate, given his experience with motion capture technology in films like *Beowulf* and *The Polar Express*. A follow-up to this popular movie would be fantastic, especially if it brought back stars Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke. It could also offer another interesting look at how technology, video games, and our world are evolving.

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2025-10-11 03:38