Few movie scores of the past 20+ years have seen their soundtrack mesh as well with their on-screen visual counterpart as the work Daft Punk created for Tron: Legacy. Initially, Tron: Legacy seemed like a run-of-the-mill entry in a long-dormant series, one with the potential to rejuvenate the franchise with audiences after essentially a 28-year absence. Instead, Tron: Legacy stands as a film that many might now consider a cult classic. This is in large part due to the enduring score from the aforementioned duo, as their aesthetic styling and illustrious discography throughout their storied musical career appeared to act as the perfect choice for their involvement in the making of the film.
Daft Punk’s 'Tron: Legacy' Score Perfectly Marries Sight & Sound
Even before Tron: Legacy enters the Grid, which truthfully is what most audience members were probably waiting for when they initially saw the movie, the first real “wow moment” takes place outside in the real world. This is primarily due to the audiovisual marriage of Daft Punk’s music and Claudio Miranda’s gorgeous cinematography – who would continue to work with director Joseph Kosinski on Oblivion and Top Gun: Maverick.
Tron: Legacy was released nearly one year to the day after the original Avatar, and for many, it stands as one of the few other truly great 3D experiences. Even in the moments outside the Grid, for as few as they are, shine as the cityscape scenes are some of the most visually arresting that the film has to offer. It's here where we're introduced to Garrett Hedlund, as he drives his motorcycle through the city streets, a nice parallel to his later interactions on a Light Cycle. This is all set to "The Son of Flynn," one of the standout tracks in the entire movie.
This perfect marriage only continues as we see our hero enter this new world, as the already almost otherworldly sounds that Daft Punk creates on their own individual projects end up translating to the film as perfectly as one could imagine. A musical group composed of a robot helmet-wearing electronic duo collaborating on a technologically pushing boundary IP that is Tron almost seems too good to be true, yet the end result speaks for itself.
Working With Daft Punk on 'Tron: Legacy' Was Director Joseph Kosinski's Next Logical Step
It’s easy to look at the reviews and overall reception to the film and come to the conclusion that for many, Tron: Legacy could just be considered an extended Daft Punk music video. The truth is that for a lot of people, this movie was something that they’d been waiting decades for. Though the story might falter in a number of places, the fact that the movie works as well as it does is quite the feat. It being Kosinski’s directorial debut is a fact that’s really surprising, as there’s a clear vision with his direction for a film on such a massive scale, and in the end, it's able to compliment the overall feel that the score delivers. If you actually look at his credits, it actually shouldn’t be that big of a shock with him at the helm when you find out that his earlier project is one of the most memorable in its medium.
Kosinski’s lone directing credit before Tron: Legacy was a major milestone in the video game industry, primarily when it came to advertising. For any fans of games during the mid-2000s, you’d know of the ad for Gears of War featuring Gary Jules and Michael Andrews' cover of Tears for Fears' 'Mad World’. As it happens, that ad was directed by Kosinski. Based on aesthetic alone, the decision to involve Daft Punk in a Tron film shouldn’t be all that surprising, but with Kosinski’s earlier track record, the trio’s collaboration ended up being the perfect match.
A lot has changed since 2010 after the release of Tron: Legacy, including the reception of the film as well as many of the lives of those primarily involved behind the scenes. Kosinski has gone on to direct what’s considered one of the best films of 2022, Top Gun: Maverick. The other primary contributor that fans would be easily able to pick out on first viewing was the involvement of Daft Punk, who sadly, with the announcement of their split back in 2021, and the tepid box office response to the film when it was released, makes seeing them returning to score a sequel more of a pipe dream than a possible reality. There were plans for a third film, but with another live-action Disney project disappointing at the box office, it ended up being shelved.
Daft Punk’s 'Tron: Legacy' Soundtrack Gives the Franchise a New, Yet Familiar Vibe
Taking just a quick glance between the original Tron and Tron: Legacy, the visual jump is the first thing that most people will immediately notice. The sheer quality of the effects makes the Grid feel like an actual living world. This is accentuated even further by Daft Punk’s score, which creates, at times, an otherworldly sense of escapism. Still now, even ten years later, the film stands as a visual showpiece.
Nowadays, with the Tron franchise primarily out of many moviegoers' minds (this may soon change with the Shanghai Disneyland ride finally making its way stateside), if you were to ask any fan about its sequel, chances are one of the first things they'd mention is the soundtrack by Daft Punk. After 10+ years now out in the world, their soundtrack still acts as the perfect marriage of visuals and music when it comes to memorable cinematic experiences, and its revitalization of the Grid and the series itself is one of its biggest feats. The sound of the light cycles speeding by set to the work of Daft Punk helps create a sense of immersion in the Grid that’s truly impressive to see on a scale this large.
The music of Tron: Legacy is still obviously in the minds of many, and apparently even Daft Punk themselves, as they recently released an extended soundtrack featuring their score, 10 years after the film’s initial release. While you’ll often have many movie soundtracks difficult to listen to without the accompaniment of their visual counterpart, the same can’t be said for the work Daft Punk did for Tron: Legacy. Because of that, there’s much to be praised about the overall product that's on display when the film and music are joined together. This is accentuated even further by their handling of the score both in and off the Grid.
Tron was a thing before Daft Punk's inclusion, and it will, and has, continue to be a thing after their collaboration, but there's a case to be made that the series peaked when this perfect combination made for movie magic. With the duo’s recent split, and as Kosinski eyes a possible best director nomination at the Oscars as he moves onto even bigger things, a chance for a reunion seems to grow smaller. With that being said, we still can remember that return to the Grid that we all got to enjoy together thanks in large part to what’s become one of the best scores of the past 20 years.