Tron: Ares is on its way to theaters later this year, and finally, we'll get to see the movie Jared Leto has been fighting to make happen for a decade. His passion, along with the stellar cast attached, has led me to trust that the Disney franchise is headed in the right direction with its return to theaters. Of course, it couldn't all be perfect, and the fact that Daft Punk is no longer together made me sad that they wouldn't be along for the ride.
Fans rejoiced when it was announced that Nine Inch Nails would be doing the soundtrack for Tron: Ares, and while I'm a fan of their music, I had my doubts. I know, it sounds wild to anyone remotely familiar with their music, but let me talk about my skepticism and how the footage at San Diego Comic-Con took away all my fears about the music.
I Had Worries Nine Inch Nails Was A Miscasting For A Tron Soundtrack
I'm well aware that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have had both a successful and critically acclaimed career in both mainstream music and in Hollywood. Reznor has even said he prefers making scores to making albums, and when they're doing the latter, they go by their band name Nine Inch Nails. In my mind, they make the distinction because the musical style is different when they use their stage name, so I was a bit rattled when I saw they were using it when being credited for the music in Tron: Ares.
Nine Inch Nails has made some great music over the years, but their brand of Industrial techno metal didn't fit the vibe of Tron. Certainly not in the way Daft Punk did, which felt like a far more natural fit even ahead of hearing any music in Tron: Legacy. I didn't know how it was going to work until I was seated in Hall H and got to watch a few scenes and hear the score with my own ears.
After Listening To The Music In A Few Scenes, I'm No Longer Worried
I guess, in hindsight, it was silly for me to believe the House of Mouse would let a song as extreme as "Closer" be available to hear with a Disney+ subscription, but Nine Inch Nails understood the assignment here. If you're a fan of the music group, the flashes of what makes them great are still there, but this is a soundtrack that is entirely Tron and not industrial metal.
At the same time, you'll hear the clear Nine Inch Nails influence all throughout the music. Whether that's the grungey scraping of metal in a chase scene where Jared Leto's Ares is evading capture, or Trent Reznor's voice singing softly over some mind-blowing action scene unfolding on the screen.
I could describe it, but fortunately, Disney dropped the track "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" for people to listen to. Don't worry, there are definitely tracks we heard that have less vocals and more music, but I think I should note that the parts with lyrics didn't feel out of place. Again, I shouldn't be surprised that the people who made the criminally underrated Challengers score know what works in a movie.
The Soundtrack Might Surpass Daft Punk's Work In Tron: Legacy
It feels too soon to say this, but I'm going to make an early prediction here and say that the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack for Tron: Ares will be more fondly remembered than the one done by Daft Punk. As much as I love the latter, I think the musical duo may have sacrificed a bit too much of their identity as artists to make something that felt entirely like it belonged in Tron. Now that I've heard what it sounds like to have a music group inject their own style into Tron but still retain the core of what makes that technological aesthetic so great, I think I prefer it.
Of course, I'm not the end-all be-all when it comes down to it. Audiences will decide for themselves when Tron: Ares hits the upcoming movie schedule on October 10th. Until then, get hype to the music we've heard so far, and maybe get acquainted with NIN if you aren't already.
