Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) enters vintage videogame Tron in search of father and game creator Kevin (Jeff Bridges) who went missing there in the 80s. He encounters a virtual world full of neon crap and discovers multiple versions of his pop with a de-aged CGI face which has, ironically, aged badly.

The original Tron‘s only claim to fame was its groundbreaking visual effects, making the first significant use of CGI ever, without which it would probably be as widely-remembered as Gus. So a sequel made 30 years later, when it’s more unusual to see a film without extensive CGI, has its work cut out to cultivate any sense of purpose.

Tron: Legacy succeeds about as much as me playing FIFA. The 80s arcade game now somehow has super souped-up graphics, which doesn’t make any sense while also keeping it stuck in the past, rather than taking the oppotunity to explore newer technology a la Ready Player One. The lazer frisbee and lightbike scenes feel as prefunctory as Come on Eileen at an 80s night, as Sam searches for his dad so they can stand around talking. This is an unnecessarily borening turn for what is essentially a kids’ film about a videogame.

Its biggest strengths are a delightful performance from Michael Sheen, and a sountrack courtesy of shiny-helmeted dance duo Daft Punk, but this isn’t enough to take it to the next level. Visually excessive and deeply flawed, Tron: Legacy adds nothing to Tron’s legacy.