TRON: Legacy (2010) – Daft Punk

I think that the high quality of Daft Punk’s score for TRON: Legacy was unexpected for most people, but, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense: get a musical duo famous for their electronic music to compose the score to a film whose setting takes place primarily in an electronic world.

And it’s the electronic music featured in this score that makes it so great. From the Vangelis-esque “Overture” to the infectious club groove “End of Line” (the title a reference to the original TRON film) to the aggressive “Disc Wars”, Daft Punk has managed to create a score that works well as both a companion to the film it was written for and as a standalone work of art. However, there is plenty of traditional film music – that is to say, orchestral rather than electronic – that is just as good, such as in the tracks “Recognizer”, which sort of emulates the feel of electronic music, the beautiful “Nocturne”, and “Finale”, which features some excellent brass as well as some soaring strings.

While it’s not the greatest film score of all time, it’s definitely one of the better scores composed by a musical group not known for its film scores. Daft Punk’s music for TRON: Legacy fits the setting tremendously well, enhancing the crisp visuals with an exciting soundtrack that combines traditional film scoring with newer ideas to create something unique and satisfying.

Rating: 4 (out of 5)

1. “Overture” 2:28
2. “The Grid” 1:37
3. “The Son of Flynn” 1:35
4. “Recognizer” 2:38
5. “Armory” 2:03
6. “Arena” 1:33
7. “Rinzler” 2:18
8. “The Game Has Changed” 3:25
9. “Outlands” 2:42
10. “Adagio for Tron” 4:11
11. “Nocturne” 1:42
12. “End of Line” 2:36
13. “Derezzed” 1:44
14. “Fall” 1:23
15. “Solar Sailer” 2:42
16. “Rectifier” 2:14
17. “Disc Wars” 4:11
18. “C.L.U.” 4:39
19. “Arrival” 2:00
20. “Flynn Lives” 3:22
21. “Tron Legacy (End Titles)” 3:18
22. “Finale” 4:23

Total Length: app. 59 min.

iTunes Album Link

-Chad