Tron: Ares is now the hot topic for the critics-vs-audience debate, and it mirrors the legacy of Zack Snyder’s movies. After its theatrical release on October 10, 2025, Joachim Rønning’s Tron: Ares currently sits at 55% on the critic rating and a far stronger 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
That’s a nearly 30-point gap, which perfectly captures how divided cinemagoers and pundits are. Critics admire the movie’s aesthetics, but can’t seem to connect with the story on an emotional level, and the complaints are similar to what they usually feel about Snyder’s films.
So, let’s look at why exactly there is a difference of opinion, and what it suggests about the film business at large!
Why Did Jared Leto’s Tron: Ares Appeal More to the Audience Than the Critics?
The numbers say it all! Fans have been loving Tron: Ares, but critics? Not so much. For most viewers, the Jared Leto starrer nails exactly what they stepped into the theater for: a high-tech, sensory experience which looks and sounds incredible.
The Nine Inch Nails soundtrack is Tron: Ares’ highlight and has been praised as its highest asset, which adds emotions even when the script falters. Moreover, the movie is visually breathtaking and feels like an evolution of Tron: Legacy, which itself was admired for its Daft Punk-driven aesthetics.
The emotional impact doesn’t land in the experts’ opinion, but the audience doesn’t seem to mind. To them, Tron: Ares is the exact package the franchise has always promised! Full of slick sci-fi spectacles, callbacks, and pure escapism in every sense. So, fans’ expectations were perfectly matched, even if reviewers wanted more.
Tron: Ares and Zack Snyder Movies Prove Critics and Fans Will Never Agree
Tron: Ares highlights the pattern of fan culture that we’ve noticed almost around the past two decades. From day one, critics have labelled the film as cold and lacking in depth, but the viewers have found it to be a visionary sci-fi epic.
Most critics watch sophisticated and arthouse movies daily and develop a palate for nuance. However, the average cinemagoer already has to keep up with the details of his life, and doesn’t always want an experience where one has to read between the lines; they simply seek a couple of hours of escape from the world.
They need explosions, style, pay-off, moving dialogues, and soundtracks, and that’s it! Moreover, when Zack Snyder adapts a comic book, it won’t always resonate with industry critics, but with obsessed fans who love to see their favorite characters and stories come to life.
Here’s an overview of Snyder films that impressed viewers but not pundits:
It’s the same for Tron: Ares, the saga has built a following, its fans have expectations, and when these are met, they are happy! Much like Snyder’s work, it was dismissed as style over substance, but most of these franchise films prove that audiences crave a thrilling viewing experience more than anything.
Tron: Ares is currently playing in theaters (USA).
