“Tron: Ares” is not a good movie. It lacks soul, it lacks bio-digital jazz, and it is convoluted and overly dependent on audiences somehow considering simple 3D printing as something revolutionary. This is just a thoughtless movie led by an utterly uncharming lead actor who has proven himself to be box office poison.
Still, there are some good things about Joachim Rønning’s latest entry in the “Tron” franchise, starting with Nine Inch Nails’ phenomenal soundtrack and some pretty visuals. There’s also the fact that most of the supporting cast is quite good, including one actor who steals every scene he’s in — Arturo Castro. Castro plays the playful right-hand man to Greta Lee’s Eve Kim, the head of game company ENCOM. Turns out, Castro got the role thanks to a rather good movie trailer.
Turns out, it all boils down to the brief appearance of Castro’s comic relief performance as Moe, the biker gang member in the trailer for the Jake Gyllenhaal-led “Road House” remake that made such an impact. Such a strong impact, actually, that Jake Gyllenhaal’s agent, Brent Morley, decided to recommend Castro to another one of his clients — “Tron: Ares” producer Jared Leto. It was Leto who decided to advocate for Castro’s casting to Rønning.
“[Morley] went to Jared and said, ‘Check out this trailer for ‘Road House.’ I think you guys will want to see this guy.’ And it meant the world to me for various reasons,” Castro told The Hollywood Reporter. “He had nothing to gain from it, honestly. I was already at William Morris, and he’s not my agent. But he saw somebody who worked really hard to make an impression on ‘Road House,’ and he thought it was worth giving me a shot.”
Arturo Castro improvised one of his best Tron: Ares moments
Arturo Castro, who is also known for the Comedy Central series “Broad City,” is no stranger to punch-up dialogue and improvising jokes on set. Arguably, the funniest joke in “Tron: Ares” (though there aren’t exactly many of those) is all thanks to Castro’s comedic talents. As the actor told The Hollywood Reporter, he came up with the joke where Seth calls Flynn’s first-generation computer at the ENCOM’s office a “piece of garbage,” before quickly dialing back when Leto’s Ares doesn’t appreciate the joke and adds, “That was super insensitive to your ancestors, and I’m so sorry.”
That improvisational skill has served Castro well in the past. Not only was he a must-watch in “The Menu” as a finance bro, but he also stole the show in the remake of “Road House” as the surprisingly reasonable henchman Moe, a highlight of an otherwise fun but underwhelming film. Castro also put his improv skills to good use in that Amazon Studios remake. As he told Vulture, the actor decided early on that Moe would simply be truthful all the time, so when Jake Gyllenhaal’s character confronts him early on in the movie for terrorizing some people and asks which bike is his, Moe doesn’t hesitate and immediately answers with enthusiasm. The lesson is clear — even if the movie is just “fine,” Castro will always deliver the goods.
