If the original 'Tron' inspired the rush of sci-fi narratives, virtual gamesmanship and the dawn of this new age, did we really need a sequel to show us that legacy, in 3-D no less? The short answer is no, especially if all 'Tron: Legacy' was going to do would be to introduce Jeff Bridges' character's grown-up son Sam (Garrett Hedlund), a seriously fake-looking computer-generated version of the young Bridges and the same old dark dystopian alternative world we've seen a thousand times before. Grade: D-.   

I'll skip the diatribe about how the year in movies has been so far. It sucks. Let's look forward. The second half of the year brings everything from film festival favorites and art house Oscar bait to documentaries and big-budget blockbusters.  

Jeff Bridges' Best Actor Oscar nomination recognizes more than just his nuanced, sensitive portrayal of down-on-his-luck Country singer Bad Blake in 'Crazy Heart.' It also acknowledges that actors and actresses give some of their finest performances when playing Country/Roots musicians.   

Jeff Bridges has been steadily rolling on screen for so long that it's easy to overlook him or simply forget the numerous stops along the way. But he's back again, and his portrayal of Country singer-songwriter Bad Blake in rookie director Scott Cooper's 'Crazy Heart' is poised to be his destination of distinction. Grade: B-plus.  

Director Grant Heslov and screenwriter Peter Straughan adapt Jon Ronson's nonfiction book, turning Ronson into reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), who heads to the Middle East in 2003 to cover the Iraq War. Instead, he finds Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who was part of a 1980s military program launched by idealistic Vietnam veteran Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) to develop "Jedi Warriors" — soldiers with psychic abilities. Grade: C-plus.