Aahana Swrup
In ‘Tron: Ares,’ rival tech companies ENCOM and Dillinger Systems have both come a long way over the decades. As the Kim sisters, Eve and Tess, take over the reins of the former company, they herald the technological corporations into new advancements. The pair of CEOs’ biggest hope with the company lies in developing ways to find AI-powered solutions to humanity’s problems, like world hunger and curing diseases. Tess, the younger sister, proves to be a notable champion for this cause. However, she unfortunately passes away before she can see her ambitions to fruition, leaving Eve to undertake a quest to fulfill her sister’s dreams. As a result, she sets out to find Kevin Flynn’s “Permanance Code,” a key that happens to be on the radar of her nemesis, Julian Dillinger, creator of the deadly security system, Ares. Consequently, as Tess’ character fuels Eve’s motivations throughout the film, her influence on her story as well as ENCOM at large becomes evident.
Tess Kim Serves as an Emotional Cornerstone For Eve’s Narrative
In the science fiction ‘Tron’ franchise, ‘Tron: Ares’ presents another installment, where most characters, events, and storylines are works of fiction created in service of the narrative. As a result, Tess Kim, the businesswoman who succeeded Sam Flynn as the CEO of ENCOM, is also a fictional element. In real life, there’s no tech CEO who presents a comparable counterpart to the on-screen businesswoman. Since Tess is dead at the start of the story, her character mostly contributes to the plotline through thematic means. Her character remains an eternal influence on her sister and co-CEO, Eve Kim, who continues working on the company’s mission of progress in order to pay homage to her sister’s life’s work.
Consequently, Tess becomes a crucial part of Eve’s motivations throughout the film. This introduces a new familial dynamic to the center of the franchise, highlighting the significance of the relationship between sisters. Eve is introduced in the story as someone who has always been more interested in developing ENCOM’s video game department, as evidenced by her contribution to revitalizing the Space Paranoids game. However, in working towards achieving her sister’s goals, of employing Artificial Intelligence to make the world a better place, she ends up finding a newfound ambition of her own. Therefore, Tess’ contribution to the fictional narrative ultimately stems from her deeply resonant and relatable relationship with her sister.
ENCOM is a Tech Company Confined Within the World of Tron
ENCOM has been a central part of the ‘Troy’ franchise since its inception with the eponymous 1982 film. Therefore, even though fans may be able to find other similarly christened companies, the on-screen tech conglomerate has no direct connections to any other business. In the story, the technology conglomerate is said to have been founded in 1972 by the founder, Dr. Walter Gibbs. Its in-universe origin story creates some parallels to the real-life tech giant, Microsoft. Notably, much like the latter, ENCOM was also founded in a garage. However, outside of this glaring similarity, the two companies share little else in common. For the most part, ENCOM seems to have been created as a familiar ideal of a tech company, particularly in accordance with their cultural perception in the 80s.
With every new installment in the film franchise, the company expands and grows in tandem with the plotline. In ‘Tron: Ares,’ ENCOM becomes a more Artificial intelligence-centered company, thus, once again reflecting the real-life trends of the tech world. Furthermore, they have taken their mission of digitization one step further, as CEO Eve works toward finding ways to bring solutions to global problems into real life through virtual means. Most notably, this is achieved through utilizing the particle laser technology to transfer digital assets and resources into the real world. Naturally, given the film’s ambitious sci-fi origins, the technology itself also remains a work of fiction. However, ENCOM’s inclination toward philanthropic ventures showcases the realistic societal relevance of tech companies.
Read More: Is Eve Kim Based on a Real Tech CEO? Is Space Paranoids a Real Game?
You must be logged in to post a comment.