Score

It's a good

Brief Review

After getting into an accident and altercation with armed assailant, leaving Grey paralyzed from the neck down and his wife dead, Grey is presented with a second chance to walk again. Now with the ability to walk from computer assistance, he wants to find those who killed his wife and left him for dead.

Story

Set in the near future with self driving cars and fully "smart" homes, Grey makes a living building and restoring classic muscle cars. His wife works for a bio-mechanical company that designs computer assistant limbs and replacement parts for humans. After finishing rebuilding a car for his client, Grey asks Ashe (his wife) to go with him to deliver the car so that he can come home, because Grey does not trust technology and even shows disgust with them. Ashe learns quickly that the client was Eron Keen, the owner of a rival biotech company. This is where Eron first shows off STEM, a computer chip that is supposed to revolutionize the industry. Having dropped the car off, Grey and Ashe leave and has the car drive them home. On the way home, the car takes a wrong turn and heads into a shady part of town where it speeds up and crashes. Then, masked men rush the car, pulls Grey and Ashe out. One man puts a bullet in Grey's back which cut his spinal cord, turning him into a quadriplegic. Another man shoots Ashe point blank and Grey watches, helpless, as Ashe breathes her last breath.

Grey gets out of the hospital, bound by a wheelchair, and his home becoming what appears to be a giant computer designed to service Grey. Feeling helpless he tries to kill himself by telling the computer to continue to inject the sleep aid. The computer calls the paramedics who come and save him. The next day, while in the hospital, Eron approaches Grey to offer him a way to get control of his limbs back. By using STEM, Grey could get the ability to walk again. Naturally, Grey agrees and quickly learns how to use his limbs again. After going home, STEM makes its first "appearance" by talking directly to Grey by stimulating his ear drums. Only Grey can hear STEM but in order for STEM to hear Grey, he needs to talk out loud.

I have left out a few other parts of the movie, like Grey's interaction with the police detective assigned to his case. While important to some parts of the movie, it's more of a plot device used to further push the story along, but not entirely needed.

What was good

The concept of the movie was great. People using machines and technology to essentially upgrade their bodies. The fight scenes are incredible to watch, especially the first scene where Grey allows STEM to take full control over his body. There was a great juxtaposition between the action and Grey's facial reaction to witness what his body is doing while unable to control it. Also, there is a camera trick scene throughout the movie whenever STEM is in control, the camera rotates the world while keeping Grey's body in the center of the frame. It created this weird dynamic with the viewer that they feel powerless as the world moves around them, much like how Grey feels when STEM takes control of his body.

What was bad

Too much of the early parts of the movie seemed to drag on. It takes around 30 minutes for the accident to happen, then another 10 minutes for Grey to get STEM implanted, that's close to half the movie just to build up the plot. Ashe's character is a bit annoying with her attitudes and some of the acting felt either forced or wrong. Maybe the director wanted her to have a bubbly personality, but I found it to be over the top at times. There wasn't much else I didn't like about this movie.

Final Thoughts

While this was advertised as a revenge movie, there is the underlining theme of technology taking over everyone's lives. How we, as a society, are becoming to dependent on technology to live out our lives. And Upgrade did a great job presenting those themes to the audience. Even after those complaints I have, I still put this high up on my list of "Really Good Action Flicks" because it has all the things I look for in an action movie: Well choreographed fight scenes, funny moments tossed in, good character development, and an ending that is a bit shocking. If you like action movies, especially those of a slightly futuristic setting, this is a must watch.