Now I know I’m late, but I finally got the opportunity to watch the movie “Upgrade” and all I can say is wow! Like I knew from the previews this movie was going to be good, but did not expect it to go the way it did. Upgrade stars Logan Marshall as Grey Trace, who also throughout the movie he reminded me so much of Tom hardy, they need to do a movie together, and also Melanie Vallejo as Asha Trace. I did not know this movie would be so far set in the near future, but you can tell this movie brings in a new age kind of Sci-Fi action thriller almost that Terminator kind of feel to it. But Upgrade is set in the near future, Asha works for Cobolt, a company that deals with futuristic limbs and specializes and other things. Grey works and fixes up old cars for clients who are looking for something vintage.
When I first saw the trailer I was honestly amped for this movie, but I didn’t know when I would go see it, but I knew for sure this was a film I wanted to see, and this was also when a few other movies were coming out this summer. But as time went on I only saw a few people mention this movie and some said it was alright, but others said it was really dope and that people should see it. I can understand also why some people not want to see a movie like this, a guy’s wife gets killed, someone helps him to get revenge, Blah, Blah, Blah, the same ole same ole. This movie is not the same ole same ole.
After Asha is killed by a group of gang members or thieves, Grey is ten bed ridden for a good amount of time until he is then approached by his former billionaire client Eron who he went to visit before the incident. Eron suggest that Grey tries the new technology that he showed Asha and Grey, and it could bring him back to life and possibly get him to walk. Grey declined and was put in a wheelchair where he was aided by his mother who helped him with washing and getting groceries, and all the other necessities. Grey enters a state of depression with trying to have a drug overdose, but cannot kill himself. Grey is soon then relieved by a Detective by the name of Cortez who is looking into the case, but can’t find any evidence to link to his wife’s murder.
Througout the movie, Cortez and Grey kind of have this back and forth relationship of you aren’t doing your job I will take it into my hands attitude. Grey goes back to Eron and takes the offer of taking the new Technology called “STEM”. STEM has to be planted into Grey’s spinal for everything to work. as soon as the procedure is done, Grey sees instant results, but it also makes Eron question how closely he might have to watch Grey.
Now this is where the movie turns in a whole different direction, Grey soon goes on the hunt for the people who murdered his wife, but he also has to fake til he makes it so no one can know that he can actually walks. Grey soon then hears a random voice agreeing with that he said, it turns out to be STEM, the tech that is implanted in him it can actively talk, but also help the host. STEM suggest that he cannot make a scene since Cortez would be onto him quick. Now looking at how most of these neighborhoods look we aren’t too far into the future, but you still see technology in a lot of the houses, especially the first place Grey checked.
The First fight scene in this movie I was a little skeptical about because of the previews, I was like ehh it doesn’t look like he’s really fighting the guy and that it’s him just flopping around. Watching this movie I loved this fight and scene because Grey didn’t really know how to fight, so he let STEM take control, and all of the movements and everything that happened when Grey went to visit this house, shows how it would probably feel if someone was being controlled by technology in their head. The fight was brutal, and violent, but also amazing at the same time. Grey was trying to question this man on who set him and his wife up, but he got nothing.
After Grey’s first encounter with one of the gang members, he then has a bloody encounter with another member that makes him question STEM and the lengths that e will actually go too, to actually find out who killed his wife. Grey starts to realize that he is not the only person that has technology built within him, that the men who killed his wife are all apart of an experiment. Side note: the technology that are inside the gang members is really cool, messed up that they had to be lab rats, but being able to shoot blasters out of your arm and like a video game come to life in a movie.
I don’t think we’ve ever really seen technology used like this in a film before, where we see a guy loading bullets into his arm and firing them at someone. Where we can see the Tech actually being used for good and evil, and the consequences of what might happen.
Grey finally meets the person he believes is behind everything Fisk played by Benedict Hardie, and let me say Fisk was a great villain, he gave off that robot Android feeling like this technology is apart of my body now I have to live with it, so I’m going to master it. I would love to see Benedict and Logan in more movies together. The Fight between Grey and Fisk was so evenly matched it almost felt like you didn’t know who would win. I won’t give any spoilers, but Fisk tells Grey something that changes the whole course of this movie, that makes you gasp almost at the thought of no that can’t be true.
This movie was entertaining, in way more into the future than I thought it would be, from the way the city and backdrop looked, to the weapons and technology. The plot twist of this movie will have you saying “damn that is messed up” it’s crazy how technology can take things to another level and also pray on someone’s emotions. Upgrade was brutal and violent, I saw it somewhere and I agree it has that John wick feel to it, where you know something is going to happen, and you’re wondering how is he going to get out of this situation with his back against the wall.
I feel that Upgrade is an underrated movie, because when you first look at this film you think that it’s going to be some simple action film or maybe just some fantasy futuristic film of where the bad guys get away with the murder, and it takes years to solve the case of this heartbroken man, who can no longer use his limbs. Don’t get me wrong this movie does have a few little slow parts, but that is all about the journey of how he is dealing with depression and trying to find out how to use STEM properly. Some might suggest this is like Robocop, I think that’s far from it, I think it’s bringing in it’s own version of “Im going to take this into my own hands” and I have the equipment to do so. This film definitely a mixture of cult classics within it, and could be one of it’s own, but I don’t think we will get a sequel, but I would love to see one.
Riceball Rating: 8/10
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