Hipsy's View: Upgrade (Film)

Hello everyone! This review is on another movie that I was able to watch in theatres, and I apologize I did not get a chance to write about it until now. I've been having a little bit of writer's block, so thank you to all that have been patient with me as I slowly get back into the rhythm of writing. So without further ado, I would like to talk to you all about the action film Upgrade.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I had a feeling I wanted to watch it, but I didn't know if anyone else in my household wanted to see it with me. Well, with the selection of movies that have been in theatres this summer, there hasn't been much to see. So, on a night where we all wanted to get out and doing something new for a change (rather than eat pizza and watch another rerun episode of South Park again), we went and watched this film. 

One thing I have noticed that I do lately when I watch films is that I watch them carefully and analyze. When I was younger, I didn't care that much about detail or accuracies; if the movie had a good storyline or it kept my interest, I enjoyed it. With Upgrade, I was entertained, but I did not know how I felt about the ending, and I was not alone in this analysis.

For a quick summary, the film is set in the near future where robotics has become a major influence - and in some cases, a necessity - in everyday actions. The protagonist, named Grey Trace, is a technophobe (someone who does not like to use robotic technology and so usually avoids it) while his wife runs one of the largest corporations that supply robotics. After dropping off a client's project one night, Grey and his wife's self-driving car "glitches", causing them to have an accident. They are then attacked by some "upgraded" individuals, with the end result of Grey becoming a quadriplegic and his wife being murdered. In order to help him, Grey's client that was mentioned earlier offers to give him a chance to be mobile again, by using a technology he created called STEM. The catch is that he has not gone public with it, and therefore if Grey accepted his offer, he would have to keep this information a secret. At first, he refuses, but with time, Grey accepts the offer. Unbeknownst to him, this technology was more than just a way for him to be mobile; STEM starts talking to him. With this new technology, Grey hunts down his wife's killers, learning that his and his wife's accident was no accident at all.

The gist of this film is that it is an action-packed, adrenaline-rushed revenge story. A man gains a new technology that not only helps him track down the ones that caused his wife's death but unburies more about the robotics industry behind the scenes. This is a very good film, and it was well-made. But it is the ending that leaves me...unsettled? I'm not quite sure how to put it; I was left with an uneasy feeling on the outcome. And perhaps that was the intention; let's just say it paints a clear picture of how we rely so much on technology now, and how the end results can be if we go too far.

Either way, I enjoyed the film. It kept my interest, was action-packed, and definitely different from the normal films as of late. If you haven't heard of this film or haven't had a chance to watch it, I recommend you take time to watch it, especially if you want a break from post-apocalyptic and superhero movies.

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