Writer-director Leigh Whannel’s Upgrade is a grisly, gruesome, dystopian sci-fi tale that serves up a low-budget revenge saga. One evening when automobile mechanic Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) takes his tech-exec wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) to visit a reclusive client—billionaire inventor Eron (Harrison Gilbertson)—Asha’s self-driving car goes awry, after which she is killed by a gang in a brutal attack that also leaves Grey a quadriplegic. Grief-stricken and severely depressed, Grey is suicidal—until Eron offers an experimental “biomechanical modification” (to be inserted into his spinal cord) known as STEM, an artificial intelligence entity (voiced by Simon Maiden in a formal monotone that resembles HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey). STEM enables Grey not only to regain control of his body but also to experience extraordinary physical prowess. “Do not get overconfident, Grey,” STEM warns. Keeping his new mobility a secret from the detective (Betty Gabriel) investigating his case, Grey becomes a vigilante, determined to find the hoodlums and wreak vengeance. A schlocky techno thriller, this is an optional purchase. (S. Granger)
Upgrade
Universal, 100 min., R, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98, Aug. 28 Volume 33, Issue 5
Upgrade
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