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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Upgrade
Quote: Upgrade is a 2018 science fiction body horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. It stars Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, and Harrison Gilbertson. The film follows a man who gets a chip that controls his body implanted into his brain after he is left paralyzed following a mugging. Jason Blum serves as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner.
After premiering on 10 March 2018 at South by Southwest, the film was released on 1 June 2018 in the United States by OTL Releasing and Blumhouse Tilt.
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Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:45 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Upgrade
A genuine under-the-radar gem this summer movie season, the lean, mean, and richly imagined Upgrade plays as Death Wish by way of RoboCop. After a roadside assault in near-future Los Angeles leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead, a mechanic receives an experimental implant; "STEM" restores his ability to move his limbs while also functioning as a voice in his head, helping him investigate his wife's murder. The dynamic shared by the wounded protagonist, played with brooding charisma and game physicality by Logan Marshall-Green, and his wily, HAL 9000-esque new conscience is craftily unpredictable. The trajectory of their relationship as two strong-willed minds within one body is a chief delight of this film, which neatly and potently tries its hand at old-school action, gruesomely Cronenberg-flavored horror, and futuristic satire and builds to a powerful twist ending.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:28 pm |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18878 Location: San Diego
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Re: Upgrade
Very enjoyable, and impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all.
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Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:38 am |
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Alex Y.
Top Poster
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:47 pm Posts: 5705
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Re: Upgrade
Best movie of the year (so far)
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Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:48 am |
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Steve
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:09 pm Posts: 1796
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Re: Upgrade
A very slick and entertaining B-movie. Nothing to write home about but I enjoyed watching it.
B
_________________ how am I not myself?
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Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:14 pm |
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Dil
Forum General
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:48 pm Posts: 8942 Location: Houston, Texas
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Re: Upgrade
I enjoyed it, but I would have liked it way more if it wasn't for the last 10 minutes. It's a solid throwback to the unapologetic and over the top violent action movies of the 80's like Robocop with some Cronenberg body horror thrown in for good measure. I also appreciated the amount of dark humor and satire which isn't too in your face, but it's definitely there. Leigh Whannell's direction is constantly on point and Logan Marshall-Green is in top form, especially seeing his relationship unfold with STEM, but those last 10 minutes and that ending really put a bad taste in my mouth.
B
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Fri Aug 17, 2018 11:10 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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They don't make films like this all that often, but when they do I usually enjoy them. Anon, In Time, Minority Report, and now Upgrade. Doing some fun stuff with tech, and making a cool little sci-fi revenge action film, like a modern RoboCop. Not much to say about it other than it was good entertainment. Oh and if I had to guess, I'd say the producers couldn't afford Tom Hardy and Dane DeHaan, so they went for their lookalikes. B/B+
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Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:08 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Re: Upgrade
I dug the opening titles for this. It's short but there is no text. Just an AI voice reading it out. Just "OTL Releasing and BH Tilt....A Leigh Whannell Film....UPGRADE" and the film begins. Never witnessed that sort of intro before.
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Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:19 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Upgrade
I saw it in the theater. Highly enjoyable down and dirty sci-fi action movie. Has a cool retro feel. Hoping we get a sequel. I know it sounds like they're going to do one.
8/10 (A-)
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Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:21 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re: Upgrade
I heard good things, and it totally lived up to that, a surprise hit that would have deserved to do so much better in release. I've always liked LMG, and he nails the role, Harrison Gilbertson feels like a second-rate DeHaan though. The film moves at a brisk pace and its got great effects and action in the process, the kills are slick and it's nicely R-rated for the purpose. It's nice to see new directors enter the scene with a well executed film that doesn't miss a beat. While not necessarily creative in concept, it adapts sci-fi and revenge thriller very capably and just feels like a very fresh experience this year. Well rounded with its coming full circle finish too.
B+
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Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:03 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re: Upgrade
publicenemy#1 wrote: impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all. Totally, they produce more crud with bigger budgets, but made the most out of this and just felt like a very well dedicated effort.
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Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:08 am |
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Jack Sparrow
KJ's Leading Idiot
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm Posts: 36923
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Re: Upgrade
Yeah other than those last 10 minutes this was a great movie. I really liked what they did with the concept and would love a sequel. And yeah Logan Marshall-Green and Harrison Gilbertson were there to fill in for Hardy and DeHaan though the movie didn't need it, LMG is great here though and that's the most important thing, Harrison didn't impress though Gabriel and the actress playing the wife were good in small roles.
7/10
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Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:17 pm |
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Jack Sparrow
KJ's Leading Idiot
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm Posts: 36923
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Re: Upgrade
Algren wrote: I dug the opening titles for this. It's short but there is no text. Just an AI voice reading it out. Just "OTL Releasing and BH Tilt....A Leigh Whannell Film....UPGRADE" and the film begins. Never witnessed that sort of intro before. Yes I loved that as well and its not like they weren't using graphics in the background just that they wanted to with this read out which was cool decision.
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Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:18 pm |
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Jack Sparrow
KJ's Leading Idiot
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm Posts: 36923
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Re: Upgrade
stuffp wrote: publicenemy#1 wrote: impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all. Totally, they produce more crud with bigger budgets, but made the most out of this and just felt like a very well dedicated effort. I felt that the movie had the cheap looking quality but then it aided more here in terms of the story narrative.
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Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:20 pm |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Re: Upgrade
I'm in the "it didn't look cheap at all" camp.
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Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:22 pm |
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Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23781 Location: Classified
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Re: Upgrade
Once STEM comes online this movie becomes a Wickian blast. I didn't love the ending though. I don't mind that the "bad guy" won so much as STEM was behind the plot all along. The budding friendship between the two was the best part of the film (other than the gratuitous violence) and taking that away was crueler than anything else that happened. B+
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Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:23 pm |
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Tuukka
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:35 am Posts: 1830 Location: Helsinki, Finland
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Re: Upgrade
Yeah, this is an awesome film. I love it. It's lean, mean and focused, with some great action and character work.
I agree with others that the final twist kind of spoils the emotional integrity of the story. The friendship between the main characters is the carrying force of the film, and disintegrating that in the end feels bad in a bad way. Undeserved.
Shame that there won't be a sequel, because somehow this to me this very much seems like a beginning of a franchise. It would be easy to bring Logan and STEM back together to their troublesome, but interesting friendship with an external threat that would require them both to work together.
I would so much love to see that happen. But it never will happen, which is a shame.
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Sat May 02, 2020 3:41 pm |
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