Upgrade - A fun new take on the 'revenge' tale

I know 'revenge' stories are as old as the hills ('Death Wish' kind of brought them into the mainstream in the seventies, but I believe there were others even before that).  The plot is pretty straight forward: protagonist gets someone close to him killed or brutally injured, so he takes revenge on those who wronged him.  Naturally, because of the horrors he's been through, we support the hero automatically and want justice against those scum-bags who clearly need punishment meeting out to them.

Here, we join our hero 'Grey Trace' (Logan Marshall-Green) - a mechanic in the near future, only to lose his wife to a gang of hoodlums in what seems like a random mugging (when are they ever really 'random?!').  Not just does this event rob him of his happy marriage, but also leaves him paralysed from the waist down.  But, before he can really settle in to his new wheelchair-bound life, a Mark Zuckerberg-type tech giant who he's worked for offers to implant a chip into him that will allow him to walk.  Naturally, he takes this opportunity to use his 'second chance' to get even with the gang of thugs.

However, what he doesn't count on is that this new chip in his head not just allows him to walk again, but also speaks to him (think 'Jarvis' is the 'Iron Man' films!), telling him what to do.  And, not only that, can even 'take over' Grey's actions when needed (like when he needs to exact some brutal revenge on someone!).

So, that's the gimmick and, if the film was handled differently, the film may just get completely forgotten, or chalked up to just another revenge B-movie.  Luckily, the script is so tight, the characters so perfect and the whole film just so damn enjoyable, it's destined to become a future cult classic.  There's something about it all that just works.  Maybe it's the fact that the protagonist isn't a fighter, therefore finds it so off-putting when he allows the chip to take control of his body and totally destroy one hoodlum after the next.

The fight scenes are really quiet special.  They have their own 'look and feel' about them that I've never seen before (and I've seen quite a few different types onscreen!).  They kind of remind me of the way fist fighting is handled in the 'Kingsmen' films, i.e. with its own unique style.  It is also pretty violent and the gore is delightfully over the top and comic book-like.  In fact, the whole film could well be some sort of comic book adaptation (or is it - I don't know - I should probably look that point up!).  The villains also have their own 'upgrades' and having firearms woven - literally - into their bodies is another nice touch.

I won't say much more about the story as there are some parts that you might not see coming (I guessed one 'surprise,' but never guessed another!).  If you like your modern action films a little self-knowing and deliciously blood-thirsty then you should definitely watch this - just don't dwell too much on how Logan Marshall-Green looks like Tom Hardy.

This is one film that's so good as a 'stand-alone' piece I really hope they don't try to drag it out with a sequel that just isn't needed.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one