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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies

Aug 16, 2019

Upgrade (2018)

2018 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

8.1

(45 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Robocop meets All of Me?

I found this film in a bargain bin at my local video shop for only $1 to purchase and after reading many good reviews I thought I couldn't go wrong and I was right.

Maybe a sci-fi/horror version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" is more appropriate.

In the future, a man and his wife have a car accident. Afterwards the woman is murdered and the man is shot leaving him paralyzed. Rather than living life with a severe handicap, the man decides to undergo an experimental medical procedure which would give him augmented abilities through the implantation of a mysterious computer chip which would control his ability to walk and use his arms.

Once he is back to "normal" he feels compelled to investigate the circumstances of his wife's death and hunt down those responsible. His ability start to manifest themselves once he is interacting with his new friend STEM.

His quest for vengeance and justice leads him through some interesting twists and turns before its unexpected conclusion.

This films pulls no punches (literally) and some of the fight scenes are not only well choreographed, but downright vicious and gory. The inaction between the main character and his mind are cool and unexpected. Even though you feel like you have seen this before in other movies, this one takes a fresh spin and keeps you guessing the majority of the time.

It appears writer/director Leigh Whannell (who also wrote the original Saw) is headed for great things probably because of this film as IMDb lists remakes of The Invisible Man and Escape From New York as his next projects.

Kudos

Eleanor (1463 KP) Aug 16, 2019

Keep seeing this on my Sky watch now list might give it a go. Thanks

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) in Books

Nov 15, 2019

I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)

Pittacus Lore | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

7.6

(31 Ratings)

Book Rating

When the planet Lorien is destroyed by invading aliens 9 refugee children who are bound by fate and will develop mystical powers come to Earth with their mentors. Each is given a number and they can only be killed in sequence. After Number Three is killed Number Four knows he is the next on the list, but he has a lot on his plate with not only his powers developing but his teenage school life becoming complicated. With the predatory aliens closing in he must rely on both friends and enemies to survive.

The basic outline is that of a good book but the detail and the execution somewhat let it down; too much of the back story is paper thin and invented for dramatic convenience. The killing in order thing is just hokey and absurd and that's just the start. The 9 aren't supposed to meet each other but that makes no sense as they would be stronger together. 'Henri', the mentor of Number Four is obseessed with secrecy yet sends him to school just when his powers are going to manifest in an obvious way. The plot itself doesn't quite hold together and the final showdown at the end of the book is over the top to the point of ridiculousness.

There are good bits, but they are generally unrelated to the whole Lorien part of it. The story of the new boy at school who gets on the wrong side of the school bully and befriends the previously friendless is good and works well with some good characters. This may have been better as a standard story of teenage life without all the science fiction trimmings.

I was disappointed with this book. I expected a lot more than it delivered. There are far far better science fiction books for young adults out there.