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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Upgrade (Blu-ray) (2018)
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Upgrade (Blu-ray) (2018)
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Released 12-Sep-2018
This review is sponsored by
Details At A Glance
| General |
Extras |
| Category |
Thriller |
Interviews-Crew-Interview with Leigh Whannell
Featurette-Grey Trace Vs...
Audio Commentary-with Leigh Whannell
Theatrical Trailer
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| Rating |
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Year Of Production
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2018
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| Running Time |
99:50
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RSDL
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Flipper
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Dual Layered
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Cast & Crew |
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Start Up
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Menu |
| Region Coding |
2,4
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Directed By |
Leigh Whannell
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Studio
Distributor |
Madman
Madman Entertainment
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Starring |
Logan Marshall-Green
Harrison Gilbertson
Betty Gabriel
Melanie Vallejo
Simon Maiden
Benedict Hardie
Michael M. Foster
Clayton Jacobson
Richard Cawthorne
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| Case |
Standard Blu-ray |
| RPI |
$29.95
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Music |
Jed Palmer
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NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.
Plot Synopsis
Ostensibly emerging out of nowhere, 2018's Upgrade is one of the biggest film-going surprises of the year; an old-school, dark, noir-ish sci-fi action-thriller reminiscent of The Terminator and RoboCop. Upgrade was written and directed by Australian filmmaker Leigh Whannell, who knows a thing or two about genre pieces after scripting both Saw and Insidious, among other titles. Flying solo without frequent collaborator James Wan as a producer, Whannell acquits himself admirably here, elevating what is essentially a B-movie into A-grade territory. More or less an Australian movie with Blumhouse backing, this is precisely the type of inventive, smart, brutally violent, darkly humorous and high-concept picture that John Carpenter would have created in the 1980s - in fact, it feels like a movie you would discover on a well-worn VHS cassette hiding at the back of a video rental store back in the day.
Set in an unspecified near-future, Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) is a stay-at-home mechanic who fixes classic cars to sell to rich collectors, and prefers a more hands-on, old-school lifestyle in the face of advanced, ubiquitous technology. After visiting eccentric, tech-savvy client Eron (Harrison Gilbertson) one night, Grey and his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) are ambushed and attacked by a group of cybernetically-enhanced criminals, which leaves Asha dead and Grey paralysed from the neck down. Faced with a life relying on computers and technology, with no ability to use his hands, Grey falls into a heavy depression. However, Eron presents him with the opportunity to gain back full use of his body via an illegal experimental operation to attach an artificial implant known as STEM (voiced by Simon Maiden) to his spine. Cured of his paralysis but sworn to secrecy, Grey begins his own investigation into the men responsible for his condition, using his AI-augmented body to kill them one by one.
For the majority of its runtime, Upgrade plays out like a high-concept Death Wish reimagining, but Whannell has a few tricks up his sleeve. Twists and turns emerge out of the chaos, leading to a daring, jaw-dropping climax which recontextualises the narrative, catapulting Upgrade above the ordinary. Admittedly, the narrative ingredients are standard-order, including a police detective (Betty Gabriel) who suspects that Grey knows more about the sudden murders than he lets on, but that's ostensibly the point; Upgrade is a postmodern subversion of the hackneyed revenge fantasy formula, permeated with a relevant message relating to the dangers of automation. In addition, the meticulous world-building further bolsters the material, with Whannell painting a plausible picture of our future. The world of Upgrade is undeniably our own, but peppered with unobtrusive instances of speculative future technology. Lower socioeconomic areas exist in this vision of the future, while characters still use simpler items like tape recorders. Rather than feeling artificial or deliberately designed, this world feels lived-in and believable, and all on a tiny budget.
Produced in Australia for a reported cost of under $5 million, Upgrade's technical specs are far better than expected, shrewdly using every last cent out of the budget to create a flick that looks at least four or five times more expensive. This is only Whannell's second directorial outing, but he displays the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Who would have thought that the director of 2015's paint-by-numbers Insidious: Chapter 3 would be capable of such a pronounced sense of cinematic style and personality? No matter the scene or environment, Whannell maintains a confident pace and his mise-en-scène is frequently smooth, while discreet digital effects serve to enhance the practical sets. Additionally, Marshall-Green nails the role of Grey, perfectly portraying the script's intense dramatics as well as handling the intricate physicality the part requires. STEM's movements look subtly mechanical, from the smallest hand gestures to the precise fight choreography, easily selling the illusion with seemingly little effort. He even convincingly pulls off the scenes during which he talks to STEM, moments that were at risk of looking ridiculous. An adept supporting cast surrounds Marshall-Green, with Maiden making a particularly positive impression as the voice of STEM. Elsewhere, the likes of Gilbertson (Need for Speed), Gabriel (Get Out) and Benedict Hardie (Hacksaw Ridge) hit their marks effectively. Even Clayton Jacobson (director of Kenny) shows up in a minor role.
Upgrade packs a punch during its visceral action beats, miraculously able to create a fresh look through specific fight choreography and inventive camera techniques, evoking the type of sheer elation that the first John Wick inspired back in 2014. This flick is a hard R, exhibiting a level of violence usually reserved for "torture porn" movies, but there is also wise tact to the gory money shots, which is a testament to Whannell's well-judged direction. Furthermore, Stefan Duscio's digital cinematography is slick and assured, astutely using neon lighting to emphasise the retro vibe, making Upgrade look closer to a European art-house flick helmed by Nicolas Winding Refn. (It is a bit of a shame that Upgrade was not shot on film stock considering the pedigree, but that’s neither here nor there.) Accompanying the visuals is a throwback synth score by Jed Palmer which adds mood and atmosphere, in addition to subtly accentuating the feeling of excitement during the adrenaline-pumping action sequences. A few short moments of obvious CGI blood do appear, but the special effects throughout the feature otherwise impress, particularly the convincing futuristic cityscapes. It's mind-blowing to consider that Upgrade was created for less money than so many nasty, straight-to-video cheapies that flood the bargain bin on a seemingly weekly basis.
Upgrade is superlative masculine entertainment, a throwback action-thriller which exceeds all reasonable expectations to become one of 2018's best and most essential movies. Aside from the palpable Death Wish influence, the feature is essentially Alex Garland (think Ex Machina) meets Nicolas Winding Refn with a hint of Black Mirror, and it will appeal to those who enjoy '80s and '90s genre pictures. In the face of so many expensive summer blockbuster spectacles, it's refreshing to witness this type of counterprogramming that's committed to delivering more with less. It's just a nasty good time.
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Transfer Quality
Video
Upgrade was shot digitally with Arri Alexa XT and Arri Alexa Mini cameras, and was completed with a 2K digital intermediate according to IMDb. I had the pleasure of seeing the movie at the cinema during its brief theatrical run, and it looked outstanding on the big screen, making it disappointing that no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release was spearheaded anywhere at the world (as of September 2018). Nevertheless, you can always count on Madman for a solid 1080p Blu-ray, and their AVC-encoded presentation delivers. Framed at 2.35:1 as per the back cover (OAR is 2.39:1) and placed on a dual-layered 50GB disc, Madman has mastered Upgrade with an average bitrate well above 30 Mbps - in fact, according to my Sony player, the bitrate often goes into the high 30s, and even beyond 40 Mbps. With such a small supply of extras on the disc, Madman could have compromised the bitrate and saved money by opting for a BD-25, but that thankfully did not happen. Hell, it's surprising that Madman even chose to release the movie on Blu-ray in the first place, given the poor box office returns.
Textures and fine detail are exceptional throughout, while clarity is outstanding. In the cinema, Upgrade did not carry a pronounced layer of noise, and this is retained on the Blu-ray; noise only infrequently appears, and it's never distracting or blocky. Due to the lack of noise and the characteristics of digital photography, the transfer does tend to look a hair smooth throughout, and some shots are flat; the movie looked more textured at the cinema. Nevertheless, the transfer capably resolves fine detail on skin, clothing, and the intricate sets and environments, with superb sharpness, object delineation and highlights. When Grey and Asha lay on the ground at the 14-minute mark, every piece of dirt and every stone on the ground is discernible, while Grey's facial hair is frequently well-resolved. Every gory detail of a dead body at the 42-minute mark is brought out, while textures remain strong under the neon lighting of the Old Bones bathroom at the 50-minute mark. A close-up of Grey's face at 61:10 reveals limitless textures on his skin. Upgrade is a dark movie, but thankfully the darkness is never too oppressive, and I didn't find any traces of troublesome black crush throughout.
Madman's transfer retains the colour palette I recall beholding in the cinema; an overly clinical look in the futuristic sets, while neon colours are also used, and the rougher neighbourhoods look grimy. A sunset at the 6-minute mark looks beautiful, while the vegetation in Eron's house is green and lush. Blood, too, looks deep and realistic. In terms of encoding shortcomings, I noticed a bit of posterisation during certain transitions, and some shots don't look as refined as others, particularly when darkness or specific lighting is involved. Indeed, shadow detail is serviceable but not a patch on what a 4K encode is capable of, and since the movie is deliberately bathed in shadows, a 4K release would really benefit this one. Some of the skin tones here take on a slightly pasty complexion, such as Eron at the hospital at the 22-minute mark. Colours and contrast would get an appreciable boost with High Dynamic Range. These minor shortcomings aside, Upgrade looks outstanding on Blu-ray; not the best 1080p presentation I've ever seen, but a reliably strong encode from the good folks at Madman that's free of aliasing, macroblocking and other bothersome encoding anomalies. Hopefully somewhere in the world, the movie gets the 4K Ultra HD release it deserves at some point down the line.
English subtitles for the hearing impaired are included. I found the track to be well-formatted, easy to read, and free of errors.
Video Ratings Summary
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Audio
There are two audio tracks supplied by Madman (aside from the audio commentary): a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, and a Linear PCM 2.0 track, both of which are only 16-bit. The DTS-HD MA track has a higher bitrate, and when switching between the tracks, I greatly preferred it - therefore, it is what I focused on for the sake of this review. From the outset, the audio is crisp and crystal clear, in addition to making astute use of the surround channels. At the 6-minute mark, panning is evident as a car enters frame from behind, and the atmospherics at both the beach and Eron's residence come through all speakers to terrific effect. Panning effects are evident whenever cars are on-screen, such as the car chase. At the 35-minute mark, both the sound of Grey's car locking and the sound of a dog barking comes from the left speakers. These qualities are retained throughout the movie, with Jed Palmer's score as well as the songs filling the rear channels. Speaking of the score, it's thankfully crystal clear, while also sounding full and packing ample impact, with the encode doing it full justice. Additionally, prioritisation is exceptional, with dialogue remaining comprehensible amid the music, atmospherics and other sound effects. STEM in particular comes through with flawless clarity.
Subwoofer is effectively employed throughout to give impact to gunshots, punches and other gory sound effects, while the engine of Grey's car has a deep roar to it. As per usual, certain audiophiles might bemoan the lack of an Atmos or object-based track, but there is no Atmos logo in the credits, and from available information, it looks like the movie was only mixed at 5.1. (The U.S. Blu-ray is also 5.1-only.) Therefore, Madman's presentation is a faithful replication of the source rather than a deliberate downgrade, and I doubt 24-bit encoding would make much of a difference. The mix is pristine and easy to listen to, free of flaws such as drop-outs, sync issues, pops, clicks, or anything else.
Audio Ratings Summary
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Extras
There is a start-up commercial advertising the documentary streaming service DocPlay. The main menu is also terrific, made up of film clips and pulse-pounding music. The extras themselves, however, are slight. Whannell has stated on Twitter that there was no time to create special features due to the quick Blu-ray turnaround, but that he'll campaign with Jason Blum for a special edition. I guess we'll see if it ever materialises. (C'mon, 4K Collector's Edition double dip!)
Audio Commentary with Leigh Whannell
Whannell comes in energetically and with a laconic Aussie sense of humour, delivering a stream of scene-specific factoids and observations. He even has answers for his critics at certain points, such as defending the name Grey Trace. Whannell's commentary is non-stop and honest; he speaks about the editing process, getting the most of a small budget, casting, influences, the technology, digital effects work, and the creation of the futuristic vehicles. Shooting in Australia is discussed at length, too, including locations and extras, on top of production design to make Melbourne look like America. (Digital flags are common.) Furthermore, he reveals that Marshall-Green and Maiden actually had conversations during shooting to heighten the sense of realism, and the on-set audio was predominantly used, with very little in the way of ADR. Marshall-Green had to wear an earpiece for this, which was turned into a prop (a futuristic phone) to justify it being seen in the actor's ear. Other topics include adding CGI computer screens to punch up humdrum sets, being surprised that critics have labelled it a revenge movie, holding back on gore, choosing a genuine gender neutral actor for the hacker, and much more. Whannell even speaks about other audio commentaries, having a lot of fun taking the p*** out of dead spots and people simply narrating the action. Whannell is fun to listen to, and the result is one of the most informative and purely enjoyable commentaries in recent memory.
Be aware that this can only be selected from the Setup submenu; it is not in the Extras.
Interview With Leigh Whannell (HD; 2:25)
A disappointingly short EPK-style interview with Whannell, in which he's asked some generic questions about Upgrade. It is interesting to hear him speak about movies which influenced him, particularly iconic '80s sci-fi flicks.
Grey Trace Vs... (HD; 2:07)
This is taken from the same interview session as the previous extra. Whannell is asked to envision hypothetical scenarios in which Grey/STEM fights against various characters, including Jack Torrence, RoboCop, Ellen Ripley, Jigsaw and "Hobo with a Shotgun." This is kind of fun, I guess.
Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:00)
A short trailer for the movie. I prefer to have trailers as extras for the sake of being a completist, so this is a nice, albeit minor inclusion.
Madman Propaganda (HD; 8:49)
An anti-piracy ad, followed by trailers for The Osiris Child, Swiss Army Man, Big Game, and Upside Down.
R4 vs R1
NOTE: To view
non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually
also NTSC compatible.
The American release from Universal contains no extras to speak of. The commentary is available in the U.S. as a digital exclusive. Without being able to compare the technical presentations of each disc, Madman's release is the winner.
Summary
For my money, Upgrade is the film of the year. Smart, exhilarating and slickly-produced, it blew me away with I saw it in cinemas, and it holds up on home video.
Coming to Blu-ray from Madman, Upgrade looks and sounds fantastic, ably replicating the cinematic experience. I do wish that we got a 4K release, but beggars can't be choosers - at least it's being released on Blu-ray despite underperforming at the box office. The special features are disappointing in terms of quantity, but Whannell's commentary track is top-notch, making this worth the purchase. All things considered, this one comes highly recommended.
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© Callum Knox (I studied biology)
Saturday, September 22, 2018
| Review Equipment |
| DVD | Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output |
| Display | LG OLED65E6T.
This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
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| Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver.
This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
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| Amplification | Samsung Series 7 HT-J7750W |
| Speakers | Samsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up |
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