Upgrade Review: 5 Ups And 1 Down
4. Up: It's Got Humor (And It Works)
With a serious tone maintained throughout much of its beginning runtime, it's surprising just how humorous the movie ends up being. Once Grey's A.I program STEM shows up, the film gets a tone that constantly mixes humor and drama in a way that adds undeniable personality to the film without betraying the seriousness of the film up until that point.
This helps make the film feel refreshingly varied as you feel an assortment of emotions throughout. One moment, you feel tense and concerned over Grey's health, but soon after, find yourself laughing as he lets STEM take over and out-of-nowhere, he starts fighting like Neo and Bruce Lee combined. Much of the credit has to go to Logan Marshall-Green, who absolutely nails every little facial reaction as he suddenly becomes capable of amazing feats, specifically of the extremely violent variety.
With a less-conscientious director and less-capable star, this decision could've led to a disastrous tonal clash. Thankfully, the directorial choice works here as it helps elevate the movie's entertainment value massively and ends up making you feel like a bad person as you let out several (guilt-filled) laughs after someone dies in a gruesome fashion.