[yasr_overall_rating]
Mike Regan has everything he could ever want, a beautiful family and a top of the line smart house. The company he owns is on the verge of changing flight leasing forever. That is, until the relationship with his closest advisor turns nasty, to the point where his teenage daughter is being stalked and his family is under attack through every technological facet of their lives.
I’ve always admired Pierce Brosnan. As a fellow Irishman, he left Ireland eons ago to pursue a career in the film industry and has become very successful in his own right, with “Remington Steele” starting out his career and then stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous spy, James Bond. And while the man is also a successful producer with his own production company, Irish DreamTime, like most other actors, he has made some questionable choices. And sadly, “I.T.” falls into that category. The movie tells the story of Mike Regan (Brosnan), a successful self-made millionaire who built his aircraft leasing business from the ground up and who has a beautiful wife, Rose (Anna Friel) and daughter Kaitlyn (Stefanie Scott), and a state-of-the-art smart home. Sounds good so far and while Brosnan is up to the challenge, unfortunately, the script is not.
With his company on the verge of changing the landscape of aircraft leasing forever, during a presentation to his employees and investors, his system crashes but with help from the new temp I.T. guy Ed (James Frecheville), his presentation is back up and running again. At the end of the day, he meets Ed in the hallway and thanks him again for his help and then asks him if he might have time over the weekend to come to his house to help speed up their internet and wi-fi. Ed is more than happy to oblige but then continues turning up at Mike’s house uninvited, much to Mike’s chagrin. Feeling sorry for him in the beginning as he considers him something of a loner, Mike eventually fires him when he starts texting his young teenage daughter and spontaneously starts showing up to her baseball games. Of course, with Ed having worked on his home security system, he is able to hack back in to it and cause havoc at home for Mike and his family, while simultaneously disrupting his business, causing it to come to a screeching halt. The police are called in and knowing that Ed is responsible but having no proof of his actions, Mike must take matters into his own hands if he and his family are to continue living their lives.
The overall premise for “I.T.” is intriguing but the film eventually acquiesces into familiar territory, borrowing heavily from other revenge-themed flicks such as “Patriot Games” and “Cape Fear.” The main problem with the story is Ed. When we are first introduced to him, he is very much an oddball, with no family or friends and you get the feeling right away, that something about him is off. In conversation with Mike, he talks about having served in the military overseas and at the NSA when he returned home but he also possesses a creep factor, long, unkempt hair, staring uncomfortably at Mike’s daughter, everything about him feels wrong but in the beginning, Mike continues to invite him to his home. Had they originally actualized Ed as a nice guy, someone who Mike’s family took a really big liking to, a man who could make those around him feel comfortable and at ease, that character trait would have made for a far more interesting premise, and when the police are called in, they could inform Mike that all of his co-workers have nothing but high praise for him, making Mike look like the bad guy.
With John Moore at the helm, the director of “Behind Enemy Lines” and “A Good Day to Die Hard,” and Pierce Brosnan in the starring role, “I.T.” should have been a much better project for all involved but as it stands, it’s just another mediocre revenge flick with a very predictable and clichéd finale.
Available on Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday, November 22nd from RLJ Entertainment
