Rating summary
| Movie |  | 1.5 |
| Video |  | 4.0 |
| Audio | | 4.0 |
| Extras | | 1.5 |
| Overall |  | 2.0 |
I.T. Blu-ray Movie Review
Low Tech
Reviewed by Michael Reuben November 17, 2016
A cut-rate retread of Cape Fear masquerading as a
high-tech thriller, I.T. more than earned its
12% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It's tempting to lay the film's failure at the feet of director John
Moore, whose résumé is studded with clunkers like A Good Day to Die Hard and Max
Payne. But there's plenty of blame to go around.
Mike Regan (Pierce Brosnan) is a successful businessman who is preparing to take his airplane
charter company public. He lives in a magnificent "smart" house with a beautiful, much younger
wife, Rose (Anna Friel), and a daughter, Kaitlyn (Stefanie Scott), who's a rebellious teen. (Sound
familiar?) When a major corporate presentation is halted by a glitch, a temp from the I.T.
department saves the day. His name is Ed Porter (James Frecheville, who played "J" in
Animal Kingdom). Naturally Mike invites this complete stranger into his home to debug the wi-fi and
generally fiddle with the wiring that will give Ed complete access to the Regans' lives. Naturally
Ed turns out to be an identity thief, voyeur and sociopath, who immediately assumes he's part of
the family—and proceeds to destroy them when he's told that he isn't.
Even if the technology elements were credible, the script by Dan Kay (
Pay the Ghost), as
rewritten by William Wisher (
Exorcist: The
Beginning), shorthands everything that might make
this story compelling. It speeds through Ed's introduction to, and rejection by, the Regans so
quickly that the intensity of his attachment and the fury of his "revenge" make no sense. (Watch
The Guest for a recent example of how to depict a
psycho ingratiating himself with strangers in a manner that's both convincing and creepy.) Frecheville's portrayal of Ed is so clumsy that he
might as well have a neon sign flashing "Danger!" above his head. How did Mike Regan ever
build a business organization with such lousy people sense?
The film's sole bright spot appears in the last act, when Regan hires his own hacker to counteract
Ed. He's played by Michael Nyqvist (
John Wick and the
original
Dragon Tattoo Trilogy), who
displays a puckish efficiency that instantly grabs your attention. If only the film had been about
him.
I.T. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Digitally shot by Ekkehart Pollack (Gamer), I.T. is
presented on a 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray from Image Entertainment. Detail is plentiful, blacks are solid, and the image has the crisp, clear sheen of
digital technology. Though nominally set in D.C., I.T. was filmed in Ireland, which is
why nothing looks quite right. The average bitrate of 20.02 Mbps is adequate for digitally
acquired material.
I.T. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
I.T.'s lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack provides the appropriate immersion in a world of
humming and beeping digital machinery. Several action sequences display wide dynamic range
and furious intensity, including an overwrought car crash and a fight that occurs in a howling
storm. Dialogue is clearly rendered, and the generic thriller score is by Tim Williams (Red Sky).
I.T. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
I.T. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
It's unfortunate that I.T. is so lacking, because it was the last project by Brosnan's producing
partner, Beau St. Clair, to whom a dedication appears in the end credits. St. Clair worked with
Brosnan on The Thomas Crown Affair,
Evelyn and The Matador, and she deserves a better epitaph.
