I.T. Blu-ray Movie

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 

• Behind the Scenes of I.T. (1080p; 1.78:1; 8:06).



• Photo Gallery (1080p; 1.78:1).



• Introductory Trailers: Criminal Activities, Rage , Devil's Knot and The Numbers Station.

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.