Revenge Times Two
by
In I.T. -- a cyberspace thriller starring Pierce Brosnan -- things get very serious when an aviation mogul and his tech consultant tangle. Both men make ridiculous mistakes, but each one blames the other. The dispute involves family and technology. And it soon escalates into deadly territory. As Mike Regan, Brosnan (The Matador) exudes charm and sophistication at the beginning of this film. He definitely looks and acts like the head of a company about to go public with an app that would usher in Uber air travel.
Unfortunately, Mike’s important visual presentation falters, and Ed Porter (James Frescheville/The Stanford Prison Experiment), a young temporary I.T. employee, saves the day. That impresses Mike, of course, so he invites Ed to his beautiful high-tech home and introduces him to his wife Rose (Anna Friel/London Boulevard) and 17-year-old daughter Kaitlyn (Stefanie Scott/Insidious Chapter 3). It’s not long before Ed shows interest in Mike’s daughter and tries to insert himself into family social activities. Mike will have none of this -- and ends up firing Ed, who then uses his tech skills to thwart Mike’s Uber air deal with the SEC. The terrifying battle is on!
Too bad it’s so difficult to accept Mike’s quick change of attitude toward Ed. In the blink of an eye, Mike loses all his personal charm and becomes rude -- even nasty -- to the disturbed young man. Keep in mind that at this point, Mike has no knowledge of Ed’s mental illness, which becomes clear as the chaotic story progresses. Also troubling is the lack of any character to cheer for during this all-too predictable offering.
The Bard has said it’s best served cold.
Revenge, if hot, seems oversold.
The film I.T. shows how two men
invoke revenge instead of Zen.
Hating each other for wrongs done,
they sink to lows, yet what is won?
Suspense-filled scenes come near the end.
But senseless acts this fails to mend.
The older man’s stupidity?
Hard to believe, at least for me.
The younger guy seems way off base.
He’s the I.T. -- a mental case.
Technology, the weapon used,
and privacy gets so abused.
As a thriller, I.T. might tank.
Yet actors here, I’d like to thank.
If you are in the business of revenge, then you better dig two graves. --- Chinese Proverb
(Released by RLJ Entertainment; not rated by MPAA.)
For more information about I.T., go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.)