Review by Jon Donnis
Lionsgate is back with a new release featuring Bruce Willis in one of the final films of his career. Willis stars as Home Security Agent Shane Mueller, who is in charge of the Wire Room, a high tech command centre that surveils dangerous criminals, watches them through hidden cameras, and listens in on conversations.
Now although Bruce Willis is the big name attached to the film, if you have been reading my reviews long enough, you know that often these films are actually vehicles for other actors, and this one is no different. Kevin Dillon is the real star of this film, he plays Justin Rosa, a new recruit to the Wire Room, he is tasked by Mueller to monitor an arms-smuggling cartel member called Eddie Flynn, played by Oliver Trevena. Despite being from London, Trevena has a pretty convincing Irish accent, and I would suggest the Eddie Flynn character has to be based in part on Conor McGregor.
Rosa is told that he needs to keep Flynn alive at all costs, but of course being stuck in a Wire Room 50 miles away from the location, that is not as easy as it seems.
While on a toilet break, all hell breaks loose at Flynn's home, when a SWAT style hit squad team appears and starts killing people and taking hostages. When Rosa returns from his loo break, he sees that everything is kicking off, and left with no other option he contacts Flynn directly and starts to warn him from which direction those targeting him are coming from.
Rosa and Mueller find themselves both the targets of corrupt officials and agents who want to destroy evidence and terminate both of them.
The funny thing about this film is that when I first started watching, I was immediately reminded of another film starring Kevin Dillon called Hot Seat, which I reviewed pretty recently. Like that film, Dillon finds himself confined to pretty much one area the entire film, and having to use computers and communication to survive. That film had Mel Gibson in the Bruce Willis semi cameo role.
Regardless of that Kevin Dillon is a likeable actor, and he does play his role as the Federal Agent unsure of whom to trust, and with Oliver Trevena the other side of a phone, there is a surprisingly good dynamic between the two, especially when you consider that most of this film would have had actors filming completely separately and at different times.
As always when a film has a low budget, it is pointless comparing it to one that has a huge one.
Most of the action scenes revolve around the Flynn character, and they are all filmed well and look convincing.
The ending had a semi little twist, nothing mind blowing, and the big twist that I was expecting never happened at all, so for me the ending was a little flat.
The Good
An interesting plot, and considering the budget I thought they made a decent little film. And what little we do see of Willis is appreciated.
The Bad
The ending felt a little flat, and I would have preferred something a bit more explosive.
Overall
A relatively small cast, and a decent little action thriller. As we approach the end of the career of one of the all-time greats in Bruce Willis, any little appearance should be appreciated.
I score Wire Room a generous 7/10
Out now on digital - https://amzn.to/3L0LHrb
Pre-order on Blu-ray / DVD - https://amzn.to/3QxAO19
