Seen on: January 26, 2010

The players: Director: Martin Campbell, Writers: William Monahan, Andrew Bovell, Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic

Facts of interest: Remake of a British TV mini-series.

The plot: Mel Gibson plays a detective who goes totally nuts after his daughter is murdered right in front of him.

Our thoughts: Mel Gibson returns to action on the big screen in Martin Campbell’s new thriller “Edge of Darkness,” and while he’s undoubtedly in great shape, the movie itself could do with a little more spice. That said, “Darkness” still qualifies as an entertaining viewing experience I had no trouble enjoying throughout.

In the film, Gibson portrays Thomas Craven, a Boston detective who pretty much goes ballistic after his visiting daughter is brutally murdered right on his doorsteps. At first, everyone assumes he was the target, but when Craven discovers his daughter was involved in a major corporate conspiracy, he suspects otherwise.

Determined to find out what happened and who terminated his loved one, Craven quickly launches into a dangerous investigation that leads him to the shocking truth of his daughter’s secret life and into a dark world of cover-ups and undisclosed corporate experiments. Times have never been better for some serious payback!

Just like the recent “State of Play,” “Edge of Darkness” is the big-screen remake of a popular British mini-series, and while I’m certainly not opposed to the idea of recycling these stories for the sake of a Hollywood feature, I often feel these new, condensed versions lack the detail and intensity of the original shows.

What worked for me in “Play” doesn’t really work in “Darkness.” While the former maintained an intriguing plot with compelling characters that made for quite a memorable ride, the latter comes close to failing in the story department, a weakness I find really ruined every chance for a decent payoff at the end of the film.

“Darkness” spends a lot of time setting up this supposedly complex story surrounding the conspiracy Craven’s daughter was involved in, but as the plot progresses, the suspense the film attempts to push in the beginning starts to wear off at a shockingly fast pace. In other words, the mystery is not mysterious enough.  

Hence, what we’re left with is yet another mainstream thriller trying to win over audiences by making big promises but failing to carry them out in the end. That said, I can’t say I hated “Edge of Darkness.” On the contrary, the movie boasts a whole series of positive aspects that actually manage to make up for some of its flaws.

First of all, this is a Mel Gibson revenge movie, and I don’t think I need to elaborate on this very much. Gibson is in great shape and still knows how to play a tough guy, and I admit it’s still fairly entertaining to watch him kick ass. Hardcore action is certainly scarce in “Darkness,” but the few battle scenes are definitely cool to watch.

Additionally, director Martin Campbell made sure “Darkness” looks great, and truth be told, he’s a filmmaker whose style I always appreciate, which also explains why the film is technically top-notch. The cast delivers as well, and I especially enjoyed Ray Winstone in the role of a mysterious agent trying to clean up evidence.

Freaky quote: "I'm the guy with nothing to lose." - Mel Gibson

The final word: “Edge of Darkness” is light big-screen fun as long as you don’t expect a superbly intriguing storyline. Alas, that’s exactly what I expected, and I’m sure that’s why I left my screening a little disappointed. That said, I agree it still is quite entertaining to watch Mel Gibson deliver some humorous lines and stop at nothing to avenge the death of a loved one. Hey, he’s good at it!

Article by Franck Tabouring