Nicholas Barber

(2012-04-22 08:46:08)

Perforated with plot holes, and disastrously unsure of its tone, it starts steadily and sombrely, before switching to a hysterical parody of a conspiracy thriller: a parade of irrelevant car chases and ridiculously public assassination attempts.

Elliott Noble

(2012-04-21 13:23:13)

For anyone prepared to make the necessary allowances - and there are a lot of them - it's an exhilarating ride. And at the very least, you get to see Gibson back on vengeful form. He's not too old for this s**t yet.

Joanna Langfield

(2012-04-20 05:09:54)

The most interesting component to this Mel Gibson vehicle happens off screen. This movie is a totally thrill-less thriller.

Robert W.

(2012-04-19 12:02:47)

Gibson's return to the big screen is triumphant...a twisted dark thriller

This was easily my most anticipated film of the new year. So myexpectations were high. However, Mel Gibson despite all his personalshortcomings, is probably one of, if not my favorite actor of all time.He is versatile and intense and can do anything and everything fromcomedy to action to drama and is the quintessential Hollywood star. SoI was absolutely psyched for this film. It had a lot of expectations tofulfill for me and it didn't disappoint. It didn't quite blow me out ofthe theater with greatness but still thoroughly entertaining, a solidthriller, and complex almost to a fault. There is nothing particularlyground breaking about the movie, in fact the whole vengeance followingthe brutal slaying of a loved one is not new...Death Wish, DeathSentence, Unforgiven, The Brave One and so on but that doesn't make thepremise any less watchable. In fact vengeance type films are even moreriveting because we all have a case of unrequited vengeance inside ofus. On top of that Edge of Darkness tries to not just be run of themill by giving it a solid story and mystery to unravel. I doubt its anysurprise that you know Gibson's character is not the target but themystery that unravels is still interesting and complex.Mel Gibson gives a downright brilliant performance as Boston PoliceDetective Thomas Craven. It isn't just that he puts on an accent but intrue Gibson style he embodies his character and has incredible screenpresence. His character is street smart, clever, and quick and ifanything Gibson's age does not show in his performance. He's as good ashe was nearly a decade ago on screen. Equally as amazing is theperformance of Ray Winstone as a clean up man for the highest bidder.His character is something of a mystery as he leaves only small cluesto his true identity. Either way he is brutal and ruthless andmysterious and a great character. Bojana Novakovic doesn't get a lot ofon screen time before she is brutally gunned down. And I mean brutally.Still the short amount of time she is given she gives a solidperformance. The chemistry with Gibson is excellent and she is great.The supporting cast don't spend a lot of time on screen and some arestronger than others such as Shawn Roberts, and Caterina Scorsone andothers have rather weak performances amongst strong leading cast suchas Danny Huston (who has the opportunity to be a real villain in thefilm), and Jay O. Sanders (who spends the entire film looking scared todeath of Gibson.) It feels like lately studios have been slapping directors with verylittle experience to potentially great films. They did not do that withEdge of Darkness. Martin Campbell has some incredible films under hisbelt including action greats like Bond Films, two Zorro films, andperhaps best of all the UK TV drama that this film was based. Dark,gritty, violent and no holds barred are a good way to describe the waythe film is shot. Easily they could have likely PG'd their way out ofthis but it would have seriously hurt or even killed the quality of thefilm. The film has some brutally violent scenes and the overallsolution to the mystery and the twist that follows is intriguing andwell thought out, not slapped on in any way. It stays together andentertaining from beginning to end. A worthy action thriller that is amust see. 8.5/10

alt_1

(2012-04-17 07:23:21)

Excellent Cast. Perfect movie. Oscar worthy performance.

Mel Gibson is one of the greatest actors and directors and in thismovie he gives a brilliant performance. The cast consists of matureactors and the movie is a nice change from all the teenage garbage thatis coming out these days. It keeps you on the edge of your seat fromstart to end. Ray Winstone's is truly remarkable in his role and Icannot think of any actor who could have done a better job. He issimply superb. The chemistry between his and Mel's character is alsoworth mentioning here which provides some escape from the darkness ofthe film. Mel Gibson is so impressive that in one scene in thebeginning he is sitting on the couch after his daughter is killed andyou can see the grief and the rage in his blank face. He should havebeen nominated for some kind of award but people let the politics andpersonal vendetta affect their judgment. These are the same people whogive this movie low ratings here. Don't be fooled. This is a greatmovie and I highly recommend it. Cannot wait for Mel's next movie.

Mike Goodridge

(2012-04-16 20:26:51)

Although its paranoid trappings about nuclear weapons and radiation are more fitting to the eighties than today, Campbell's new Edge Of Darkness is a taut adult thriller.

NY Writer

(2012-04-08 18:58:58)

Mel's character didn't forgive

Quickly, my philosophy on bad things by good people, even racist things, (which are anathema to me) is that I forgive at least once. Anyone can make a mistake; it is how they overcome it that i judge.With that said, Mel Gibson's character didn't forgive anyone for the brutal way in which he watched his daughter die. I wouldn't have either.The only chink in the storytelling armor in Edge of Darkness is the premise. The folks behind the murder would never have chosen to kill this young woman in front of her "detective" father especially in a town like Boston, where protecting ones' own makes legal things an option even to law protectors.Sans that hole in the story, it was a great story. Mel Gibson was terrific. Every sequence was well conceived and shot, especially one night driving scene that actually looked real (opposed to most that are photographed using a spot on the characters). The only visual quirk was a couple of night rain shots at the house, in which, you could tell machines were involved.But again, from start to finish, it was an interesting romp. It was bloody, which it should have been. Casting was near perfect. Welcome back Mr. Gibson, hopefully contrition is what fed this really good flick!

Edward Douglas

(2012-04-08 11:22:40)

A top-notch thriller ... a well-crafted addition to a genre that has made a refreshing and welcome comeback in recent years.

(2012-04-06 00:56:18)

"Edge of Darkness" is a return back to Mel Gibson's strengths!

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wynonasbigbrownbeaver

(2012-04-05 14:45:36)

Potential homicide detective movie ruined by bad writing with obvious plot holes.

Cutting to the chase and the biggest gripe of this movie. (SPOILERALERT) So they poisoned this girl (who was going to die anyway), andthey go on to shoot her? This part really started off bad for me. Thenthere is this obvious corporation with obvious villains, I MEAN REALLYOBVIOUS (i.e. Danny Huston with the villainous hair overlooking thehigh rise in his wealth ridden corporate office, the senator underspeculation about receiving funding from lobbyists etc). So Mel Gibson,(welcome back, I wish you came back in a better movie.), goes diggingand finds a whole bunch of corruption without proper surveillance. Hefinds this dummy grieving boyfriend who yaps while under surveillanceby a van across the street, telling Mel Gibson he is afraid of hislife, vocally admitting and professing secrets while he KNOWS HE ISBEING RECORDED, be a little discreet-why don't you. Our righteousprotagonist DOES NOTHING about it and lets the sorry sap get sniped.What about those people who come clean about their involvement, whycan't the police force offer protection? As for this Corporation, realdumb at hiding their mistakes. Why can't they just use their poisoninstead. It worked throughout the movie, why did they need to getviolent? Why did they need to kidnap Mel Gibson, where he obviouslyescapes? For the sake of useless plot convenience which leads to hisinevitable escape? They could have just broke into his house andpoisoned him in his sleep rather than disclose their faces andbetrayal. The villains practically enter his house and said "Hi, I amthe villain of this movie and we are going to do what all uselessvillains do, and just bag you and kidnap you so you can escape our evildomain". The villains ruin the movie tenfold.The only thing part I liked about this movie was Ray Winstone'scharacter. Mel Gibson, outside his old fashioned obsolete policetactics kept the pacing of the movie afloat, just barely. The moviealso does its best to get an emotional rise between his character anddaughters ghost. But felt a little empty to me.I hope the audience is smarter than this portrayal. I can't recommendthis movie because this is an insult to my intelligence.

Alistair Harkness

(2012-03-31 09:05:03)

It's no candidate for greatness, but it does a good job of condensing a six-hour story into a lean thriller without feeling as if too much has been sacrificed.

Emanuel Levy

(2012-03-30 21:11:38)

In a comeback role (his first in 7 years), Mel Gibson is decent as the grieving, vengeful father, but the effort not effective in resurrecting the paranoia, anti-government, anti-big business thriller, which was popular in the 1970s.

(2012-03-22 18:58:52)

Two Hours Of Mel Gibson Sitting Around And Looking Depressed

After the resounding success of the 2008 film "Taken", the "Dad pushed to the limit over his daughter's distress" formula comes back in the form of Mel Gibson. Unfortunately, this effort cannot hold a candle to its predecessor.For a basic plot summary, the movie revolves around detective Thomas Craven (Gibson), whose daughter is shot and killed in his arms and thus prompts an investigation into the circumstances. The plot deepens a bit when Craven learns that his precious daughter may have not been so innocent as originally thought.To be honest, this was perhaps one of the most boring movies I have ever sat through. I usually don't get distracted or antsy while watching a film, but in this case it was all I could do to keep from looking at the VCR timer to see how much time was left. As usual, the culprits were an uninspiring plot and understated acting:-Plot-wise, I never really understood exactly what was going on (both literally and figuratively). Viewers come to understand exactly what Craven's daughter was involved in, but there really isn't any emotional payoff at the end. It's hard to root for Craven, as he is so depressed that it will begin to rub off on you, while the villain (a "mysterious" figure with a foreign accent so heavy it is often difficult to make out what he is saying) is so contrived and uninteresting that you really won't care one way or the other when his fate is ultimately decided. When you can't rouse much interest in either the hero OR the villain and how they affect the overall plot, what is there to really care about?-In terms of acting, the film really is all about Mel, and he plays Craven as much too depressed and moody to do anything but alienate viewers. I kept waiting for the character to emotionally snap (like Neeson in "Taken") and do something gritty/exciting, but it just never happened. The action seemed to be thrust upon him, never seeing him do anything heroic or even remotely cheer-worthy.So, because of the muted acting and complicated, uninspiring plot, I really can't recommend this movie to anyone. If you are into the whole "revenge justice" thing (e.g. Jack Bauer is your personal life hero), PLEASE opt for "Taken" instead. If not, prepare for two hours of looking at your watch.

Jim Slotek

(2012-03-22 06:38:05)

If it sometimes seems as if we've seen this particular Mel Gibson movie before, well, we haven't seen it for a long time. And it has aged reasonably well.

(2012-03-19 20:45:02)

Mel Gibson/Edge of Darkness

This review is from: Edge of Darkness (DVD) Always enjoy Mel's movies, this one was not exception. Very good movie.Would recommend it to any "Mel" fan.

(2012-03-19 04:36:07)

Seems Familiar, But Still Exciting

Mel Gibson stars as Boston P.D. Detective Thomas Craven. His daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) comes to visit. Although father and daughter are very close, for some poorly explained ("generation gap"?) reason, they have not seen each other much during the past several years. Their reunion is ruined when Emma becomes violently ill and Craven must rush her to the hospital. As they leave the house together, Emma is shotgunned to death. All this happens in the first minutes of the film, and certainly captured my interest.The remainder has Craven investigating. He wants to know if he was the intended victim. He searches for a motive. He finds the stereotypical evil corporation headed by an egomaniacal CEO. There's top secret research and brutal people in high places in the government. In typical Gibson fashion, he slams his way into the fray. I felt that it was a montage of bits and pieces of plots found in countless movies, including elements from the Lethal Weapon series and The Conspiracy Theory. Although there is indeed nothing new under the sun, the whole thing still seemed too predictable. But there's plenty of action. The multi-talented Gibson still packs a mighty punch and still has a sure aim.

Pumpkin_Man

(2012-03-16 12:55:34)

Pretty Bad!!!

This movie was not at all what I expected. It has a promisingstoryline, but I didn't like the way that it was carried out. I washoping it would be like either 'The Punisher' or 'Max Payne' but it wasfar from it. In fact, it was quite boring. There are hardly any actionscenes, and I remember thinking to myself 'when is somethinginteresting gonna happen?'Mel Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a cop with nothing to lose when hisdaughter, Emma is murdered right in front of him. He goes on a personalvendetta to find out who killed her, and why. I also did not care forthe ending. I would not recommend EDGE OF DARKNESS!!!

The_Movie_Cat

(2012-03-15 20:57:34)

"The career is oveeeeeeeeer!"

The moment your leading man's personal life becomes far moreinteresting than the films he's in is the moment at which you have toquestion their career. Just as Edge of Darkness makes its debut ontelevision box office channels, leaked tapes purporting to be Gibsonranting are released onto the net... and are, let's be honest, far moreinteresting than anything in this movie.It's not that Edge of Darkness is BAD, it's just that in remaking asix-part TV series and cutting 200 minutes off the runtime the makershave had to remove any excess from the script... or, as watchers of the1985 TV series would have known it, "all the good stuff". The politicalintrigue, the ecological subtexts, the mystical elements... all gone.Perhaps most predictable in the culling of content was main characterCraven's incestuous relationship with his own daughter - here we getthe two of them as ghosts walking hand in hand, the only truly bad partof the film.Because there's no time to linger on plot details it's all served up ona plate - it's clear from the outset that drive-by killers WEREN'Tafter Craven but his daughter, something initially made ambiguous inthe TV series (for that little-known thing known as "intrigue" and"dramatic tension") and there's no political double speak to put Cravenoff the scent. Here there's never any point where Gibson has to ask ifsomeone has a dog in the fight, because they'll not only tell him whichdog, but where, and precisely what time. Even the climax sees Cravenapologise to his daughter for having to witness him murdering herkillers... rather an odd reaction given that we're not given constantreference that he was conversing with her. It's yet another indicationthat most of it was hacked out in order to make it movie length, andthat the entire venture was simply too long and complex to ever beslotted into a 117m runtime.Ultimately it's all somewhat pointless, an English TV series about aman who had sex with his own daughter before she was killed andreincarnated as flowers, her spirit having regular conversations withher father. A Hollywood screenplay it isn't, yet somehow someonethought it was, including the director of the original show.

(2012-03-13 09:43:13)

Good, But Somewhat Sterotypical

This is a good thriller that takes one into the murky incest filled world of government and corporate cooperation. In this movie a bad company is trying to make nukes that will be used in such as a way as to leave no trace the US government had anything to do with it. A cop's daughter decides to help blow the whistle on this, and it gets her killed. The cop looks into it, and becomes the target of a CIA type who is charged with keeping him from finding out too much. A bad senator, a republican (but aren't they always), tries to do more to keep it quiet. This has been standard bolierplate for a number of years, but this one is done well. So get it and enjoy.

SimonJack

(2012-03-12 20:16:43)

Old-fashioned crime/thriller in modern setting

This is a great mystery/action/crime film that opens with a murder, asthe trailer advertised. But the mystery around the murder is the meatof Edge of Darkness. So, it fits the mold of old-fashioned crimethrillers but in a modern setting. The action and entertainment comefrom how Mel Gibson, the main character, solves the mystery. Some fineperformances by supporting actors add to the quality of the film. Thisis a top notch thriller that also has some unusual twists at the end.Excellent entertainment overall. One quirk about the film that others may also find amusing is in theportrayal of the U.S. Senator from Boston as a Republican. Until therecent election to fill the seat of deceased Edward Kennedy, therehadn't been a Republican in the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts in morethan three decades. But then, movies are fiction, aren't they!