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It’s
been awhile since
we’ve seen Mel
Gibson in a movie.
He’s crept out of
the spotlight but
returned into it
after a long hiatus
to star in
Edge
of Darkness,
a modern-era
adaptation of a
popular BBC
miniseries in the
‘80s.
In
the movie, Mel stars
as Thomas Craven, a
veteran cop in
Boston who doesn’t
have a lot in the
world. His wife has
passed away, and
he’s not much for
friends. He’s got
his job and his
daughter. His
daughter is in her
mid 20’s and she’s
home to visit. On
their way out of the
house, Craven’s
daughter is shot on
his front porch.
While it was
initially thought
that the assailant
was out to shoot the
old detective, he
uncovers a
conspiracy that goes
well beyond him. He
digs through what’s
left of his
daughter’s life,
digging deeper and
deeper into a world
of cover-ups and
irresponsibility.
He’s out for justice
and revenge.
It’s a little weird
seeing Mel on screen
for the first 30
seconds. But because
he’s so good, you
forget that he
hasn’t worked in a
few years. As Thomas
Craven he’s a
completely different
character than what
he’s played in the
past. He’s silent,
he’s kind of
awkward, and he’s
very reserved. He
moves and he talks
when he has to.
That’s it. Mel took
that character and
embraced it and he
did a fantastic job.
His eyes were
amazing the entire
movie. They were
intense and deep
throughout. Mel
Gibson could always
act and he still
can.
This
is Mel Gibson’s
outlet but that
doesn’t mean that
it’s not a great
story and it wasn’t
told very well. The
writer who wrote
this updated version
of The
Edge
of Darkness
did an amazing job.
It doesn’t mirror
the old BBC
mini-series in very
many ways, but it
has the same spirit.
I don’t want to
spoil anything for
anyone, but I will
tell you that the
writing in this
movie is fantastic
and it’s been
updated for current
times very well.
Writer William
Monahan did an
awesome job.
Director Martin
Campbell did a good
job too. He helmed
the mini-series for
BBC in the 80’s and
he does a great job
with this movie.
There aren’t new
angles or big
effects but he lets
his main character
tell the story and
he follows him very
well.
The
extras on the Blu-Ray
are stellar. There
are several
featurettes that
talk about a variety
of things including
Mel Gibson, the
original BBC
mini-series,
adapting the
mini-series, and
Martin Campbell.
These
extras provide a lot
of insight on a few
different things
with the movie and
why they did them
for the adaptation.
There is twenty
extra minutes of
entertainment in the
extras section and
that’s a solid
amount.
Edge
of Darkness
is a fantastic
flick. If you liked
Mel’s work in the
90’s and missed him
while he’s been out
you’ll love this
movie. He did a
great job as Thomas
Craven and the
writing and
direction let him do
it. If you like
suspense movies and
throw-back movies,
this is a Blu-Ray
for you.
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