At the Movies

by Esther McCarthy

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MEL TAKES A DARK TURN

EDGE OF DARKNESS (15A) starstarstar

THE STARS: Mel Gibson, Bojana Novakovic, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston.

THE STORY: When a top detective's daughter is brutally killed, his colleagues assume that the bullet was intended for him. But he's not convinced and begins to investigate.

TAUT: Gibson in Edge of DarknessHAVING HONED his talents as a director recently, Mel Gibson returns to leading man mode for the first time since 2002 in this thriller, an adaptation of the BBC series from two decades ago.

An earnest blend of cop movie and big business drama, Mel plays Thomas Craven, a top murder detective for the Boston police force whose only child, Emma, a research scientist, is shot while visiting his home.

Everyone assumes the veteran cop was the intended target, but Craven isn't so sure as he believes his girl was keeping parts of her life from him.

His trail leads him to her boyfriend, hiding out in an apartment and knowing much more than he's willing to reveal.

The investigations lead him to two people - a shady government operative (Winstone) who may or may not be trying to help him, and the slick company boss (Huston) who Emma used to work for.

Directed by Casino Royale's Martin Campbell, this looks as slick as you'd expect and the drama is punctuated by strong action scenes, some of them blood splattered.

But Gibson's return to the other side of the camera is a welcome one.

Now looking a little older and craggier, he's great as the grieving cop turned crusader.

THE VERDICT:

This big-business thriller isn't as taut as you might expect and the final revelations in particular are clichéd and predictable.

But Mel's intense performance, helped along with a few good action sequences, make for a watchable movie.

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