Edge of Darkness - Movie Review

Edge of Darkness (R) 117 minutes C
A Boston cop seeks revenge, takes the law into his own hands

Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Shawn Roberts, Frank Grillo, Bojana Novakovic and Gbenga Akinnagbe.

The heart of this film is a gritty and emotional crime drama, but it's the surrounding elements that drags it to mediocrity. Edge of Darkness is Mel Gibson's first starring role in eight years and it shows. Here he seems aged and rusty yet he's not without flashes of brilliance and moments of believable intensity.

Thomas Craven (Gibson) is a Boston homicide detective whose twenty-four year-old daughter is shot and killed in front of him on his front porch. Initially he was thought to be the intended target but as the story unfolds it's revealed that his daughter was involved in a corporate/governmental conspiracy.

Based on a 1980's BBC TV series, director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) does a nice job of setting a gloomy tone but goes overboard with the sappy flashback scenes and his bad guys (always dressed in black suits) feel contrived and awkward.

Not a bad film but not a good one either... it might be worth renting if you're into crime dramas and/or Mel Gibson. However, a much much better Boston crime drama is Mystic River.
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Bonus DVD Review
The Hurt Locker (R) 130 minutes B-
The Mind Locker- defusing & confusing

DVD Release Date - January 12, 2010
Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Guy Pearce, Brian Geraghty and Ralph Fiennes.

The Hurt Locker is a good film but frankly it doesn't live up to the hype and it definitely doesn't feel like an Oscar caliber best picture nominee... it feels more like a well done "niche" film.

There's several intense moments that will undoubtedly have you on the edge of your seat, but there's also dull and trite moments (let's get drunk and beat the sh*t out of each other) that simply didn't connect with me.

I know a lot of people loved this film but if it wins best picture on Oscar night it might go down in my book as one of the most undeserving best picture winners of all time.