Blu-ray Review
Edge of Darkness
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston
Running Time: 2 hrs
Rating: R
Due Out: May 11, 2010
Buy on Amazon: Edge of Darkness (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
PLOT: A man (Gibson) investigates his daughter’s murder and subsequently uncovers a horrifying government conspiracy.
WHO’S IT FOR?: Gibson fans should be happy with this old-school thriller. He's a man on a mission, and that's about it.
MOVIE:
Gibson fits quite nicely in this role as a cop looking for the revenge of his daughter's death. "I'm the guy with nothing to lose." That's what Tommy says during this story. You totally believe him. Any time Tommy verges on being unhinged, or even mentally deranged, those moments work well. When that's not going on, and Tommy is trying to use his brain to solve this mystery, things get a little muddled. Normally Winstone is a happy addition to any film, but here his character is completely under-explained to the point that he simply becomes a tease. If the story begins to stall, he makes any appearance to move it along. The actual story isn't the compelling part, so when there's no action, there's no real spark with Edge of Darkness.
MOVIE SCORE: 6/10
EXTRAS
Additional/Alternate Scenes: These extras should have just been called, "the Jedburgh character Ray Winstone thought he was getting to play." Most of these scenes just give the Jedburgh character more meat, and explain his purpose a little bit more. I'm not upset that they didn't make the final cut, but I wonder if Winstone is.
Mel's Back: Everybody loves Mel. The cast and crew rave about getting him for this role. He even quotes Danny Glover's famous line of getting too old. He talks about loving the action, which I fine a little hard to believe since I spotted a stunt man a few too many times.
Revisiting the Edge of Darkness mini-series: Wait, does the director actually say he didn't understand the original scripts, but "couldn't put them down"? That's a tough sell. I'm heard odd things about the series, like it's a confusing "Twin Peaks" type show. The movie version must have just decided to get Gibson and keep the idea of a man loses a daughter. This is two and a half minutes long, not nearly long enough.
Adapting the Edge of Darkness mini-series: Reducing the script took eight to ten drafts, and they talk about the struggles of nailing the third act. It's funny how much they talk about the core being the same. So what they are trying to say is, "the daughter still dies."
OTHER EXTRAS:
Director Profile: Martin Campbell Scoring the Edge of Darkness Making a Ghost Character Real Thomas Craven's War of Attrition Boston As a Character Edge of Your Seat
EXTRAS SCORE: 5/10
OVERALL
It's been three years since we've seen Mel Gibson on the big screen with a new movie (or on Blu-ray while sitting on the couch). It's a little odd that this was his choice. It's a role that most will see as a familiar one for Gibson. Owning this won't do justice for someone dying to get more of the Edge of Darkness world, which clearly includes the mini-series. Most of the extras are two to three minutes in length, so if you really want to explore more, you'll have enough time with a rental. The bottom line is, if you miss seeing Gibson kick some ass, this movie will give you just enough of that to leave you satisfied.
FINAL SCORE: 6/10