A revenge drama mixed with a convoluted conspiracy plot, Martin Campbell's reworking of his 4-part British TV drama hasn't found a good way to streamline the plot for an effective action drama with political implications. More like "Mad Max" meets "State of Play", it's a movie that never seems to know where it's going. So, in spite of some good action scenes, the impression is of something being thrown together at random.… Expand

Great movie....Mel in his element.. A bit chatty at one point but that was the only speed bump. Great ending....IF you a Mel fan you will not be disappointed.

Slow start, but well worth the wait. Craven donning a Columbo raincoat uncovers clues leading to the truth of his daughter's murder. Passionate dad, Mel, won't give up and the resemblance to "Taken" flickers throughout until the end. Ah the joy of revenge! A must see.

Save your money, not even worth a rent. Watch it when it comes on HBO in the future. Silly plot, some good action scenes, but fails all in all. Bad acting with bad accents, stupid bad-guy that tries to be real but ends up cartoonish...want a great film about taking down an evil corporation? See Michael Clayton, it is a fantastic, adult, skilled, realistic and tense film based in reality. Edge of Darkness is a cartoon.… Expand

Enjoyed the whole movie, great action through out.

Although the the theme of revenging your child, or stopping at nothing to make sure your daughter/son is safe has been used in many films such as Taken. I feel this movie presented a different look. It portrayed a believable character that would stop at nothing to find who killed his daughter without killing everyone, or fighting 5-6 guys at a time and winning. The way mel gibson's character solved his daughters murder using common police tactics and only spilling blood once he knew for certain who killed his daughter all while keeping the pace of the movie far from stagnate was really impressive. Overall I enjoyed this movie, good job Mel.… Expand

Mel comes back with a vengeance and is well supported in an actioner that is best enjoyed if you don't ask too many questions. t

This really stunk - do not waste your money!

Astringent drama, a dry tonic to all the treacle out there, this hyperbolic tale of loss and vengeance brings a bracing tang to the well-worn genre. Kudos for an entertainment cocktail with a dash of bitters..

Excellent thriller,with an emotional aspect not often seen in a shoot em up movie. Has the ability to choke you up at times. I loved it!!

Very suspenseful. But more than that it was a scary look at back room world politics at work with US companies manufacturing nuclear weapons for third world countries. What if it's true? Are senators also involved? It follows the theme if Bourne series. highlighting IS corruption.

Good movie- i thought it was goin to be more action personally but - as is it was a good movie. Mel does look like he's aging hence the lack of action.

An excellent film with wonderful dialogue and many genuine surprises. I loved it!

Mel is back. I appreciated that this film respected the audience's intelligence enough to avoid the traditional Hollywood BS happy ending. It made the rest of the standard Hollywood action more tolerable. The story line provided substance, thrills and suspense in equal measure.

when I heard about this movie I knew critics would oh so predictally do everything in their power to find its flaw... but this movie punches you in the gut repeated times until awarding you with a somewhat happy ending.... girlier critics are bashing this movie because in the end it turns into a die hard kind of thing... maybe they were expecting a big romantic moment where mel gibson kisses the bad guy in the end??… Expand

The highlight of the film is the ultimate payback. However, is the payoff worth sitting through the first half of the film? It's hard to say. Perhaps you should see the film if you need a vicarious dose of revenge. Otherwise, it's not all that satisfying.

Mel Gibson is a great actor in this heart pounding thriller.

Was really happy with this movie. Intelligent, coherent plot. Slightly predictable mystery, but the way it plays itself out is expertly handled. Great performances, excellent conclusion. Critics had the fix in on this one from the start.

This trite and pointless movie is based on a rather good British television series. Let's see: Mel Gibson playing an angry violent cop who is out of touch with his emotions. That's not new or interesting. This is Gibson's "comeback" years after letting the world know that he is a anti-Semetic bigot who can't handle his booze? While there certainly will be some people who go to this movie because they like Gibson, that won't be enough to make this dreck profitable. Maybe he can make another Mad Max or Lethal Weapon movie? Or maybe Braveheart II? He is done, only he and Hollywood do not seem to realize it.… Expand

Excellent film! I'd say it's THE best film of the first decade of the 21st century. The obvious assassination attempts on Gibson's real life personal character, or maybe even life, are obvious in the snide reviews by so-called "critics" who, I believe, really didn't even sit down and Watch the movie. This was reminiscent of, and dare I say, quite better than, The Departed, which won numerous Oscars. Come Oscar time, this excellent movie will not get recognition, because you-know-who controls who wins, who gets nominated, and who gets shunned, i.e. anyone who is FREE and speaks the truth about the evil that pervades our world, and country.… Expand

Got masochism? This film has got Mel Gibson, so the question is largely a rhetorical one. But just for the record, of course, "The Edge of Darkness" has got it. Prostrated again, the torture that greets Thomas Craven can't compete with the crucifixtion rehearsal in "Braveheart", or the damage to the toe that a sledgehammer can cause in Brian Helgeland's "Payback", but being handcuffed to a metal stretcher while suffering, both from acute radiation poisoning, and the memory of his daughter being gunned down in cold blood, is more than a little torturous; is no picnic, and is quintessential Mel, who specializes in self-righteous rampages following in the wake of his own victimization. Emma(Bojana Novakovic), cut down in a drive-by shooting, never gets the chance to die slowly from radiation poisoning. Nobody shares the torture spotlight with this controversial actor(a good one)/filmmaker(a great one); he's no Jane Alexander. His character's testament to Emma, a show of vengeance against her killers, seems more like an act of self-love than parental love, since the moviegoer has seen this song and dance before. The daughter's bloodied body serves as a platform, an excuse, in which Thomas can play vigilante with the full endorsement of the moviegoer. Rendered in grisly detail(there's also a violently horrific car on pedestrian incident involving a female victim), all that spilled blood and exposed guts demands that the wronged police detective serve such obvious monsters their comeuppance. "The Edge of Darkness" makes judicious use of the flashback(the filmmaker is complicit), in which Thomas' memories of Emma are limited to her childhood, the period when his grown daughter needed daddy's protection. As the moviegoer finally gets a fleeting glimpse of her real life(on video), we're shocked, because Emma is not the same woman we met before the fatal shooting. The button-down, middle class she projects is for daddy's eyes only. That's because the father never truly respected the woman that Emma had become, so in effect, his vigilantism has an overbearing aspect which reeks of condescension. But hey, Gibson's misogyny rocks!… Expand

Just got back from the theater. Critics are really bashing this a bit hard. It's a fun enjoyable detective-thriller. Maybe not for everyone, but definitely for me.

I never really fully believed in the bad guys, but I was never really bored either.

I quite liked it! It was a thinking movie with enough suspense to keep me interested. I'd see it again.

The theme of the movie (man seeks revenge) has been done countless times (Clint Eastwood movies even Law Abiding Citizen from this year and many more) but this one is done well. There are a few eye-rolling unbelievable moments but overall very entertaining.

Very stylish and intelligent film, slow in parts but will keep you hooked.

A surprising flick with some surprising action sequences but it overuns quite a lot.

Excellent movie that keep you on the edge of your seat. Great twist and turns! Would recommend to most.

Agree critics are being harsh on this one, - maybe because of Mel. i enjoyed it and so did the crowd i watched it with!

The thing about this movie is that its solid acting and emotional pull cover up a convoluted story with some serious plot holes. But Mel Gibson plays the vengeful vigilante role very well.

Great film! Loved the twist of the dying CIA operative.

I like Mel Gibson's acting and films, but I found "Edge of Darkness" sluggish, disjointed, and convoluted.

Mel Gibson is a gifted actor and director. Forget the biased reviews from critics with a political axe to grind regarding Mel. The movie is excellent entertainment. Highly recommended.

Worst movie I've seen in a long time. Very bad acting from Mel Gibson.

Mel Gibson is a fantastic director, actor and producer he is uncompromising when it comes to his films such as" Gallipoli"(1981), " Lethal Weapon"(1987), "Ransom" (1996),or his Academy award winning film " Braveheart"(1991). Gibson has proved repeatedly why he is one of Hollywood's best and most powerhouse actors, after having a career that spans almost thirty years Mel Gibson had seemed to slip into obscurity after making his two last films. One of them being the massive box-office success "Signs" the other the Vietnam ward drama "We Were Soldiers" both coming out in 2002. It seemed like Gibson had had his finally hour as a Hollywood leading man. Until it was announcer back in mid 2009 that Mel Gibson would be heading a new film called "Edge of Darknessâ€� based off the 1985 television series of the same name directed by Martin Campbell who also directed this big screen adaptation which features the come back of Mel Gibson doing what he does best. Martin Campbell’s adaptation of his 1985 miniseries, of the same name, "Edge of Darkness" is a nasty big, old truck that all gassed up and ready to tear apart anyone and anything that stands in its way. And that is exactly what this revenge/conspiracy thriller it rips apart the competition with it's deep rooted and emotional story of loss, love, redemption and sorrow Martin Campbell has hit all the right notes here and let me tell you this film is absolute music to my ears. It is like punk music mixed with the soft depressing melody of a beautiful symphony orchestra score this is a film that flows so beautifully and so gracefully that by the time it kicks into high gear you are already completely and utterly immersed in the dark and macabre world of Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson). Martin Campbell is a master at crafting careful and deep stories much like he did on The Mask of Zorro(1998), Casino Royale(2006) which is praised as the greatest Bond film in the franchises history and now the equally complex and even more impressive "Edge of Darkness ". A film so immersed in its plot and story and so deeply rooted in its emotions this film just does not take to the skies it goes beyond it and reaches the stratosphere setting a course for the stars. It is one of the best films of 2010 so far and though it is a revenge thriller and audiences have seen it dozens of times before. I can say this much for "Edge of Darkness" that this film is much different from others of it's type It defies all expectations and predictions of the story dishing out twist after twist till it comes time for the explosive finale. Mel Gibson is know for roles like this he made a career of playing revenge driven individuals such as Porter in "Payback" (1998), Tom Mullen in Ron Howard's "Ransom(1996), Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon(1987) and now Thomas Craven in Martin Campbell's "Edge of Darkness(2010). Gibson is like I said, uncompromising in these types of roles he does not give into just playing the part like it has played in countless other revenge thrillers. No. Gibson takes the roles studies it and makes it into a powerhouse of anger and aggression he turns into his role, his character and makes Thomas Craven stand out above many of Gibson's other character turning him into a stand out in the crowd and solidifying the return of Mel Gibson. The rest of the cast including Bojana Novakaovic , Shawn Roberts, David Aaron Baker, Jay O. Sanders Denis O'Hare, Damian Young and Ray Winstone in a fantastic supporting role; all deliver fine supporting performances in this edgy and dark thriller. "Edge of Darknessâ€� is powerful in its story, moving in it's portrayal of a fathers quest for revenge (how many of you wouldn't want to get back at the person who hurt your child?) and just down right bad ass. Martin Campbell has proved once again he has what it takes to be one of Hollywood's great directors with this film that is both a dark look at the nature of revenge and how sometimes some of our worst secrets can take us to the edge.… Expand

This film had glimpses of the Mel we know and love, but it somehow failed to take me completely there. I felt like the conspiracy story could have been better developed. Having said this, I was generally entertained by a thriller that had me routing for the good cop gone mad !

I just recently saw this movie, and although it is has alot of character dicussion in it, it helps to build up the excitement when something finally happens. The scenes wer life like unlike alot of cop movies these days. Not wuite as good as the Departed, but a great movie

Mel Gibson was fantastic in this drama thriller. When his daughter is shot dead on his front porch by a masked gunman, A personal search begins to unveil the killer as well as the reason behind the murder of his daughter. An intricate conspiracy begins to unravel as Mel finds clue after clue leading to the truth. Gibson's acting and his Boston accent were both very authentic. He really held the movie together well. The movie overall was similar to 'Taken' in many ways. I think i slightly prefered Taken a bit more, just because of the level of action compared to 'Edge'. "Edge" was a bit more realistic, but i liked how badass they made Liam Neeson in Taken. Mel was pretty hard, but he also shows signs of fatigue and wear as an older detective. The story plays out nicely and never shows to be too predictable. Overall an interesting and tense movie. It's good to see Mel Gibson still doing roles like this. Ray Winstone (Beowulf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) plays a sleek "Organizer" fellow who assists Gibson along the way. The movie was nicely directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Goldeneye) who properly films the realistic crime thriller in Boston, Massachussetts.… Expand

I really thought Mel Gibson made a great comeback in this movie,because he hasn't been in much in the past five years.However,as much as I liked the acting performances,the plot itself is somewhat weak.I found it rather slow and there wasn't nearly enough action as I thought there would be.It was more of a crime mystery than an action film.Mel is quite notable for his performance as well as Ray Winstone.Good acting,but slow moving plot.Other than that,pretty decent movie.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. edge of darkness is worth watching, even though the plot of the story has been used many times before this movie it stills delivers with some good acting (execpt the accents) and some timely plot twists. The only thing that bothered me was the flashbacks of his daughter and hearing her voice through out the movie some of it didnt make sense to me and the ending could have been better.… Expand

Well it was an average movie. Mel Gibson shined like always, but i sort of knew the ending so i didn't expected anything great to happen. Its a war he cannot win but he only can satisfy himself by revenging his daughter. A nice movie to watch

I think it was great for Mel Gibson to be back in an action movie where AGAIN he is playing the role of a cop. He does a great job but i honestly have to say that the spark dies after the beginning and takes a while to come back. The first time i watched it i actually fell asleep which of course made me watch it again. Then i started to appreciate more about it and enjoy it a bit more.