Needs to be watched intently and more than once. Very chilling and very apropo for the tense atmosphere that surrounds us all. Also very touching. I'm intentionally being vague because it's such a great movie and I don't want to take away anyone's enjoyment who have not seen it.

After the resounding success of the 2008 film "Taken", the "Dad pushed to the limit over his daughter's distress" formula comes back in the form of Mel Gibson. Unfortunately, this effort cannot hold a candle to its predecessor.For a basic plot summary, the movie revolves around detective Thomas Craven (Gibson), whose daughter is shot and killed in his arms and thus prompts an investigation into the circumstances. The plot deepens a bit when Craven learns that his precious daughter may have not been so innocent as originally thought.To be honest, this was perhaps one of the most boring movies I have ever sat through. I usually don't get distracted or antsy while watching a film, but in this case it was all I could do to keep from looking at the VCR timer to see how much time was left. As usual, the culprits were an uninspiring plot and understated acting:-Plot-wise, I never really understood exactly what was going on (both literally and figuratively). Viewers come to understand exactly what Craven's daughter was involved in, but there really isn't any emotional payoff at the end. It's hard to root for Craven, as he is so depressed that it will begin to rub off on you, while the villain (a "mysterious" figure with a foreign accent so heavy it is often difficult to make out what he is saying) is so contrived and uninteresting that you really won't care one way or the other when his fate is ultimately decided. When you can't rouse much interest in either the hero OR the villain and how they affect the overall plot, what is there to really care about?-In terms of acting, the film really is all about Mel, and he plays Craven as much too depressed and moody to do anything but alienate viewers. I kept waiting for the character to emotionally snap (like Neeson in "Taken") and do something gritty/exciting, but it just never happened. The action seemed to be thrust upon him, never seeing him do anything heroic or even remotely cheer-worthy.So, because of the muted acting and complicated, uninspiring plot, I really can't recommend this movie to anyone. If you are into the whole "revenge justice" thing (e.g. Jack Bauer is your personal life hero), PLEASE opt for "Taken" instead. If not, prepare for two hours of looking at your watch.

Continuing my plan to watch every Mel Gibson movie in order I come to Edge Of Darkness (2010)This was the first movie starring Mel Gibson in a leading role in 8 years. And to say a lot had happened in those years is an understatement. He stood by Robert Downey Jr's side during his personal problems and A hate filled rant whilst being pulled for DUI. Apocalypto doing well despite being a tough sell on top of Gibson's scandal was proof audiences will ignore a certain amount of bad behaviour.Plot In A Paragraph: As homicide detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) investigates the murder of his daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.This is a tough one for me to review, as I was a fan of the BBC mini series this is based on. They obviously changed a lot, to fit it into the time constraints of one movie, but it's not bad, it's not great by any means, but it's an above average movie that has a few 'jump' moments in there too. All the supporting cast are fine, and Winstone pops up in possibly my favourite performance from him, but this is Gibson's movie, and for me, in Edge of Darkness, he remains a likable man with a natural screen presence, whose character I didn't have too hard of a time getting behind. Edge Of Darkness grossed $43 million dollars at the Domestic Box Office to end 2010 the 73rd highest grossing movie of the year. So, it wasn't a hit for Gibson.  But it didn't totally bomb either.  If anything, it can probably be viewed as a minor victory, that some (maybe only older action fans) audiences didn't seem to be holding his scandals against him.And the THOSE tapes dropped.

Police detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) loses his daughter when masked man shoot her on his front steps right next to him. He can't be part of the police investigation but that doesn't stop him. Before the shooting, she was sick and had tried to tell him something. As he digs deeper, he discovers a vast corrupt conspiracy.Mel Gibson tries to return to movies after his personal problems. The movie starts with a lot of promise. He's quite compelling as the angry resolute father. He gives a great tone to his performance. We've seen this Mel Gibson character before. However the convoluted story gets way too complicated. The rambling story loses the tension and excitement. At least, Mel shows that he still has the screen presence.