MOVIE REVIEW - Edge Of Darkness

You might remember last February the Liam Neeson thriller, Taken was a big hit at the movies. It seems this winter, Mel Gibson's Edge Of Darkness could be that sleeper, guilty pleasure hit that comes out of nowhere and is a real favorite with movie fans.

EOD follows the same basic plot line as Taken for the most part. Craven (Gibson) is a Boston detective and his beautiful young daughter Emma, is gunned down in an apparent assassination plot. She was a 24 year old and working at government nuclear installation, and somehow is thought to have become a threat to national security. Craven, who has no wife or other family, then goes out on a tear to find the killers and avenge her death. In life, you always have to beware of a father who has nothing to lose and those in his way know it. Very similar to Taken a year ago.

I am not a big Gibson fan to begin with. There have been movies and roles from time to time that I have connected with. But overall, I feel his work many times takes itself too seriously and borders on being over the top. But not here. This movie has a way of working that is just as puzzling as Taken. Gibson is solid as Craven and you find yourself cheering for him all the way.

EOD also boasts a real nice supporting cast which is pivotal for this movie. Really nice performances from some really well cast character actors give EOD a shot of adrenaline it needs. Ray Winstone as the perplexing, and enigmatic Jedburgh is just terrific. Jedburgh is a scary "situation handler" who comes in contact with Craven after his daughters murder, and you never really know if he's with Craven or against Craven. Great story twist and Winstone's performance is really slick. Perfectly cast and the star of the movie. When he's on screen, it's a better movie.

EOD is not an award winning move by any stretch. It is one of those movies that comes and goes and is on TNT in a year or two a couple of times a week after Law And Order. But for the here and now, it's alright. A new alternative for some of the movies that have been in theaters since the holidays and are wearing out their welcome. One more word, content can be violent at times, but it's not gratuitous, and much of if is handled quite well. It's a harsh story and there is some straight forward violence and killing here. If you were OK with Taken, you'll be fine here.

Edge Of Darkness. We always seem to be drawn to a father protecting his daughter movie and this one is alright. If you're a Gibson fan, go and cheer him on. If you're not, go and see one of the better supporting performances you'll see in while with Winstone. This movie can be slow at times, but it's not a deal breaker. Better than I thought it would be.

This is alright!