After a four-year acting hiatus, Mel Gibson returns to the big screen with the action thriller Edge of Darkness. The film is inundated with graphic action sequences, cover-ups and witty one-liners. But unlike his famous portrayal as the maverick detective Martin Riggs inLethal Weapon, which solidified his Hollywood status, this movie signals that it may be time for Gibson to give up his badge for good.

Director Martin Campbell’s film casts Gibson as Police Officer Craven, a grieving father out for vengeance after he witnesses his daughter Emma’s  (Actress Boyana Novakovich) brutal murder. The movie morphs from a simple crime drama into a government conspiracy plot to protect a covert nuclear arms operation. Craven’s investigation into his daughter’s death exposes a multilevel cover-up that threatens to tarnish the reputation of not only local law enforcement but also the U.S. government.

Campbell’s picture is based on the1980s television BBC series, which has been compacted into a two-hour drama.  Gibson was drawn to this film project based on his love for the television show. In retrospect, the filmmaker may have been better served by casting a younger actor.  The 54-year-old Gibson appears to be venturing a bit out of his element by playing a cold-blooded marksman. His thick Bostonian accent is abysmal and more reminiscent of Tony Soprano.

The film is also constrained by a flawed plot development that is trying to cover too much ground. Campbell should have allocated more time to establishing the government role inside Emma’s highly classified organization. This plotline was the most intriguing element that was never fully explored.

Edge of Darkness is an average shoot-’em-up that’s full of twists and turns, which are all too predictable for most cinemagoers. But like most of Gibson’s pictures, we all love it when the bad guys get what they deserve. Too bad we can’t fast forward through the pointless second half of the picture to the last 10 minutes of the film.

Grade:

Rated R