Edge of Darkness

Whether he's taking a beating or dishing one out, Mel Gibson is an actor who's energised by violence, so he's perhaps the inevitable choice to play a vengeful cop investigating his daughter's murder in Edge of Darkness, Martin Campbell's big-screen version of the BBC drama he first directed in 1985. Whatever complexity and nuance that series had has been stripped away, however, leaving behind an utterly generic thriller. Gibson is a solid presence in a role that hardly stretches him, while Danny Huston and Ray Winstone (saddled with a laughable character) do exactly what you expect them to do, effectively enough. Everything about Edge of Darkness feels second-hand, though. The plotting is stodgy, the dialogue clichéd, and even the action sequences never get out of second gear. It's hard to believe this is the same filmmaker who delivered two of the best recent Bonds, as his work here is perfunctory and careless. Six hours spent with the TV series is a much more rewarding use of your time.