Edge of Darkness - C+

In theaters. Rated R. 106 minutes. Trailer.

With Edge of Darkness, Mel Gibson returns to the familiar aggressive/paternal role that has made him a star. Written by Departed scribe William Monahan and directed by Casino Royale director Martin Campbell, the film has some decent action scenes and taut sequences, but the script and characters never come together to form a cohesive film. Gibson is Thomas Craven, a straight laced Boston detective that has a grown daughter that he raised on his own. After she is killed under unusual circumstances, he goes on a vengeful tear to find out who is responsible. Click below for more Darkness:

Gibson is strong in his by the numbers character - even though we know how the film will work out (mostly) it is still fun to watch a vengeful father with nothing to lose chew up scenery and super generic bad guys. Danny Huston plays the diabolical owner of a shadowy nuclear arms maker where Gibson's daughter worked in a top-secret facility. Ray Winstone (Frenchy in the Departed) is the super-shadowy henchman with a conscience that gets to somehow decide what conspiracies the government takes part in.

The plot is a total mess, with major leaps and ridiculous conspiracies throughout. I expected more from this creative team.