Last night, I went to see “Edge of Darkness”, Mel Gibson’s first movie in eight years. I know many people who won’t go watch him because of his drunken anti-Semitic tirade a few years ago, but I watch movies to see actors act. I don’t have to like their personal views.
Edge of Darkness is a dark look at a cop who loses his only daughter. He is widowed, we presume, because there’s no mention of his wife and her mother in the entire film. In the end, he has nothing left to live for, and he’s determined that those responsible will pay. It’s not as gritty as “Man on Fire” or “Payback”, but it’s not as slick as “Ransom”, either. The tone is bleak but sometimes resorts to just enough bloody splashes of violence to change it up. Martin Campbell, who also directed “Casino Royale”, which is one of the best Bond films to date, kept the story tight. With the exception of a few unnecessary moments of exposition that I can only imagine are put in there for audiences who can’t understand the Boston accents being thrown around (It gets a bit thick sometimes!), it’s a good movie. A little predictable and a little derivative, but I enjoyed seeing Mel Gibson in a role that he fits into like a glove.
I give it three out of five Sugartits.
Enjoy this post? Try these:My review of Drag Me To Hell (Spoiler Free)
My review of Avatar (Spoiler Free)
My review of Bruno (spoiler-free)
Sounds like OctoMel made a pretty good movie.
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@Andria, ugh – is he still dating her?
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Twitter: Blogography
says:
Sugartits!
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@Dave2, Sergio!
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I am one of those people who have held Gibson’s rant against him, but I read a decent review of this and will probably see it.
Just call me Sugartits.
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@JD at I Do Things, well, I think if he was making movie after movie, people would get over it faster, but since this is his first one in almost a decade, it’s easier to “take a stand”.
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@JD at I Do Things wisely said:
And then there was Apocalypto. Didn’t that come out right after the whole mess. I seem to remember people going to see that without TOO much fuss. Aw, Mel. I can’t stay mad at you.
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@JD at I Do Things, well, he directed it, but he didn’t star in it.
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@Avitable, I know. But there was a lot of “Mel” buzz surrounding it. I agree with you, tho. He could’ve been getting his face out there more often and in perhaps more positive ways than dumping his wife for a pregnant teen.
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I have so many movies I want to see and this is right near at the top of the list. Sometime I just wish that when we give birth a nanny would come out as part of the package. It may hurt more to start but being able to see the movies and do the things would make up for it!
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@Marta, let me know if you push a nanny out of your vagina.
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Twitter: thegoddesscher
says:
This story has been done to death. Feh.
Now, Wolfman? That was WAY cool!
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@CP, man, you have the shittiest taste in movies! Wolfman was cheesy, overwrought, and kind of fun, but only if you’re half paying attention.
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Twitter: karensugarpants
says:
I’m not sure what my tits have to do with this movie, but I will say this: Mel is HAWT. I’d totally hit that. As long as he didn’t talk.
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@Karen Sugarpants, oh, he rings your doorbell, does he?
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Twitter: karensugarpants
, February 19th, 2010: 9:43 AM
@Avitable, damn skippy.
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Twitter: VerdantDude
says:
I’m a big fan of Payback Mel, and this looks similar. So I’ll see it. Eventually.
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@B.E. Earl, it’ll be just as good on DVD as it is on the big screen.
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Twitter: msmegan
says:
This sounds like “Taken.”
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@Finn, it’s more like Mystic River, but I can see the comparison a little. Taken was better.
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Twitter: ellemmes
says:
I don’t have much interest in it because it seems like he’s already done this movie in Payback. I used to have the love for Mel in his earlier days, but now he kind of creeps me out. It has nothing to do with his rants or his religion. He’s got a bit of the crazy eye, and that’s not sexy!
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@Lisa, well, Payback was noir. This definitely isn’t.
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Twitter: Jayman3768
says:
Let me guess. The person who killed his daughter was a Jew?
Ha! Mel Gibson jokes never get old.
I was going to make the comparison to “Taken” but I see someone else already has. Anyway, “father porn” almost always makes for a decent movie.
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@Jay, “father porn” – that’s a good name for it. And yeah, it is usually pretty good.
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Sounds okay. I’ll see it if it comes out on a cable channel, maybe.
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@Sybil Law, what, you don’t trust my opinion completely?
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Twitter: hellohahanarf
says:
i’m waiting for it to hit cable. hbo, bay-bee!
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@hello haha narf, you don’t go to the movie theater very often, do you?
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Twitter: hellohahanarf
, February 19th, 2010: 3:00 PM
@Avitable,
i absolutely LOVE going to the movies. but for the kind of money the theaters charge i prefer to only go see flicks i know i want to see. this one is just kinda meh on my list.
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Twitter: thepsychobabble
says:
Wait. Don’t sugartits come in pairs? so is that three PAIRS of sugartits, or three individual sugartits out of 5? If so, where did sugartit #6 go?
Or do two tits make up one sugartits entity, which would render all previous questions moot?
~wanders off in search of her daily dose of anti-crazy drugs~
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@thepsychobabble, those are all good questions. /runs away
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Twitter: poppycede
says:
“know many people who won’t go watch him because of his drunken anti-Semitic tirade a few years ago, but I watch movies to see actors act. I don’t have to like their personal views.”
WORD! I can’t stand Justin Timberlake as a person, but I adore him as a solo artist.
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I saw this last night with my dad, and there was one mention of the mother. I took my dad to see it, and during one scene, I started to question my judgment bringing him because of my sister. But I don’t want to post spoilers either.
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Oh, and totally agree with you on the accents too!
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Your review of this movie is what totally make me want to see it and now I have. Well done.
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