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Judging by the film's ad campaign, I went to see Edge Of Darkness thinking it was going to be something of a cross between Payback, Taken, and Man On Fire. For better and for worse it goes much deeper than that.

Based on a British TV series of the same name, the story follows Tom Craven (Gibson), a Boston police detective who witnesses his daughter, Emma (Bojana Novakovic), being brutally shot to death by a hitman with a sawn-off shotgun on his doorstep. Having only just been reunited with his girl and noticed her cough blood up in his kitchen sink minutes earlier, Tom is left not only grieving but confused, trying to work out what his daughter had gotten involved in.

As it turns out, Northmoor research facility -- the company Emma used to work for -- is responsible for a number of shady goings-on involving nuclear weapons. Craven's activist daughter was in the process of telling all to the public until high-ranking government official Jack Bennett (Danny Huston) ordered the hit on her to prevent his corruption from being exposed.

Admittedly, I've not seen the 1985 mini-series, so I have no ground for comparison, but the conspiracy theory here did intrigue me. This is helped by director Martin Campbell and scriptwriters William Monahan and Andrew Bovell allowing us to see various scenes involving the conspirators sitting around planning how they can cover-up and manage their previous actions. Also, the inclusion of a mysterious consultant named Jedburgh (the powerful British actor Ray Winstone) represents the dividing line between corrupt government officials and a father vowing to take vengeance for his family (he becomes aware of Emma's research, but has to decide which side he really wants to be on). As a result, Edge Of Darkness becomes a politically-driven thriller, rather than just a standard revenge flick.

It can be a frustrating film to watch in places, mainly due to a number of scenes involving overlong character monologues. However, stick with it and you'll find you're presented with a number of sentimental father-daughter exchanges, riveting action sequences, and surprising plot twists.

Although the murder of Emma happens pretty quickly in Edge Of Darkness, what's admirable is how the film still manages to create an impressive emotional ground between Gibson and Novakovic. Focusing on the aftermath of the event, we first tap into Tom's delusional and angsty mindstate when we notice the hypnotising image of the blood from his hands going down the drain. Later on, we're treated to a number of brief flashbacks and hallucinations concerning Emma as an infant; in particular, there's a very subtle, yet touching scene involving daddy showing his little girl how he shaves in front of the mirror, which undermines the unconditional family bond.

When the on-screen violence does comes, we really begin to feel the intensity and get behind Tom. One of my favourite action spectacles involved Emma being blown apart in Tom's arms by the hitman -- this was gripping, if truly horrifying. There was also a road-side set-piece that had me startled to the point of literally jumping out of my seat. I admire Campbell for crafting such action scenes with great potency; the film undoubtedly packs a wallop as a result.

Credit must be given to Gibson who is at the centre of everything after his eight year hiatus from being in front of the camera. He is an action star with an emotional core (there's definitely shades of his Martin Riggs character in Lethal Weapon here). Haunted by grief, his performance commands the screen: We notice the panic in his eyes when he witnesses his daughter's murder, and we feel his anger when he finally gets to grips with the bad guys in a fantastic final showdown. What's most commendable is he doesn't want our sympathy for any of it.

The other actors also contribute to the film's success. Winstone is excellent as Jedburgh: He appears threatening yet likable at the same time as he teeters somewhere between the good and bad. Huston as the corporate villain is vicious and detestable, but not to the point that he appears cartoonish; Shawn Roberts is also solid as Emma's boyfriend; while Novakovic is effectively likable in her brief role.

Campbell, the man who injected some much-needed life into James Bond on two separate occasions with Goldeneye and Casino Royale, has created a very gripping thriller here. Whereas the critical response to the film has been mixed -- which is mainly due to many expecting this to be another Payback or Taken, as portrayed by the questionable marketing campaign -- I really enjoyed the dramatic approach to moviemaking. Campbell has managed to compact six hours of the TV series into two, giving the audience a film which they can appreciate for its substance as well as its various action sequences. Don't assume it's just another watered-down film adaptation or a Payback clone until you've given it a proper go.

As for the final word on Gibson, he's utterly convincing in his role throughout, and it's great to see him back on the big screen. If he does decide to make more movies (and I'm hoping that he does), there's enough evidence here to prove that there's still plenty of life in the old dog yet. I give my respect to the man.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2010.