We've all seen that trailer that immediately turns you off of the movie being advertised. Just something about the story or scenes presented just hits you the wrong way and you pray that you never have to see that movie...ever. That's how I felt about Edge of Darkness. The "dangerous father" movie has been done many times, and the last time I really enjoyed that premise was last year when Taken premiered. Though Edge of Darkness had the potential to be a decent movie, a variety of factors kept it from even coming close.

Nothing makes Detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson, Signs) happier than a visit from his daughter (Bojana Novakovic, Drag Me to Hell). This visit, however, will not end well. With his daughter looking and acting quite ill before dinner, the two prepare to go to the hospital. Upon exiting the house, young Craven is shot by a masked man and dies in her father's arms. Initially mistaking the attack as a failed attempt on Thomas' life, as more information comes to the surface it appears that the situation is much more complex. In order to understand and exact revenge on those responsible for his daughter's death, Thomas Craven will learn more than is safe for your average police officer to know.

The biggest problem with this film, which could have been its greatest strength, was the story. Edge of Darkness is set up to have an intricate story that could very well have hit the audience with a big twist at the end. That, however, was not the case. The big mystery is revealed fairly early on, but Gibson's character does nothing with the information, which inevitably causes more trouble for him throughout the rest of the film. When Gibson isn't doing his thing, the film gives some insight into the workings of the villains which makes even less sense, if possible, than the explanations Gibson is getting from those he interrogates. This movie is based on a popular British mini-series that won a few British Academy Awards, so it must be upsetting to see a big screen remake fail with such a great base.

The other issue I had with this film is the characters. The story (in this version) is set in Boston, so of course Gibson has to put on that infamous Boston accent. Anyone who complained about Brad Pitt's accent in Inglourious Basterds will be silenced once they hear Gibson start spouting the old "park the car in Harvard yard" type dialog. What could have evened out the overall acting was Ray Winstone (The Departed) who plays a mysterious "Fixer" named Jedburgh. He is an ominous character who is built up to be extremely dangerous, but unfortunately is never fully developed. He has a purpose in this story, but that purpose is never explained to the audience. Also, Winstone speaks in such a low register and his dialog is delivered so quietly that what he says is almost unintelligible, making this an even bigger issue.

I walked into this film somehow knowing that I would not leave pleased. I've had that feeling many times in the past and been proven wrong quite a bit, which was kind of my hope in this situation as well. As they say, however, "you can't be wrong all the time." I would avoid this movie at all costs, even if you are a fan of Mel Gibson's acting. Gibson is due for a comeback, but unfortunately it does not begin with Edge of Darkness.