Mel Gibson can’t rescue ‘Edge of Darkness’

This week’s release of Mel Gibson's thriller Edge of Darkness marks one of those rare occasions when good television is remade for the big screen. When the BBC launched Edge of Darkness as a drama series in 1985 it immediately became one of the most talked about and influential TV shows of the Eighties, wowing critics and audiences with its potent mix of crime drama and political conspiracy.
 
Aside from last year's State of Play - another BBC series turned into a film, starring Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren -  Hollywood tends to look to populist fare such as the Dukes of Hazzard and The A Team for its remakes.
 
The original Edge of Darkness starred theatre actor Bob Peck. He put in an impressive performance as Detective Ronald Craven, who must track down his daughter's killer after she is gunned down on his front step. With a script by Troy Kennedy Martin, the creator of Z Cars who also wrote The Italian Job, it was lauded as must-see television.
 
Edge of Darkness's director Martin Campbell went on to make two Bond films, 1995's Golden Eye and 2006's Casino Royale as well as The Mask of Zorro. And in a neat twist, it is Campbell, now 69, who has returned to direct the film version of Edge of Darkness.
 
Unfortunately, Campbell’s big-screen version does not appear to be wowing the critics the way the TV series did. Although the action shifts from Yorkshire to Boston, the film's focus remains essentially the same, retaining its original concerns about nuclear war.
 
"Time seems to have stood still in Campbell’s drab remake for the big screen," said Time Out's Wally Hammond. "With its nuclear concerns and old-fashioned heroics, it feels like a period piece."
 
And, in their attempt to condense six 65-minute episodes into a two-hour feature, the writers have also lost much of the television series' intensity, reviewers say.
 
Edge of Darkness marks a return to acting for Mel Gibson who, in the eight years since he appeared in Signs, has had a difficult time. He won praise for his directing debut - the controversial 2004 film The Passion of the Christ - and for his 2006 epic Apocalypto. But in July 2006 Gibson went from cultural firebrand to social pariah after he made obscene, anti-Semitic remarks to the Malibu police officer who arrested him for speeding and driving under the influence.
 
Gibson’s current comeback has involved him having to play along good-naturedly at the Golden Globes when Ricky Gervais joked about his drinking habits. He was also seen working the phones at last weekend's 'Hope for Haiti' telethon.
 
Perhaps this PR strategy is paying off. While Edge of Darkness has earned only middling reviews, some critics have praised Gibson's turn as Craven. "He's as dangerous and empathetic as ever," wrote Empire's Nev Pierce. "It’s good to have him back."

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:

Michael Rechtschaffen, the Hollywood Reporter: "Although it has retained much of its grit and intrigue, bringing the original Troy Kennedy Martin script up to speed from its original mid-'80s nuclear-arms race context is another matter. Their attempts to update the political agenda result in a scenario that comes off a tad far-fetched where its villains are concerned."

Wally Hammond, Time Out: "If it’s true that Gibson, in the role, recalls the earnest intensity and investigative zeal of Bob Peck’s original performance, he also brings a lot of unwanted ‘Lethal Weapon’-era manic mannerisms to the part." (Verdict: 2/5 stars)

Nev Pierce, Empire: "An uneven, somewhat meandering thriller is given emotional pull by Mel Gibson’s excellent comeback performance. The lethal weapon hasn’t lost it." (Verdict: 3/5 stars) ·