not for kids
Violent, convoluted conspiracy thriller isn't for families.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Edge of Darkness is an extremely convoluted cop/conspiracy thriller that's very heavy on violence, with a large pile of bloody corpses, plenty of guns, shootouts, fights, chases, and crashes. Characters use harsh language, with plenty of "f--k" and "s--t." Despite a strong performance by star Mel Gibson, the movie has a sour, hopeless tone. Characters who do the right thing are brutally punished, and Gibson'scharacter -- the ostensible hero -- acts recklessly and violently. The film eventually sinks to a revenge finale with no positive lessons to take away.
- Families can talk about what the movie is saying about revenge. Does it solve problems in the end? Do you think it's worth what the characters go through?
- Was the movie's violence gruesome or shocking? Is the main character desensitized to violence? How does watching this much violence make you feel?
- Families can talk about "whistleblowing." Emma tries to report a bigcorporation's dangerous and illegal deeds to the authorities.How realistic is it that a person's life would be in danger in thissituation? Howmuch would you risk to do the right thing?
The good stuff
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Messages: Nothing is learned, no good comes of anyone's actions, and things like bravery and trust eventually fall by the wayside. The main character quickly learns that he can't even trust the police in his own department. Breaking the rules seems to be his only answer; recklessness and revenge seem to be the ultimate motivators.
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Role models: The main character only begins to make headway on his case when he acts increasingly reckless; he tells people he has nothing to lose and doesn't care. His efforts come to nothing more than a bloodbath and revenge -- he doesn't learn anything or change. His daughter, who tries to right a terrible wrong in the world, pays the ultimate price, and nothing comes of her efforts.
What to watch for
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Violence: A young woman is blasted across a front porch with a shotgun, creating several holes in her torso and a lot of blood (it soaks through a white rug). Viewers see several more dead bodies, complete with bloody, gory wounds, and disturbing photographs of still more dead bodies. (The hero is personally responsible for at least three.) Additionally there's lots of guns and gunfire, car crashes, and one knife attack.
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Sex: The hero and his adult daughter have a very brief conversation about the possibility of her being pregnant (and whether she has a boyfriend). The hero accuses another man of wanting to have sex with his daughter.
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Language: Multiple uses of "f--k" and "s--t" in all their various forms, plus at least one use of "hell," "piss," "asshole," and "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation).
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Consumerism: The hero types on a Sony VAIO laptop, and his daughter arrives on Amtrak. Crown Royal Whisky is mentioned once and shown later.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: The main character no longer drinks, but he keeps a bottle of whisky, which he pours for a visitor. Later, viewers see the same visitor drinking wine. In another scene, an upset young man sits down with a six-pack of beer and begins drinking vigorously.
Fan Reviews provided by
1
WORST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN - I WANT MY MONEY BACK by pattyb123
Please DO not waste your time or money on this movie. I had to keep telling myself it will get better, it NEVER did. The group of people I went with also felt the exact same way. The movie is very slow and has nothing that keeps your interested in the least bit. During the movie I counted a total of five people leave the theater and not come back. You know its a bad movie if I watch in jealousy to see if the people who left ever come back, which they didn't. PLEASE take my word for it and do NOT see this movie. I am usually a Mel Gibson fan but this movie is a real bust and I want my money back.
5
Five Word Review by smileeasymoney20
Totally out of this world
4
Edge Of Darkness is a restrained revenge/intriguer/crime drama. by Pseudobyte
I was expecting a straight-forward revenge quest by a cop father robbed of his daughter but that isn't quite what this movie really is. Gibson is incredibly understated in this film (to his credit) which may bore some moviegoers who are more interested in the "Gimme back my son!" Gibson from Ransom. The death of his daughter is brutal with little to no cue to the audience (the trailer makes it plain that her death is the impetus of the film); very abrupt. What follows are a myriad of quiet character studies with some flashbacks but not much in the way of police procedure. Characters get introduced as Craven (Gibson) goes through his daughter's cellphone contacts. The director seems to have made a conscious decision to not make it simple for the audience to determine who is "bad" and who is "good" with the usual Hollywood flair of film scoring for effect. What threw me the most was the conspiracy angle involving shadowy government men. Ray Winstone steals the show as one of these men.
5
One of the better movies out right now by my_way
Have seen several movies recently, and this move is one of the best.
Mel Gibson rarely disappoints when he is called upon to deliver intense
and focused anger. The story line is very good and has a little twist
at the end, but a very satisfying ending. After all, it is a movie. So, you
know that the bad guys will lose in the end.
OK.. I'll admit it. I'm a big fan of Mel G. and the movies he's in or produces.
Usually, there is a reason behind what he does or some sort of hidden
or not so hidden message. In this movie, all that is a little bit obvious, but
for those of us who understand what is going on, all too believable.
To sum it up, a very enjoyable movie even for non conspiracy people, but
those who are, even better.
5
Better than expected by Dbl_G86
I really liked this movie, it has a very good story even if it has been done before, good cast, and very good climax. I think it is one of Mel Gibsons best roles ever. Def a must see...I give it an 8/10.
5
FANTASTIC AND COMPELLING! by MovieQueenof Queens
THIS WAS A FANTASTIC MOVIE! MEL GIBSON WAS HIS BEST YET. DONT MISS THIS ONE.
5
Edge of your Seat thought-provoking suspense thriller by LizStarlet
(preface- I'm a regular person, not a publicist or someone hired by a PR firm to write embellishing false reviews) .... (possible spoiler alert!!) .. I REALLY liked E.O.D. I thought this was going to be a typical revenge film just like 'Payback' but it was so much more. It was basically a suspenseful ride from start to finish about Mel's daughter being gunned down, and his plan to find her killers. throughout the film the story is well-done and paced, never leaves the viewer hanging, bored and out of the loop. It soon leads into an interesting path about his daughter's death being connected to the bs shenanigans of huge corporations who service the Government and will do anything no matter how evil, to protect their interests, and keep the contracts alive and the millions of dollars pouring in. As a viewer of this film, I asked myself numerous times, can this really happen? Would a gov't-funded corporation try to kill people who knew of their evil ways ?
5
GREAT MOVIE - MUST SEE by Cmsgobucks
ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME! A MUST SEE