One of our other writers has already given his take on Edge of Darkness. I saw a poster of this film, and I found it very similar to a poster I saw of Sin City years ago.

You will note how Mel Gibson has a very Frank Miller look on his face, but he and Marv from Sin City look very similar.

I find it interesting that the marketing team chose to portray Mel in this kind of light, making him some sort of gunman who is out to get someone. Granted, this is the guy who played Mad Max and the crazy cop in Lethal Weapon, but didn’t he direct The Passion of the Christ out of Christian convictions?

I am not suggesting that they were trying to make Mel look like Marv. I’m sure you remember that Mickey Rourke’s character from Sin City was a godless man who didn’t mind killing.

No, Mel Gibson’s character is the “ticked off Dad” that we have seen before, played by Liam Neeson in Taken. He’s the guy who is out for revenge, because someone dared messed with his daughter. Keifer Sutherland has been playing him for years on 24, whenever Kim Bauer gets in trouble.

Personally, I think the “ticked-off Dad” model of the action hero needs to go. It really is a convention used simply to make an older actor an action hero. Sure, it brings a little more drama than most action films, but I just don’t want to sympathize with a guy who goes absolutely nuts on a path of revenge.