Do you like Mel Gibson? Do you like the intensity that he gets to the movie screen. Do you like the fact that he hogs most of the screen time in most of his movies probably because the others in the movie are lesser known or unknown actors. Do you love Lethal Weapon and Ransom and Payback. Well if the answer to all of these was in the affirmative then Ladies and Gentlemen – He is back!!!! And back with a bang.
Detective Thomas Craven is an experienced detective in the Boston PD who receives a surprise when his 24 year old daughter, Emma Craven (Bojana Novakovic) who decides to visit. However, it isn’t the best of surprises since she turns out to be extremely unwell – she throws up in the car. As Tom is about to take her to the doctor, calamity strikes with Emma being shot dead right @ his doorstep.
Obviously the case takes high priority since it involves a cop’s family. The cops believe that the assassins were after Tom and not Emma and begin a massive investigation.
However, Tom not only believes that the cops are in the wrong direction, but also starts a covert investigation of his own which leads him to find a gun in Emma’s baggage. However, the gun is not registered in Emma’s name but is in the name of her boyfriend (Shawn Roberts). Tom tracks him down and after a minor fight contains him. David is petrified but not of Tom. He believes that the organization he and Emma are working for, Northmoor, is spying on them.
He returns home and as he is burning Emma’s effects in the lawn, he encouters Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), a consultant in clearing up government messes. The kinda guy like Wolf (Pulp Fiction – Harvey Kietel) – only this time its kinda official and not ganster. Jedburgh would usually have disposed off the problem but somehow decides to just forewarn Tom about the mess he is getting into.
Failing to heed Jed’s warnings, Tom makes his way to meet Jack Bennet (Danny Huston), CEO Northmoor to figure things out about what his daughter was working on. However, he only meets with the word – CLASSIFIED.
Further investigations lead him to understand that Emma was working on something that was sensitive enough not to come out in the open and that somehow it was also linked to 3 bodies that were found on the banks of the Connecticut river, the night before his daughter was shot dead. Obviously it was also intriguing that everyone else Tom speaks to is not just worried but scared of losing their lives.
The movie is peppered with shots where Tom speaks to Emma as if she were still there next to him. As if he would rather be with her than alive. Like he regrets not having spent enough time with her when she was alive and is trying to make it up to her.
Martin Campbell does not create as much excitement as he does in Goldeneye and then Casino Royale. There are enough thrills and loads of intensity but honestly its not like anything you haven’t seen before.
As the story builds, one gets the distinct feeling that it is another typical Mel Gibson movie where he is the good guy ensuring that the bad guys are beaten up. Dear Mr. Gibson – u r pushing 60. need something different at least now. The intensity is still there but need a new concept folks.
Other than Ray Winstone who is really good in his minimum screen time, the others are not too great or just don’t have any significant part to play. All in all, as mentioned earlier, great for a Gibson Fan. But nothing new. 5 on 10 for this one.
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