Edge of Darkness appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Across the board, the transfer looked great.
At all times, the film boasted solid clarity. Only the slightest smidgen of softness ever appeared, as the flick provided crisp, precise images. I noticed no jaggies or moiré effects, and edge enhancement never manifested itself. In addition, the film failed to display any print defects.
Like most action thrillers of this sort, Edge went with a chilly palette. It tended toward the usual cold blues along with subdued tans and earth tones. Within the film’s production design, the hues fared well. Blacks were dark and full, while shadows demonstrated nice clarity and smoothness. I felt quite pleased with this presentation.
Though not as good, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Edge worked fine. Various vehicular elements and gunfire offered the most active use of the spectrum. Much of the film remained fairly stationary, though, so it didn’t get the usual bevy of big set pieces typical of action flicks. Nonetheless, the spectrum created a good sense of place, and different segments added to the immersive nature of the track. Nothing especially memorable appeared, but the soundscape fleshed out the room well.
Audio quality pleased. Speech was concise and natural, without edginess or other issues. Music showed good range and vivacity, while effects worked nicely. Those elements came across as accurate and full, with solid low-end response and positive definition. Due to an absence of vivid sequences, the track wasn’t bold enough for a high grade, but it seemed worthy of a “B”.
When we check out the disc’s extras, we go to nine Focus Points featurettes. These fill a total of 30 minutes, 52 seconds and include “Mel’s Back” (4:00), “Making a Ghost Character Real” (3:32), “Scoring the Edge of Darkness” (2:29), “Revising the Edge of Darkness Mini-Series” (2:32), “Adapting the Edge of Darkness Mini-Series” (3:33), “Thomas Craven’s War of Attrition” (4:51), “Boston as a Character” (2:57), “Director Profile: Martin Campbell” (3:21) and “Edge of Your Seat” (2:37). Across these, we hear from director Martin Campbell, producer Graham King, editor Stuart Baird, writer William Monahan, director of photography Phil Meheux, composer Howard Shore, and actors Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Shawn Roberts, and Bojana Novakovic. The “Focus Points” look at the original mini-series and its move to the big screen, cast, characters and performances, shooting in Boston, music, stunts and action, and Campbell’s work on the project.
At times, the “Focus Points” can seem a bit fluffy, especially when it praises various participants. However, most of the “Points” offer good information, and I especially like the info about the original mini-series; those tidbits provide interesting facts. Despite some puffy bits, most of the “Points” give us nice details and remain informative.
Four Deleted and Alternate Scenes fill a total of five minutes, 23 seconds. These offer a police discussion of Craven’s possible enemies, an alternate introduction to Jedburgh, more of Craven’s post-mortem “chats” with Emma, and another threat from Craven to Bennett. Edge already drags, so I’m glad these got the boot; they would’ve slowed it even more.
A second disc offers two elements. For one, it provides a standard DVD version of the film. Note that this doesn’t simply duplicate the DVD you can buy on its own; it’s a more barebones affair. However, it allows fans without Blu-ray capabilities a way to watch the movie until they do take the Blu plunge.
The second platter also includes a digital copy of Edge. This allows you to slap the flick on a computer or portable gizmo. And there you have it!
After almost eight years, Mel Gibson returned to the big screen with Edge of Darkness. I’d like to refer to this as a triumphant return, but the slow, dull movie turns into a disappointment. It has some good moments, but these are too infrequent. The Blu-ray offers excellent visuals, good audio and average supplements. Edge presents a decidedly mediocre thriller.