EDGE OF DARKNESS

AFTER an eight year leave of absence from the silver screen Mel Gibson returns to our cinemas in the remake of the acclaimed 1980s TV series of the same name, written originally by Troy Kennedy Martin.

Thomas Craven (Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father.

When his only child Emma is murdered on the steps of his home, everyone assumes that he was the target. But he soon suspects otherwise, and embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter's secret life and who killed her.

His investigation leads him into a dangerous world of big business, government collusion and murder.

He also must deal with shadowy spook Darius Jedburgh (a hilariously miscast Ray Winstone) who has been sent in to clean up the evidence.

Some will be disappointed by this big screen makeover from the director of Casino Royale and Goldeneye — Martin Campbell — who actually directed the original TV show.

It lacks the eerie tone and style of the original but Gibson delivers a solid performance.

There is also enough violence and action to satisfy those seeking something akin to Lethal Weapon but I was curiously underwhelmed by Edge of Darkness — the movie. It is in cinemas now.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

DISNEY returns to traditional hand drawn animation in this comedy set in the famed city of New Orleans.

From the creators of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin comes a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again and a fateful kiss that leads them both on an adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.

The movie marks the return to hand drawn animation from the acclaimed team of John Musker and Ron Clements with music by Oscar winning composer Randy Newman.

I have to confess to finding the whole movie a dreadful bore — the songs are tedious, the vocal performances limp and the whole enterprise just failed to engage me.

Perhaps having been brought up on a diet of high quality Pixar and Dreamworks movies we have been spoiled over the years, but frankly this is a serious misfire for Disney.