Mel Gibson sporting an accent from the northwesterly islands of Europe. Not since 1995 have audiences been blessed with such a noble attempt.

Heck, not since 2003 has Gibson even blessed his presence on the silver screen in a leading role of a feature film.

Alas, here he is, this time exchanging the Scottish accent for the Bostonian-Irish accent. Okay, Gibson was no Matt Damon a la The Departed, but the Irish-speaking swagger was a huge step up from Kevin Costner’s attempt at a foreign accent in JFK.

To be sure, while his attempt at an Irish accent is far from ideal, there are plenty of reasons for audiences to invest their collective time with The Edge of Darkness — even if the film’s previews gives it a “been-there-done-that” vibe.

Yes, the accented Gibson has played a dark, troubled, angry man dealing with the loss of a loved one before, yet this version of the actor-turned-vengeful-character is different from what audiences are used to. Playing the fatherly Thomas Craven in The Edge of Darkness, moviegoers will probably see the former Mad Max actor at his most vulnerable stage ever – and somehow it all works out just fine for Gibson.

After all, it was Gibson who had to put his stamp on this film in order for it to have an identity and a chance to separate itself from its brethren in Commando and, more recently, Taken.

Separate itself The Edge of Darkness did, proving the single-father-seeking-retribution-on-murdered/kidnapped-daughter story is anything but an over-saturated idea. Moreover, thanks to Gibson’s masterful return to the big screen, The Edge of Darkness silences critics who claim the film is basically Taken 2.

What worked so well for the film was Gibson’s overall performance combined with a relatively tight storyline and a steady dose of shock-value scenes. Throughout, the film has an aura of tenseness, placing audiences on the edge of their collective seats almost from beginning to end. Finally, the circumstances surrounding the film’s plot, including key characters and the revelation of story, are entirely believable.

Yet, while the suspense, shock value and believable story were all positive aspects of the film, it was Gibson who made this film worth watching. Indeed, The Edge of Darkness can clearly exist alongside Commando, and even Taken, due to a gritty acting performance by the veteran actor.

In playing a detective with the Boston Police Department who also happens to be a single father, Gibson took on a role he was clearly not a stranger to. After all, he played a parent of a kidnapped child in Ransom, as well as the single father of a rebellious teenager in What Women Want. And there are those films where he played a borderline suicidal and maniacally angry man seeking vengeance, like Mad Max, Lethal Weapon and Braveheart.

While Gibson draws upon all those previous characters to develop Thomas Craven, what made this character so different – and appealing – is in the sympathy factor. Unlike previous roles in Ransom and Braveheart, where the troubled leading man had either something to lose or something to fight for, all Gibson wanted as Thomas Craven was to find out who killed his daughter and why.

Adding to that sympathy is the fact that, within minutes of the opening credits, the audience graphically (and shockingly) discovers just how Thomas’s beautiful young daughter meets her fate. Armed with the audience’s sympathy, Thomas embarks on his journey to find answers, and his path is not a singularly straight one with vengeance and anger as his guide.

In fact, Thomas struggles throughout the movie with his loss, having endearing flashback moments with his daughter and showing a very tender side of Gibson almost never seen from him in these types of roles.

With such strong audience sympathy and well-timed vulnerable scenes, the film’s steady dose of gore, suspense and thrill create a movie-going experience that makes The Edge of Darkness the perfect winter movie.

Indeed, by film’s end, the audience is virtually begging for Gibson’s character to find his answers and attain his retribution.

Of course, there were a few minor flaws in The Edge of Darkness, including a few instances of inaudible dialogue, a couple of characters that were not fully explained, and a slightly oversimplified background story of a nuclear bomb cover-up to explain the fate of Thomas’s daughter. Still, with solid acting performances across the board, perfectly-situated peaks and valleys, top-notch shock-value scenes and first-rate suspense, the flaws are easily overlooked.

An adaptation of the British television drama of the same name, The Edge of Darkness also stars Ray Winstone, Danny Huston and Bojana Novakovic. The film is Rated R for strong language and bloody violence.