With the exception of a couple of cameo appearances, the last time that Mel Gibson appeared onscreen was in the 2002 sci-fi curiosity, “Signs.”

Of course, he’s been preoccupied by directing (“The Passion of the Christ,” “Apocalypto”) and with some highly publicized personal matters.

Choosing to keep a relatively low profile for a box office superstar, Gibson hoped to find a suitably lighthearted comedy script for his Hollywood comeback. No such luck.

Gibson’s return to the big screen is a violent, hardboiled conspiratorial thriller with lots of gnashing teeth, beads of sweat and throbbing forehead veins.

“Edge of Darkness” is a big screen, Americanized adaptation of an acclaimed series that was named one of the twenty best in British TV history. Something, apparently, was lost in the translation.

Gibson plays Thomas Craven, a veteran Boston police detective who is so preoccupied by his own career and caseload that he’s let his personal life deteriorate. He’s thrilled when his twentysomething daughter, Emma (Bojana Novakovick from “”Drag Me to Hell”) comes for a visit.

But things take a tragic turn when Emma is shot and killed on Thomas’ front porch.

Naturally, Thomas believes that someone who was gunning for him mistakenly killed Emma. After all, he’d made plenty of enemies over the years.

But as Thomas puts together the clues, he begins to uncover a complex web of corporate corruption and governmental cover-ups that has nothing to do with common homicide.

Gibson brings grit and intensity to the proceedings, but the requirements of the script prevent him from imbuing the character with is customary humorous shadings. (Those expecting another “Lethal Weapon” will be greatly disappointed.)

The supporting cast is quite good, including Ray Winstone (“Beowulf”) as a shady CIA operative and Danny Houston (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) as a sleazy corporate honcho with plenty to hide.

For the most part, screenwriters Thomas Monahan (“The Departed”) and Andrew Bovell (“Lantana”) do a workmanlike job of whittling down Troy Kennedy-Martin’s original multi-part teleplay into a two-hour movie. But their dialogue sometimes devolves into eye-rolling excess. (“You had better decide whether you're hangin' on the cross... or bangin' in the nails.”)

Director Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”) has created a snappy thriller that’s never boring, but the story is pretty convoluted and has more than its share of moments that stretch credibility. They may be minor flaws, but they undermine the movie’s overall effectiveness.

While “Edge of Darkness” isn’t vintage Mel Gibson, true blue fans will still be glad to have him back in action. (R) Rating: ***

* Avoid at all costs
** Only if you're bored
*** Good movie
**** Well worth your time
***** Be sure to see it