Mel Gibson is one of a handful of current film stars whose personal life always seem to be getting in the way of their professional one (others include John 'I like a rub down' Travolta and Tom 'I [heart ] Scientology' Cruise).

It's Gibson's demons however, that seem hell bent on getting him into trouble. It's a real shame that audiences appear to be less interested in seeing a Mel Gibson film like they once used to(somewhat understandably considering some truly abhorrent behaviour on Gibson's part), because the original road warrior has done some really interesting work in the last couple of years.

First there was the much maligned The Beaver and now this highly entertaining feature.

Gibson plays a character known as the Gringo, who finds himself on the wrong side of the Mexican border, with a car full of cash and a dead clown. He gets thrown into the strangest prison on the planet. It's more of a community holding area than a prison, where beer, drugs, gambling and sex are all freely available; a Mexican version of a Pontins, if you will. And for those with enough cash, they can even have their families live with them.

As you would expect, the Gringo stands out like the proverbial sore thumb. He learns quickly that he has to do what it takes to survive. With the help of a young boy, known affectionately as the kid (Kevin Hernanadez), the Gringo soon gets the lay of the land.

After a while he learns that the kid is treated better than most within the prison. It turns out that the crime boss who has power over all the inmates, needs something the kid has, and it's not something he can just hand over. The Gringo decides that there's only one way that any of them are going to stay alive, and that's by breaking out of prison. But in Mexico, of all places, that's easier said than done.

I remember rehab being more up-market than this. Where'd all the soft pillows go?

One of the things that Gibson is actually good at, is spotting talent. Adrian Grunberg was a first assistant director on Gibson's impressive Apocalypto; he obviously saw something special in him and decided to have him direct this, he directorial feature. Turns out it was a great call as Grunberg gives this film great cinematic appeal from start to finish. He captures a real vibrant quality about Mexico, and translates it beautifully to a prison setting no less.

One of the other things Gibson is good at is acting, and Grunberg gets a great performance out of him. Gibson looks physically tired on screen, and his face is definitely showing some visible wear and tear. He may not have his screen idol looks any more, but what he has now is a body and face that can take on board real characters. It's as if he's becoming a real man's man actor, like Cagney and Bogart before him.

The script is also surprisingly sharp, and feels suitably grown-up; unlike a lot of action films, this one is a little more difficult to second guess what's coming, which is always refreshing.

It's a film that is by no means a stretch for Gibson – in fact, it's bread and butter stuff – but as a Gibson vehicle, it has to be one of his most entertaining films in years.

He may well be getting himself into all kinds of trouble off screen, but there's a chance that with films like this, he could be entering a welcome golden period on screen.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation is a Mel Gibson film that, whether you're a fan of his or not, would be criminal to overlook.