Director Report Card: Richard Donner (1998)

20. Lethal Weapon 4

It’s hard to believe that by 1998, they we’re still making “Lethal Weapon” movies. It had been six years since the last entry in the series. Richard Donner and Mel Gibson seemed to have moved on with their other collaborations. Danny Glover was hardly a box office superstar by this point. R-rated action tentpoles were not entirely extinct yet but we’re certainly less common. Not only were audience’s taste changing but so were the movies. But if something makes money, Hollywood will follow it anywhere. And the “Lethal Weapon” movies made money. So in 1998, despite no one demanding it, “Lethal Weapon 4” went before audiences.

In the middle of an active crime scene, Riggs is told that he’s going to be a father. He then turns around and tells Murtaugh that he’s going to be a grandfather. Knowing that their lives are about to change effects their perspectives on things. After stumbling upon a boat full of kidnapped Chinese people, the cops are involved in a new plot. Triad crime bosses are importing slaves into this country. Murtaugh takes it personally and takes some of them into his home. The path to track down those responsible uncovers a counterfeiting plot, the major Chinese crime bosses, and a super pissed off martial arts hitman.

By the time most series reach part four, they’re long in the tooth. The previous year, the original “Lethal Weapon” had celebrated its tenth anniversary. Danny Glover was saying he was too old for this shit for a decade. To its credit, “Lethal Weapon 4” acknowledges the passing of time. Both characters take the beatings they receive a little harder. They aren’t as pliable as they once were. One of the best scenes in the movie involves the two giving one another a mutual pep talk about their advancing age that concludes with an excited, dual shouting of “We’re not too old for this shit!” Despite their words to the contrary, both guys aren’t as young as they used to be.

With that focus on age comes a new focus on parenthood. Riggs is going to be a dad for the first time. Murtaugh is going to be a grandparent for the first time. He’s been a dad for all three movies but, since both are experiencing this now, the movie is really focusing on what’s at stake. Suddenly, Riggs is more conscious about the danger he’s putting himself in, about how this will the lives of his loved ones. How’s that for character development? In the first movie, Riggs wanted to die. Now, he emphatically wants to stay alive. The movie references that change, with Riggs talking more about his dead wife then in either previous sequel.

Also over the last two sequels, the “Lethal Weapon” franchise became the series that weaved serious real world issues into its silly action movie universe. With the fourth entry, Richard Donner and his crew turn their eyes on human trafficking. The bad guys are importing people from China in order to use them as personal slaves. This effects Murtaugh specifically, as he sees parallels between this modern form of slavery and the type of slavery that effected his ancestors. Human trafficking remains a serious problem in the world today. Honestly, out of all the topics the series took on, this one feels a little too heavy for a silly, light-hearted buddy cop flick.

This plot element allows the movie to introduce something else though. In the mid-nineties, Hong Kong kung-fu movies experienced a revival in popularity. Suddenly, giant explosions and lots of guns were not enough for modern action audiences. High risk stunts and creative acrobatics were required. For the first time in its history, the “Lethal Weapon” series decided to chase a popular trend. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover weren’t doing back flips or using a ladder to defend themselves, so Jet Li was brought in as the main villain, to provide a new flavor to this aging franchise. The producers originally wanted Jackie Chan. He turned it down due to his “no bad guys” rules. Chan would instead appear in the same year’s “Rush Hour,” a different buddy cop movie that would more directly fuse Hong Kong elements and American action attitudes.

So how does Jet Li, the second biggest name in Hong Kong action at the time, do as the bad guy? Li plays Wah Sing Ku, a brutal Triad enforcer determined to do things his way. The character doesn’t speak English, all his dialogue being subtitled. A result of this is that Li is silent throughout most of the movie. This is actually a good choice, as it makes Wah Sing Ku a straight-ahead killing machine. A nice gimmick has him executing his targets with a garrote hidden inside a string of beads. Li is an intimating presence and easily the best “Lethal Weapon” villain since Gary Busey in part one. For extra bonus points, the movie also throws in Conan Lee, a minor martial artist actor, as Ku’s brother and experience Asian-American character actor Kim Chan as Uncle Benny, the amusing Triad crime boss.

By this point in the “Lethal Weapon” universe, Leo Getz is an essential element that has to appear in each movie. I don’t know when or why it became this way but it did. By now, Getz has evolved into a full-blown Joe Pesci character. He repeatedly goes on rants about cell phones and traffic cops, using his now catchphrase about things fucking him. Pesci barely contributes to the plot, making his continued inclusion baffling. Another addition to the series is Rene Russo as Lorna Cole. Cole was just as tough as her male co-stars in the last movie. This time, however, she’s pregnant with Riggs’ kid, meaning Russo spends most of the film on the sideline. Even as someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of her in part three, I think it’s kind of unfair how they sideline the character here. She gets one brief moment of action, wrestling a knife from an attacker.

Another weird rule that has developed over the franchise is that each film must add to the “Lethal Weapon” family. Part four adds Chris Rock as Lee Butters, an enthusiastic young detective who is secretly the father of Murtaugh’s grandchild. In 1998, Rock was probably the biggest stand-up comic in the world and at the peak of his popularity. The movie bends backwards to accommodate Rock’s abilities. At least twice it stops the movie cold so that Butters can go on a Rock-ian rant, first about race and the second about cell phones. This is a bit at odds with Butters as a character, who is trying to impress his future father-in-law. The stand-up style rants are mildly amusing but slightly disappointing since Rock is better then the parts when allowed to act.

Humor remains an issue in “Lethal Weapon 4.” Some of the jokes are in keeping with the series’ style. Riggs intimidates a crime boss by smashing his two-way mirror and setting off the fire sprinklers, which is in-character and mildly funny. A decent, reoccurring gag as everyone mispronouncing Butters’ name, which he doesn’t comment on. A less funny reoccurring gag has Murtaugh misinterpreting Butters’ attempts to impress him as Butters hitting on him, a gay panic joke that really hasn’t aged well. Some of the other, broader gags don’t hit as well. An early appearance by a shark feels very over-the-top. A way-too-long gag has the entire team huffing a dentist’s laughing gas, sending them all into giggling, incoherent fits. It’s amusing at first but the film stretches it out too far. In general, the movie should have more laughs.

In another attempt to perhaps stay up-to-date, “Lethal Weapon 4” inflates the action too. The opening scene has Riggs and Murtaugh fighting a madman in home-made armor, wielding a flamethrower and a machine gun. When shot, the flamethrower’s tank explodes, sending him flying into a fuel truck which then also explodes, in an even bigger fireball. Not long afterwards, a shoot-out on a boat also results in some bigger-then-average blasts. The overdone pyrotechnics don’t work as well but the other attempts to up the action do. A fight across a freeway, which involves a tussle inside a moving vehicle and Riggs sliding across the asphalt by a trail of plastic, works fantastically. It’s probably the best action scene in a “Lethal Weapon” flick in a while. The climatic scene ups the visceral violence. Jet Li beats Mel and Danny to a bloody pulp. In response, Glover impales Li with a giant drill bit. The fight ends with an especially graphic machine gun wound. The movie toys with killing off either Riggs or Murtaugh but wimps out at the last minute. The power of male bonding brings them both back from the edge of death.

“Lethal Weapon 4” is the only film in the series to run longer then two hours. The last seventeen minutes tacks an extended coda on. Riggs consults his death wife about his future. There’s an actually pretty good monologue from Joe Pesci about a dead pet frog. There’s a hospital visit, a rabbi, two babies, and a reaffirmation of the themes of family. Oh what, you didn’t realize family was the prevailing theme of the “Lethal Weapon” series? Okay, maybe that’s one way to look at this. Yet shoving all of this into the literal last few minutes of the movie makes it feel shoveled in and sudden.

”Lethal Weapon 4” made money but was not as monstrous a hit as the previous entries in the series. Despite the public seemingly having all they wanted from Riggs and the gang, the possibility of a “Lethal Weapon 5” was still thrown around for years afterwards. A lack of interest from Mel Gibson and Richard Donner sunk that. A reboot, possibly starring Riggs’ son, was considered at one point. Now, a television adaption is moving forward. It’s probably for the best. The fourth “Lethal Weapon” is better then the third but still ranks distantly behind one or two. The franchise was fun while it lasted and successfully ran its course before it was over. This time, they were right. They were too old for this shit. [Grade: B-]

Director Report Card: Richard Donner (1992) Part 3

16. Lethal Weapon 3

“Lethal Weapon” was an iconic hit and one of the defining movies of the eighties. “Lethal Weapon 2” was the third highest grossing movie of 1989, during a huge summer that included “Batman” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” “Lethal Weapon” was a gold mine franchise now and had to continue. A third Murtaugh and Riggs adventure rolled out in 1992, going on to become the biggest grossing entry in the series. It was exactly the kind of surefire hit Richard Donner needed after “Radio Flyer’s” box office failure. But at this point, the critics and audiences were less unanimous on the film’s quality. 

Three years after the last movie, Murtaugh is now a week away from retirement. While interrupting an armored truck robbery, the duo discovers that armor-piercing rounds - cop killer bullets - are now circulating on the streets. The bullets are traced back to Jack Travis, a former cop himself who is now specializing in selling illegal arms and using his construction company as a cover. Teaming up with Riggs’ new love interest and a returning Leo Getz, the gang goes about avenging the death of friends and stopping the villain.

“Lethal Weapon 2” added more gravitas to the action movie formula by incorporating the real world issue of Apartheid. Realizing that worked last time, “Lethal Weapon 3” throws in three real world issues. First is the issue of police corruption. The bad guy is a former cop himself and uses his police privileges to help facilitate his criminal empire. The second issue is the issue of armor piercing bullets and especially their available among the public. This was a hot button topic in the early nineties and provides the main MacGuffin of the plot. However, the biggest real world issue the film tackles is young people being caught in the crossfire. I was a kid in the nineties. I remember the PSAs about gangs, street crime and gun safety. More then once, “Lethal Weapon 3” makes references to “killing babies.” The villain isn’t just a bad guy because he’s selling bullets that can more easily kill cops. He’s a bad guy because his guns are killing kids.

The movie’s stabs at real world relevance feels especially forced-in at times. Not because action movies shouldn’t tackle ideas like this but because “Lethal Weapon 3” is the goofiest of the series thus far. Firstly, Leo Getz is back with an even bigger role. He acts more like your typical Joe Pesci character this time, going on more then one profane tirade. Getz was decently well used in part two but definitely takes up too much screen time. Watching him squirm on the hockey rink or deal with the aftermath of a proctology exam aren’t not exactly welcomed additions. (The character was apparently a last minute addition to the script, which is obvious.) There are other goofy, broad gags. Murtaugh attracts the attention of a portly female officer, an affection he doesn’t return and actively scorns. Riggs, meanwhile, does things like accidentally interrupt a movie shoot. The humor in this series has never been exactly cutting edge but this stuff seems awfully silly.

But the movie is still funny, at times. The opening skit has the two guys accidentally setting off a bomb they were sent to deactivate. As ridiculous at it is, this provides a decent chuckle or two. A reoccurring gag throughout the movie has Riggs attempting to quit smoking. He substitutes his cigarettes with dog biscuits. This pays off in a sequence where he befriends a vicious guard dog with the same biscuits, the dog following him home and becoming a pet. And if nothing else, the banter between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover remains strong. That counts a lot.

The eighties were over and with them the eighties style of ridiculous, hyper-campy, overly macho action movie were slowly going out of vogue. But in 1992, “Lethal Weapon 3” was keeping the gay subtext alive. Riggs and Murtaugh’s bro-mance remains epic. After shooting a perp the same age as his son, Murtaugh has a miniature breakdown, getting drunk on his boat. It’s not his wife that goes to solace him, it’s Riggs. The conversation escalates into a lover’s spat that concludes with Murtaugh admitting he loves Riggs. When Riggs says he’s attracted to a woman, Murtaugh punches him overboard. (Ostensibly, Murtaugh punches him because he thinks his best friend is sleeping with his daughter. But we all know the truth.) Before the movie is over, Danny Glover is even on his knees before Mel, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Lethal Weapon 3” reestablishes that the only thing these guy love more then stopping crime is each other.

Despite the two guys obviously only having eyes for each other, the movie invents yet another love interest for Gibson. Rene Russo co-stars as Lorna Cole, an internal affairs officer that becomes involved in the case. At first, the two share some belligerent sexual tension, reluctant to admit their mutual attraction. It takes an evening of stripping down and showing off their battle scars for them to admit they like one another. From that point on, Riggs’ main element of character development is his anxiety over dating a fellow officer. Soon, the two are trading cutesy nicknames. The movie ends with them declaring their love for one another. Gibson and Russo have alright romantic chemistry, better then Mel had with any of his previous love interests.

That’s not the problem. The problem is Russo herself. Lorna is set up as tough as her boyfriend. Before the scene where they compare battle scars, she performs a judo flip on Riggs, dropping him on his ass. Russo remains an active member in the action sequences, rushing around and blasting bad guys along with the heroes. This itself is not an issue. The problem begins when the movie starts to push it too far. The extended sequence where Riggs and Murtaugh stand back and watch while Lorna beats up potential leads in a mechanics shop goes on too long and stops the pace dead. It feels less like natural screenwriting and more like the film forcing in some self-indulgent “girl power.” It’s awkward, is what I’m saying.

Another determent towards “Lethal Weapon 3” is its villain. Part one had a psychotic Gary Busey. Part two had a pair of creepy, fascist South Africans. Part three has… A dude in a suit with a mustache. He’s not a physical threat to any of the heroes. Jack Travis is played by Stuart Wilson, an unassuming looking actor. The movie could have used this in the film’s favor. Travis could have been the kind of villain that people purposely underestimate. Instead, the film plays him up as a tough guy gangster who executes snitches and buries traitors in concrete. The character seems like less of an evil mastermind and more like a mean-spirited accountant. He even willfully exposes himself to the cops at one point. He has little cunning, his master plan is not especially brilliant, and he’s not very threatening. Jack Travis is a failure of a movie bad guy.

Travis does provide one worthy contribution to the film: An oppretunity for Danny Glover to go nuts! In no doubt an intentional move, the movie has the more reasonable partner loosing his cool. Murtaugh yanks would-be thugs out of bed and points a machine gun in their face. He holds a guy’s head near the spinning wheels of a revving vehicle. The entire time, Danny Glover’s face is caked with sweat. He gets in people’s faces and screams profanity at them. After two movies of Glover being the more reserved half of this partnership, it is sort of fun to watch him cut loose and act a little crazy for once.

For its many flaws, “Lethal Weapon 3” is still a solid action flick. The cops bust up an armored truck theft just as the vehicle peels out of there, leaving Gibson fighting in the cab of the truck and tossing the driver through a window. A shootout in a subway is dynamic enough, with some fun duel wielding and enough running, gunning, and leaping to make it fun. A freeway chase has Mel diving under a semi-truck and diving off an incomplete bridge, which features a call-back to the dislocated shoulder from the last movie.

The action highlight comes during the finale. The heroes corner Travis at his building project in the desert. It quickly goes up in flames, so now the good guys are fighting among burning buildings. Everyone gets some good shots in. My favorite of which is Murtaugh tossing a claw hammer into someone’s chest. Further proof of how ineffectual a villain Travis is appears during the climax. His Hail Mary move is not a close-quarters fight to the death or a sneaking up and shooting someone. Instead, he jumps in a bulldozer. Woo. Overall though, the fiery climax is probably one of my favorite things in “Lethal Weapon 3.”

It’s not a bad movie. There’s still some blood left in this stone. However, part three is not the most inspired entry in the franchise. Gibson and Glover’s chemistry remains strong and the action’s not bad. But the bad guy is lame, the tone is inconsistent, the humor is not as strong, and some of the new additions to the cast are questionable. What we’re left with is the most uneven “Lethal Weapon” movie yet, one that isn’t terrible but doesn’t match up to either of the previous films. [Grade: C+]

Director Report Card: Richard Donner (1989)

13. Lethal Weapon 2

The first “Lethal Weapon” was a big hit in its day, cementing Mel Gibson’s status as a superstar, Danny Glover as everyone’s favorite black friend, and making Shane Black Hollywood’s reigning smart-ass. Because any major action hit is worth at least several sequels, “Lethal Weapon 2” went into production not long after that. The sequel was out two years after the original. Everyone important from the first was back – Mel, Danny, director Richard Donner – except for Shane Black. After his idea of killing Riggs’ off was vetoed, he left the project. I’m going to present the idea that this was not only better for Lethal Weapon: The Franchise but for Lethal Weapon: The Movie.

A year has passed since the events of “Lethal Weapon.” Riggs and Murtaugh’s friendship has grown only stronger. An investigation into a drug smuggling ring, and a car chase involving a tank of illegal South African money, leads them to uncover a conspiracy. The local South African diplomats are the ones running the drugs and they’re using their diplomatic immunity to protect themselves. Throw in a motor-mouthed witness and a last minute personal connection Riggs has with the bad guys, and you’ve got yourself a movie.

For all the praise Shane Black’s writing gets, the first “Lethal Weapon” was obviously the work of a first time screenwriter. The villain’s plot was vaguely defined and was practically an afterthought to the movie’s main point, which was the bonding between the two leads. “Lethal Weapon 2,” meanwhile, has a tighter story. Most every event in the film ties together. The opening car chase, the comic relief, the love interest, and the bad guys are all connected. This builds towards a more solid, fuller plot. Furthermore, the movie is better paced, balancing the action and humor. Just from a story perspective, “Lethal Weapon 2” is a more satisfying movie then the first.

Of course, even in a more tightly paced “Lethal Weapon” movie, the main attraction will always be the bromance between Riggs and Murtaugh. At the start of part two, the guys are practically living together. Riggs still lives in his tiny trailer with his dog, Sam, but spends enough time at Murtaugh’s place that he has full access to the fridge and does his laundry there. An obvious example of how totally their dynamic has changed is presented early on. There’s an offhand line about Riggs’ new pills, suggesting he’s being medicated for his depression. Mel Gibson remains a loose cannon but his actual death wish is gone, meaning his behavior has been reduced to generic ‘tude. For the most part, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover act even more like a married couple.

While watching the first movie, a viewer with a keen eye might have noticed the anti-Apartheid bumper sticker on Murtaugh’s fridge. This is probably just a coincidence but it’s an interesting one. With the sequel, the “Lethal Weapon” series decided to update its rogue galleries from drug dealers and baddies in suits to real world villains. The South African villains are also running drugs and wearing ominous suits. However, their pale white skin color, creepy names like “Arjen” or “Vorstedt,” and virulent racism makes them far more despicable. Moreover, the baddies have a great gimmick. When the heroes try to hassle Arjen, he throws that “diplomatic immunity” thing in their face. He’s an untouchable villain, at least until the central duo goes above the law. Joss Ackland as Arjen has the right layer of smugness and greasy assholery to be a perfectly hatable villain. Derrick O’Connor as Pieter Vorstedt, his primary henchman, is a fully cold-blooded assassin. This is just a further example of how the action genre exists to shoot down real life boogeyman in a fantasy settings.

“Lethal Weapon 2” is also more consistently funny then the first film. Most of the humor in the first came from contrasting the two cop’s vastly different attitudes. Since one half of the duo has chilled out considerably, the movie instead has to mine the actor’s different strength for laughs. Murtaugh’s daughter gets her first big acting job... Which turns out to be a condom commercial. Danny Glover’s stunned silence is priceless. It becomes a running joke throughout the movie. In a solid bit of continuity, the Murtaugh house is undergoing repairs from the chaos at the end of the last movie. In this one, the top half of the house is blown up. Aside from hanging out with his dog and watching the Three Stooges, which is adorable, Riggs takes the time to intimidate the baddies by shooting up their fish tank and doing a Nazi salute, which is hilarious. In general, the character’s ability to bullshit his way in and out of most any situation remains amusing.

With the Gibson/Glover chemistry well established by this point, the producers felt the need to shake things up by introducing a new character. After the opening car chase, the two cops get reassigned to protect Leo Getz, a key witness. (Who is, naturally, connected to the main plot.) Enter: Joe Pesci. Pesci plays Getz as a constant glad-hander. He’s an, shall we say, unorthodox tax accountant and is constantly asking to do favors for the two leads, whether they want it or not. Getz is full of bullshit but always smiling and schmoozing. It’s a nice change-up on Pesci’s usually vulgar schtick while remaining solidly in his wheelhouse. Was Getz a necessary addition to the movie? Probably not but, eh, what the hell, he’s not so bad.

“Lethal Weapon 2” is probably most notorious for one specific sequence. That’s right, I’m talking about the toilet bomb. Riggs heads over to Murtaugh’s place to find him stranded on the crapper, unable to move for hours because of a bomb strapped to the toilet seat. Though a fairly ridiculous idea, it works much better in execution. Gibson and Glover’s chemistry fills the scene with some honest humor, because it’s damn embarrassing, but also builds some decent tension, because a beloved character’s life is in danger. The way Mel is willing to stay behind to help his endangered friend is touching in the series’ trademark bro-tastic way. And it’s hard to undersell the inherent comedic value of an exploding toilet. There’s no question that its the centerpiece of the movie.

An early, actually rather touching scene involving a gold pen reminds the audience that Riggs is still a recovering widower. Despite this, the death of his wife doesn’t hang over him throughout the whole film. Perhaps still playing off Mel Gibson’s 1985-vintage Sexiest Man Alive status, his character receives a new love interest. From the moment Riggs meets Rika, the South African consulate secretary, there’s an obvious interest. However, it’s not until he finds her at the grocery store, where they have an extended meet-cute involving produce, that the romance kicks into high gear. A few minutes later, the two are in bed, commencing an enthusiastic all-night-long session of sex. Maybe romance would work this way for Mel Gibson in 1989 but, to everyone else, it seems seriously rushed. Patsy Kensit is cute in the part and has alright chemistry with Gibson, especially when the two are escaping a machine gunned trailer. The character’s role is so small though, she doesn’t make much of an impact.

And then the movie kills her off. Much like the first movie, “Lethal Weapon 2” undergoes a severe tonal change in the last act. Rika is killed off-screen and Chekov’s Dislocated Shoulder is employed to help Riggs out of the death trap. In an especially strangled bit of writing, we discover that the movie’s bad guys were also responsible for the death of Rigg’s wife. This prompts the cop to toss away his badge and go on a roaring rampage of revenge. Yes, the bit about his wife is stretching. Yeah, the movie shifting from light action/comedy to dark revenge thriller is sudden. But as far as last act shenanigans, it works to successfully ups the stakes, leaving the film with a very intense climax. Also, you’ve got Mel Gibson yanking a building apart with his truck. That’s as hard to resist as an exploding toilet!

As I mentioned above, the “Lethal Weapon” series has surprisingly great continuity. Just about every minor player from the first movie returns for the sequel. Darlene Love’s role as Mrs. Murtaugh is fairly small but she has a good energy with Danny Glover in the handful of scenes they share together. As the required ball-busting chief, Steve Kahan returns as Captain Murphy. As usual, he seems to really enjoy harassing the movie’s stars. Even Mary Ellen Trainor, otherwise known as the mom from “The Monster Squad” and several other eighties classics, even comes back as police psychologist Stephanie Woods.

Befitting a sequel, the action is bigger and better. This is a movie that opens with a car chase, that finishes up with a car ramming into a storefront. An apartment brawl finishes with the fight exploding out a window, falling down the length of the building, and into a swimming pool. A pretty decent car chase has vehicles sailing through the air and exploding. When attacked in his under-construction home, Murtaugh cleverly employs a nail gun to defend himself. A lengthy section in the middle of the movie is devoted to giant explosions, as the bad guys eliminated anyone who could potentially get in their way. The action-packed finale features plenty of impressive gun fight and is set against a shipping yard, with all sort of giant metal crates. That last feature plays a role in a memorable execution of one of the lead villains. If nothing else, “Lethal Weapon 2” is definitely a more impressive action film then the first one.

The movie also has the good sense to wrap things up immediately after the bad guys are all dead. The murder of his girlfriend only happened a few hours ago and he’s full of bullets but Riggs is still in good enough spirit to crack jokes with his best buddy. As usual, the charm of Gibson and Glover together goes a long way to cover up the bumps in the script. For fans of eighties action and buddy cop goofball laughs, “Lethal Weapon 2” is hard to top. [Grade: B+]

Director Report Card: Richard Donner (1987)

11. Lethal Weapon

I have professed my love for eighties action movies before. It was a magical decade where the biceps, explosions, and body counts were bigger. The films were excessive, outrageous and, well, awesome. An important part of the eighties action wave was the buddy cop movie. Movies in this genre existed before “Lethal Weapon.” “48 Hrs.” was an obvious, important predecessor and the idea is even older then that. However, when I think of two mismatched cops becoming partners and learning to love each other despite their differences, I think of “Lethal Weapon.” There’s no doubt that it’s the most iconic example of the buddy cop subgenre.

Roger Murtaugh is an experienced cop who just turned fifty. He’s a family man, a veteran, and a by-the-books guy. Martin Riggs, meanwhile, has problems. He lost his wife a few months ago and he’s taking it… Badly. Riggs is suicidal, putting a gun to his head more then once. He’s acting reckless and dangerous. Because of his crazy behavior, he’s been paired up with Murtaugh as his partners. The studious Murtaugh and the unhinged Riggs are a rough match at first. However, they soon realize their weird chemistry works for them, becoming friends. Together, the two uncover a heroin smuggling plot by a covert military operation and the dangerous villains behind it.

“Lethal Weapon” welcomed us to the world of Shane Black. Black basically lived the screenwriter’s dream. Right out of UCLA , he immediately sold a screenplay to a huge producer, Joel Silver. Silver loved the script and got it fast-tracked. An experienced hit-maker, Richard Donner, got attached as director. The movie went on to be a huge hit and Shane Black was the hottest screenwriter in Hollywood. Wow! “Lethal Weapon” introduced many of Black’s trademarks. The film revolves around tough men and the camaraderie they form. Somebody gets kidnapped. The story takes place at Christmas. Most importantly, the plot is completely irrelevant, a series of good guy/bad guy confrontations held together by some unimportant conspiracy.

By 1987, Mel Gibson was already an established star. He had led the “Mad Max” series from cult phenomenon to mainstream blockbuster and had even earned some critical recognition for “The Year of Living Dangerously” and “The Bounty.” “Lethal Weapon,” however, is the movie that made him a superstar. Martin Riggs is a character perfectly suited to Mel Gibson’s charms. Riggs is a troubled man. The character is casually shown putting a gun to his head and smashing a TV. His establishing moment is when he busts up a cocaine deal behind a Christmas tree lot, the deal rising to disagreement and eventually violence. Or maybe it’s the direct way he deals with a potential jumper. Gibson is able to play Riggs as more then just an outrageous daredevil with a death wish. He brings a humanity to the part, while maintaining that essential Gibsonian charm and riotous humor.

Danny Glover’s Murtaugh, meanwhile, is the ideal foil for Riggs. He’s introduced in the bathtub, his kids and wife bringing him a cake and telling him he looks fifty. In other words, he’s a family man. The second establishing moment he has comes when he utters the immortal line, “I’m getting too old for this shit.” This is not so much about Murtaugh’s age as it is how established he is, about showing his roots. Glover has no problem filling the part. He brings an innate likable to Murtaugh, with an affable, wise edge. Glover can also be tough though, when the occasion calls for it, and he is effective in that role too.

More important is the relationship between the two. Naturally, at first, Murtaugh is suspicious of the guy. He finds his method unorthodox. Despite that, there is an immediate spark. Their early moments together, when Riggs is munching on a hot dog and the two are casually scooping out assignments together, are friendly and light. The pivotal moment comes when Murtaugh realizes Riggs isn’t faking, that he’s really crazy. After that, the two develop an honest friendship. Murtaugh invites him over for dinner with his family. They bond on his fishing boat. The best part is when they are formulating the case together, casually shooting the shit about what may or may be happen. It’s a fun way to keep the wheels on the story turning while also deepening the relationship between the guys.

The relationship is important, especially since these guys are totally gay for each other. You can joke all you want about the supposed homoeroticism beneath eighties action movies. Buddy cop flicks may not feature as many bulging pectorals as other flick in this style. The movies are, however, about two guys falling in love. And there’s no shortage of casual male nudity. Glover is introduced in the bath. Mel awakes in the nude, walking through his trailer, showing his ass. Later, Riggs picks up a hooker and, pointedly, doesn’t sleep with her. The two end the movie in a manly embrace, Murtaugh in a tight tank top and Riggs shirtless and sweaty. Yeah, Glover is married. But his wife doesn’t understand him the way Gibson does. Her cooking is awful, right, and he can only share that secret with his truest bro. See, they’re totally into each other.

Any eighties action flick is incomplete without at least two sinister bad guys. The villain motivating the plot is Mitchell Ryan’s General. (Who has a name but is credited as only the General.) Ryan is the one controlling the scheme and is the ominous man with the plan. Ryan is a fine bad guy, full of sinister intent. However, he’s not the physical threat to the heroes. That honor falls to Gary Busey’s Mr. Joshua. Before he became a walking pop culture punchline, Busey was a character actor capable of some intense performance. Now, he’s someone famous for being crazy. Once, he was famous for playing crazy. Busey’s Joshua is genuinely intimidating. He’s introduced setting himself on fire like that’s not a big deal. He flies up in a helicopter and kills Tom Atkins. He blows away cops with ease. He introduces the hero to cold water electrode torture. All the while, Busey maintains his straight-ahead intensity and his fantastic pair of crazy eyes. The combination of all this makes Mr. Joshua a classic eighties bad guy.

The supporting cast is solid too. Tom Atkins, one of the coolest guys in the world, has a juicy role as Hunsaker, the man’s daughter starts off the investigation. Atkins gets to grimace under his mustache and has a cool death scene, involving a carton of egg nog. Former soul singer Darlene Love has some nice motherly moments as Murtaugh’s wife. I like it when she cleans an egg off the floor. Traci Wolfe as his oldest daughter has some cute moments flirting with Gibson. Naturally, she gets captured and spends the latter third of the movie a screaming hostage. And here’s a shout-out to Al Leong, veteran stunt guy and martial artist, as Endo the torture master.

“Lethal Weapon” is full of comic banter and light-hearted moment. This is still an action movie though. Riggs blows a sniper away early on. Later, guys are getting shotgunned while Mel dives and shoots. A house explodes in a massive, disproportionately big fireball. There are intense stand-offs involving grenades and machine guns. Murtaugh is beaten bloody. Riggs strangles a guy with his legs. There’s a daring escape through a night club, involving suddenly violent shots to the gut. Danny Glover has a Mexican stand-off with a car and that sequence also ends in a giant explosion. Mel runs down the street, shirt flying open, shooting a gun into the air, rushing through a busy highway. None of this stuff is revolutionary in its execution. It’s still entertaining and well executed.

For the finale, “Lethal Weapon” goes straight-ahead into stupid macho bullshit. Mr. Joshua gets away but already knows where Murtaugh lives. The good guys know this too and are prepared. Murtaugh crashes a fucking car through his own house. This leads to Riggs and Joshua having a kung-fu wrestling match on Danny Glover’s front yard. There are punches, kicks, body slams, and neck holds. Gary Busey picks up a lamp post, swinging it like a spear. Mel Gibson gets tossed a nightstick and immediately employs it like a tonfa, deflecting the bad guy’s blows. Real cops show up but Danny Glover tells them to stand back and let these guys fight it out like men. “Lethal Weapon” mostly stays grounded in reality but this sequence is a headful of crazy nonsense. It’s dumb enough that it takes the audience out of the movie. It’s not even especially effective in a cool movie sort of way. Two guys wrasslin’ in a muddy yard is the best Shane Black could have come up with? Why couldn’t we have gotten another giant explosion instead?

These days, most action movie scores are made of pounding bass. When it comes to eighties movies, everyone associates the decade with cheesy synth. “Lethal Weapon,” instead, has a bluesy, slow burn score. Michael Kamen provides some build-up that’s noir-like in its intensity and features more then one boozy saxophone. Backing him up, of all people, is Eric Clapton on guitar. Clapton’s roaring guitars adds another macho edge to a movie that’s already pretty damn macho. Does the score work entirely? Not really. Is it another thing that adds to the “Lethal Weapon” magic? Sure.

“Lethal Weapon” eventually succumbs to its own meat-headed dumbness. Until then, it’s a funny buddy flick with an above-average cast and a chaotic energy all its own. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover’s chemistry and Black’s zippy screenplay keeps the entire thing afloat. The movie does not entirely live up to its reputation as the Greatest Buddy Cop Movie of all time. It’s best enjoyed as what it originally was: An unexpected hit, a solid popcorn muncher, and a good way to waste two hours. Twenty-eight years later, this shit still hasn’t gotten old. [Grade: B]

Bangers n' Mash 66: Buddy Cops

Hey guys! Seems like it's been a while, doesn't it? Here's the most recent episode of the Bangers n' Mash Show that actually went up on the 31st of May. It's about buddy cop movies. Yes, that's why I posted a bunch of reviews of movies in that genre late last month. Assuming you're not too old for this shit, give it a listen.



So why am I only now posting this video to the blog? (And have been neglecting Film Thoughts in general?) The simplest answer is that real life has been slightly hectic here of late. The real answer is that, after rushing to get an episode of the show out on time, I tend to forget to post it here after getting it on Youtube at the last minute. A sincere apology to listeners of the show. I'll do better next time!

For fans of Film Thoughts, I have further news! A new Director's Report Card will begin TOMORROW. It's an exciting one about one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, one I've been meaning to do for a while. I've actually been working hard on new content for the blog over the last two weeks. Here's hoping the summer will be fun and exciting.

Meanwhile, I am now on Letterboxd, that wacky website devoted to film fans and what they watch. I've posted a few reviews there and plan on posting more in the future. The Director Report Card reviews will probably continue to be Film Thoughts exclusive and most any movie reviews I write will be published here first. If you feel so inclined, follow me!