Lethal Weapon

Rating:
Summary: It's all about screen chemistry
Review: Let me first state that the ONLY thing that differentiates this movie from all the others in the action genre is the chemistry between Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. However, that chemistry makes for an entertaining movie.

Mel Gibson does an extraordinary job as Riggs, a cop whose wife's recent death has left him with a screw loose and a death wish. When he is forcibly paired with Murtaugh, a role well-filled by Danny Glover, the hijinx and hilarity ensues.

The overall plot is unremarkable, a hooker's drug-induced fall to her death draws the detectives into a CIA-run cartel, who bumps off the hooker's father, who was also involved in the ring. While solving this case, our heros encounter a jumper (where DID that mat come from?) and bust their way out of the bad guy's headquarters, among other things.

Along the way, however, an interesting thing happens. We are teated to actual characters, not typical shallow action-types. Riggs is shown to be a grieving widower, trying to make sense of things, while Murtaugh is a straight-laced family man who has to confront the baddies when they kidnap his daughter. They sort out their perspectives along the way, which is just as much a part of the story as the shoot-em-up action.

It is no wonder, that these guys made several "Lethal Weapon" movies. They genuinely seemed to have a good time making this film.

Overall, this is a somewhat-above-average action flick which features a pair of fine leads.

Rating:
Summary: Action at its best
Review: When I was walking around my local Media Play store a while ago, I was looking through the letterbox section, and I found "Lethal Weapon." At first, I thought it was just the original version, but then I noticed how wonderfully shiny the box was. So I figured, maybe it's just because it's the widescreen version, but then I saw the words "Director's Cut," and I was surprised. I had no idea that there was a director's cut of this movie or its sequels (except for number four). Needless to say, I was not the least bit hesitant in buying this version of the movie. It's great. "Lethal Weapon" is already one of my favorite movies of all time, so this was very cool to me. It's got a few new scenes in it, one of which gets into how reckless and "on the edge" Mel Gibson's character, Martin Riggs, really is. Gibson does an excellent job as the suicidal cop who's ready to die at any given moment, which makes his new partner Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) rather nervous. "Lethal Weapon" is one of those action movies that's actually got a plot, along with good character development. Not to mention, it's pretty funny, which really adds to the enjoyment of the movie. The action in the movie is very exciting as the cops go after drug dealers trying to make one big shipment of heroin. It's a classic "buddy movie," and cannot be missed.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the genre
Review: Lethal Weapon is one of the best films of the action genre, blending off-beat humor with surprisingly expressive acting and tense situations. Though much of the plot is over the top, and the casualness of the gunplay (as Danny Glover asks Mel: "have you ever met anyone you didn't kill?) seems like it should make the movie too unbelievable to be good, the humor with which the situations are treated pulls the film together easily. Even though the scenes added in the director's cut don't add up to a much longer movie, they do further the character development of Mel Gibson's character. Notably, the sniper scene shows the audience the extent of Gibson/Riggs' emotional disturbance, and lends a deeper character credibility during the confrontation between Riggs and Murtaugh after the rooftop jump, in which Riggs explains that the only thing restraining him from suicide is "the job." Riggs is seen more clearly in this version as a modern gunslinger, a victim of depressed and unstable victim of circumstance who decides daily to keep on living only because he stubbornly refusus to let the bad guys win. Glover plays well opposite, and he does a very good job interpreting a man confronting middle age, family responsibilities, and his responsibility and desire to be a good cop despite the changes in the world that are occuring around him.
The humor is, at the end, what ties this film together. the punchlines seem to come at the tensest moments, though for the most part they avoid the cheesy one liners before blowing the bad guys away. They simply arise out of the context, and do not feel artificial. Busey is also good, and he can really act the part of being one mean SOB. The action is spectacular, and the end fight scene is extremely well choreographed, as the crew hired one of the infamous Gracies (A brazillian family who define modern mixed martial arts) to help out with it. One of my favorite movies of all time, and easily the best of the series, Lethal Weapon defines the action genre in a way that hasn't been seen since.

Rating:
Summary: Gibson And Glover Deliver
Review: This is the one that started all the "lethal" action and introduced one of the most memorable cop teams in cinematic history. "Lethal Weapon," directed by Richard Donner, is a hard-hitting, fast-paced action/drama starring Mel Gibson as Detective Sergeant Martin Riggs, who once served in the Special Forces in Vietnam, and who now serves the city of Los Angeles. Riggs has some inner demons with which he must cope (the loss of his wife), and starts every day thinking of reasons why he shouldn't swallow a bullet. In the end, it's the job that keeps him going; it's what he does best in the world. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is dealing with some issues in his own life: He just turned fifty, has a teenaged daughter who is suddenly grown-up and dating, and he's just been assigned a new partner, Riggs, whom he quickly learns has a propensity for dangerous situations and apparently has a death wish. His assessment of his situation is summed up with his now classic line, "I'm too old for this ----." And the adventure begins. The plot involves an investigation into the death of a young woman, Amanda Hunsaker (Jackie Swanson), the daughter of an old war buddy of Murtaugh's, Michael Hunsaker (Tom Atkins), who is now a successful banker. Ultimately, it leads Riggs and Murtaugh into some murky waters where they encounter a former General, Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan), and some ex-special forces mercenaries, including the especially psychotic Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey). There's some twists and turns along the way, but most importantly Donner keeps the action going and the tension building all the way to the climax. The dialogue is sharp, the story and characters are developed extremely well, and Donner wisely injects some humorous moments (courtesy of Gibson, with shades of The Three Stooges) that provide a respite to the intensity of the overall proceedings. But what really makes this movie is the pairing of Gibson and Glover. Perfectly cast as Riggs, Gibson is at his charismatic best here. He brings a depth to his character usually reserved for more dramatic fare, and layers him with a complexity that makes Riggs so much more than just another action hero. If you look deeply enough, you'll find a bit of McQueen's "Bullitt" in him. To his credit, Gibson took what could have been just another "star" outing and created a truly memorable character. Glover, as well, breathes real life into Murtaugh; he lets you in on what really makes his character tick, what his loyalties are and his perceptions of the world in which he lives. Like Gibson, he gets beneath the surface and gives you a lot more; much more than meets the eye. And there's a chemistry between the two that really clicks and makes it all work so well. Watching these guys operate is real kick; they give the audience something to relate to, and it's that connection they make with the viewer that is one of the reasons the "Lethal" films have been so successful. Also memorable in supporting roles are Darlene Love, as Roger's wife, Trish; and Traci Wolfe as their daughter, Rianne. In the end, "Lethal Weapon" is an exhilarating, entertaining movie that introduces some great characters that happily, for the audience, return in the sequels. It's like meeting good people who become your friends for life. But be prepared; once you've seen this one, you're going to HAVE to see the rest. And I guarantee, you're going to want to see them all more than once, so be ready to add to your DVD/video collection. These are keepers.

Rating:
Summary: Still Remains The Very Best In Action Films Today
Review: Undoubtably The best cop-buddy action picture i have ever seen,and has spawned of three sequals but none compare to the orginal. Danny Glover is the family man cop who wants to put in his time and retire with his family. Mel Gibson is the unpredictable crazy cop distraght over the death of his wife tires to kill himself. The powers that be puts these totally different men together to solve a murder case involving ex-soilders from the vietnam war to pull off a major drug heist. very violent, to the point with memorable action sequences. Especally when Gibson has an all out slugfest with Gary Busey in the pouring rain. very well excuted and i definatly rank Lethal Weapon high On the list of the best action films ever produced. Richard Donner The Premier action film director created a masterpiece here and when anyone takes the time to explore the great performces and the chemisty between the two leads you can see why this is considered a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie to start off the series
Review: "Lethal Weapon" pairs one of the best duos ever seen in a movie. A suicidal cop (Mel Gibson) and an aging veteran cop (Danny Glover) have to team up to investigate a case of a woman that jumped from a building to her death. They also have to battle some bad guys and catch other criminals on their way. However, not all is smooth sailing when the duo first meets. They must learn to get along and accept each other's styles if they want to get the job done.

"Lethal Weapon" couldn't have been done much better to start the series off at a fast pace. It has a lot of funny and action packed sequences in it. Some of the best are when Mel Gibson shows his ability to shoot a gun at target practice and the ending sequence.

If you like the "Lethal Weapon" series or action movies with a sense of comedy in them, I recommend getting "Lethal Weapon."

Rating:
Summary: Lethal Weapon (1987)
Review: Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love.
Running Time: 105 minutes.
Rated R for cop violence and language.

The ultimate in the cop-buddy action flicks, Richard Donner's "Lethal Weapon" is still an essential part of the action-drama genre to this day. Mel Gibson stars as the unstable, suicidal cop who is still grieving the tragic death of his wife, but finds purpose when he is teamed with over-the-hill Sergeant Danny Glover to investigate the mysterious death of a small-time hooker that jumped/was thrown off a building.

As the duo dives deeper into the case, they realize they are in the middle of a tense, big-time drug traffic arrangement and they are up against some tough cookies (namely Gary Busey and Mitchell Ryan). Gibson is great as the reckless Martin Riggs, using his insane tendencies as adrenaline throughout the film, but often also showing a sofer, tender side that produces a lot of laughs. Glover is his equal as Murtaugh, who feels that he is at his last stand as a police officer, but tags along because he feels his duty as a cop is unfinished. An excellent script by Shane Black and an explosive, taut directorial effort from Donner. Has lost some of its mustard due to numerous sequels and imitations ("Rush Hour" anyone?), but still an extremely fun action-adventure that will delight all those who are Gibson fans and love to laugh and gasp.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Action Film of All Time!!!!
Review: This movie starts out the way all great movies should... From the moment you make eye contact with the nips you are sucked into it. And then theres the crazy awsomeness of Martin Riggs. The school sniper scene very cool. And then theres Roger Murtog a great character, we are introduced to him in the bath tub where his family seems to wind up hanging out with him every movie. Am I the only one who thinks they are alittle TOO loveing. All that aside Roger is an awsome character. The more these movies go on the more the better the chemistry between these two cops. By the time you get to the fight with Riggs and Mr. Joshua at the end you will be trying to keep from shouting at the screen and rooting Riggs on. Good stuff

Rating:
Summary: can't beat an original
Review: this is one of my top ten movies of all time. I like how the director shows the beginning of their friendship on a very dark note, but then ends the movie with them making jokes and having the two not as serious as before. This movie is great and i highly recommend buying it.

Rating:
Summary: 4.0 out of 5
Review: LETHAL WEAPON is an action masterpiece, and one of my most favorite films. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star as two extremely mismatched cops; one is on the edge after losing his wife in a car crash, the other is a newly-turned 50-year-old just trying to keep alive. Together they're slowly learning to like each other; when they do, they'll have to try to take down a secret drug ring run by Vietnam vets. Richard Donner's directing is very good, from a witty script by Shane Black; the score, by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen, is one of the best and most jazzy film scores I've heard. There's plenty of action, plenty of thrills, but not plenty enough; you'll want this film to never end. An interesting version is this Director's Cut, which features more emphasis on Riggs' suicidal attitude. If you want action, if you want hilarious comedy, if you want non-stop entertainment - you want LETHAL WEAPON.