Lethal Weapon [M]

Just after turning 50, detective Murtaugh gets saddled with a new partner; Martin Riggs who has been transferred from his office due to the perception that he is psychotic and has a death wish. The two are mismatched and dislike one another right from the start, but when they begin to investigate a suicide case, which actually turns into one of murder, the two develop an uncanny relationship and begin to trust in one another’s methods as they delve deeper and deeper into unravelling a big drug-smuggling case. 

There must be some sort of preservative in these movies that makes them impervious to becoming stale and out-dated by the decay of time. The big action blockbusters of the 80s really had it right: the stories are simple and easy to follow, there’s a load of action, violence, car chases, and explosions, and they’re balanced with a good dose of comedy too. Not all that dissimilar to Die Hard, though running in a parallel line, Lethal Weapon is a great dose of adrenaline and laughs; an ideal movie for a Saturday night in. 

Just after turning 50, detective Murtaugh gets saddled with a new partner; Martin Riggs who has been transferred from his office due to the perception that he is psychotic and has a death wish. The two are mismatched and dislike one another right from the start, but when they begin to investigate a suicide case, which actually turns into one of murder, the two develop an uncanny relationship and begin to trust in one another’s methods as they delve deeper and deeper into unravelling a big drug-smuggling case. 

The comedy and the real appeal of the movie, aside from the obvious heavy doses of action, is the mismatched pairing of the two heroic leads. Danny Glover plays the role of Murtaugh and does so with a decorum and sense of wisdom mingled with his street talk, great comedic timing, and quite funny freak-outs. 

On the opposite end of the table we have Mel Gibson who plays the role of Martin Riggs, Martaugh’s new partner, and he really was mad. Mel gave a performance that was unhinged, erratic, and his freak-outs were nothing short of genius. You’re completely captivated when Mel begins to freak. 

Unfortunately, you cannot help but compare this movie to Die Hard. I think both were released around about the same time and, although the settings and the stories are completely different, there are quite a few similarities between the two that are hard to miss. For example, both films take place around that most festive holiday season of the year, Christmas, and I could not help but notice that the soundtrack to this movie, comprised of mostly Christmas songs, bared quite a resemblance to that of Die Hard. 

Starring Gary Busey, Mitch Ryan, Tom Atkins, and Darlene Love, Lethal Weapon is a great movie packed with action, crime, explosions, violence, drama, and comedy. It’s a classic.