Lethal Weapon

1987 "If these two can learn to stand each other... the bad guys don't stand a chance."
7.6| 1h50m| R| en| More Info
Released: 06 March 1987 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Veteran buttoned-down LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh is partnered with unhinged cop Martin Riggs, who -- distraught after his wife's death -- has a death wish and takes unnecessary risks with criminals at every turn. The odd couple embark on their first homicide investigation as partners, involving a young woman known to Murtaugh with ties to a drug and prostitution ring.

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Director

Richard Donner

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Lethal Weapon Audience Reviews

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
shirleyfuller Lethal Weapon is a fun, exciting movie that deserves its standing in the pantheon of great action films. Contrary to popular believe this film didn't make Mel Gibson a star- He already was one after Mad Max but it did make him a household name in the US. He and Danny Glover are amazing as the mismatched buddy cop duo and one can say Lethal Weapon restarted the sub genre after 48 hours had done so a few years ago. Featuring great sequences, dialogues worth remembering and great pace Lethal Weapon is a must watch.
Minahzur Rahman I really enjoyed Lethal Weapon. I've seen all four movies of this franchise, and the first one is the best of the bunch. The plot was engaging. The characters were good. Everything worked well from start to finish. Unlike other Lethal Weapon movies, I could watch the first one several times, and still not get bored of it. That's how good this movie actually was. Also, interestingly, in case you haven't noticed, this movie was released in 1987 which is a year before Die Hard was released on screens, and we all think of Die Hard being the movie that set tone for action movies that followed, but don't be too surprised if it was Lethal Weapon. I'm a massive fan of the action genre, and I'm glad that there were plenty of great action movies before my time because we all know that it was the 90s where the action genre really took off. 10/10.
jordansepticeye This movie is fantastic.First,the good,the action,it is not too over the top,feels real and is excellently choreographed.The story,while generic fits the tone and doesn't matter too much as this movie is about the characters anyway.The humor works and is really good.The Christmas setting is the perfect contrast to the gritty drug filled streets of the 80s.Speaking of that,the film does the perfect job of contrasting the lives of the two main characters.The best part though,Mel Gibson,his acting is perfect,and his character has many layers,he's scary,dangerous,funny,and badass.All in all Lethal Weapon is a classic,it may be slightly outdated,but it has great action,characters,dark tone,and storyline.
seymourblack-1 The template for "buddy cop movies" had already been created some years before "Lethal Weapon" went into production and so its combination of action, comedy and a couple of mismatched cops didn't seem to offer anything particularly new. What it did offer, however, was an excellent plot, a couple of well-drawn characters and two actors whose extraordinary on-screen rapport contributed enormously to the phenomenal success that this movie justifiably achieved.Its story, which involves murder, drug-smuggling and kidnapping, is exciting, violent and often tense with some light relief being provided throughout by the bizarre behaviour of one of the cops and the entertaining banter that's an on-going feature of a relationship that, against the odds, develops into a strong friendship between two very different men.Homicide detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is assigned to investigate the apparent suicide of a young woman who had leaped to her death from a penthouse balcony. He soon discovers that she was the daughter of his old Vietnam War buddy, Michael Hunsaker (Tom Atkins) and later receives evidence that confirms that she was murdered. At fifty years of age and with retirement approaching, Murtaugh is keen to avoid any unnecessary danger and so, when he's teamed up with detective Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), who has a certain reputation for being unstable, he becomes very apprehensive.Riggs is an ex-Army Special Forces sniper who was classed as a "lethal weapon" and who, following the recent death of his wife, had become unpredictable and suicidal. His state of mind had become a source of concern for police psychiatrists because it had led to him taking great risks in his work and soon it becomes evident that he and Murtaugh have very different ways of doing things. The tensions caused by this situation initially makes their partnership difficult but as the investigation continues, some incidents that they confront, lead to them gaining more trust in each other.Hunsaker admits that he had, for some years, been involved in a drug smuggling operation which had been in existence since the Vietnam War and which was headed by General Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan) who, like his henchman, Mr Joshua (Gary Busey), is extremely ruthless and they had murdered his daughter as a consequence of his decision to get out of their racket. The ensuing pursuit of the smugglers leads to Murtaugh's daughter being kidnapped and both detectives being tortured before Riggs and Joshua meet in the movie's final confrontation.Mel Gibson gives a remarkable performance in this movie as he excels as an action hero but also brings incredible intensity to the passages of the film where Riggs struggles with his suicidal tendencies. It's also interesting to watch how his initially volatile and reckless character gradually becomes more rational as a result of his relationship with Murtaugh and his family. Danny Glover also does a brilliant job of showing Murtaugh's humanity, warmth and insecurities as he deals with the demands of his job and his family, whilst also coming to terms with his concerns about getting older."Lethal Weapon" is hugely enjoyable, exciting to watch and full of humorous moments. It's extremely well-written and its emphasis on the nature and development of its characters is what ultimately elevates it above the level of most other similar action movies.