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Lethal Weapon

  • 19871987
  • RR
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
256K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,154
187
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)
Trailer 2 for Lethal Weapon
Play trailer1:27
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Crime
  • Thriller
Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
256K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,154
187
  • Director
    • Richard Donner
  • Writers
    • Shane Black
    • Jeffrey Boam(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Danny Glover
    • Gary Busey
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard Donner
  • Writers
    • Shane Black
    • Jeffrey Boam(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Danny Glover
    • Gary Busey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 373User reviews
    • 131Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 7 wins & 2 nominations total

    Videos3

    Lethal Weapon
    Trailer 1:27
    Lethal Weapon
    Lethal Weapon
    Trailer 1:27
    Lethal Weapon
    Lethal Weapon | Franchise Supercut
    Video 1:00
    Lethal Weapon | Franchise Supercut

    Photos165

    Gary Busey, Sven-Ole Thorsen, and Paul Tuerpe in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Richard Donner in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Danny Glover, Damon Hines, Darlene Love, Ebonie Smith, and Traci Wolfe in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Chad Hayes and Traci Wolfe in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Michael Shaner in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)
    Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    • Martin Riggsas Martin Riggs
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Roger Murtaughas Roger Murtaugh
    Gary Busey
    Gary Busey
    • Joshuaas Joshua
    Mitchell Ryan
    Mitchell Ryan
    • The Generalas The General
    Tom Atkins
    Tom Atkins
    • Michael Hunsakeras Michael Hunsaker
    Darlene Love
    Darlene Love
    • Trish Murtaughas Trish Murtaugh
    Traci Wolfe
    Traci Wolfe
    • Rianne Murtaughas Rianne Murtaugh
    Jackie Swanson
    Jackie Swanson
    • Amanda Hunsakeras Amanda Hunsaker
    Damon Hines
    • Nick Murtaughas Nick Murtaugh
    Ebonie Smith
    Ebonie Smith
    • Carrie Murtaughas Carrie Murtaugh
    Bill Kalmenson
    Bill Kalmenson
    • Beat Copas Beat Cop
    Lycia Naff
    Lycia Naff
    • Dixieas Dixie
    Patrick Cameron
    • Cop #1as Cop #1
    Don Gordon
    Don Gordon
    • Cop #2as Cop #2
    Jimmie F. Skaggs
    Jimmie F. Skaggs
    • Drug Dealer #1as Drug Dealer #1
    Jason Ronard
    Jason Ronard
    • Drug Dealer #2as Drug Dealer #2…
    Blackie Dammett
    Blackie Dammett
    • Drug Dealer #3as Drug Dealer #3
    Gail Bowman
    • Copas Cop
    • Director
      • Richard Donner
    • Writers
      • Shane Black
      • Jeffrey Boam(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

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    Lethal Weapon 3
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    Lethal Weapon 3
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    Lethal Weapon 4
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    7.8
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    Die Hard with a Vengeance
    7.6
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    Beverly Hills Cop
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    True Lies
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    First Blood
    7.7
    First Blood
    Conspiracy Theory
    6.7
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jackie Swanson performed the high fall on her own, trained by legendary stuntman Dar Robinson. Also, the stunt was done using an airbag covered with a life-size painting of the driveway and cars, which, like a foreground miniature, visually blends into the real scene. Thus, the editor is able to hold the shot until just as she makes contact with the airbag, for greater realism.
    • Goofs
      When Riggs jumps off the building after handcuffing himself to the jumper, a close up shot just after they step off the ledge shows that the rubber trick handcuffs break. When they get out of the air bag, they have connected real handcuffs on.
    • Quotes

      [Repeated line in all 4 movies]

      Roger Murtaugh: I'm too old for this shit!

    • Alternate versions
      The original home video and television prints had the 1984 Warner Bros. logo with the Warner Communications byline at the beginning of the film, current prints had plastered instead with the 1998 Warner Bros. logo, but with the 2003 TimeWarner byline, The logo was also used on post-2003 prints of other films in the series including Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
    • Connections
      Edited into Belle da morire (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Jingle Bell Rock
      Written by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe

      Performed by Bobby Helms

      Courtesy of MCA Records

    User reviews373

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Action and buddy cop magic
    'Lethal Weapon' may have spawned three sequels and a TV series, but even 30 years later shines heads and shoulders over the rest of the films. It is not a perfect film, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it was hugely influential in the development of the buddy-cop film and to this day is one of the better examples of it.

    Yes, it is implausible to the maximum and sometimes overblown, but the overblown nature to me and many others was part of the entertainment and wasn't that distracting. The implausibility is not quite as forgivable, with 'Lethal Weapon' being at its weakest in the script. Not that the script is terrible or anything, a lot of it is smart, very funny and crackles with wit, especially in the chemistry between Gibson and Glover, but sometimes the convolution and repetition reaches fever pitch.

    Mitchell Ryan is the other weak link. Despite being the head villain, the character is forgettable somewhat and Ryan is both pantomimic and dull (that may sound oxymoronic but both extremes together are possible, indicating an inconsistent performance). Look at other reviews of the film, and one gets the sense that Mr Joshua, the henchman, is far more memorable (which he is) and sees near-unanimous praise for Gary Busey for good reason, who is at his villainous best here being ruthlessly cold and chilling.

    It's not just Busey that makes 'Lethal Weapon' such a pleasure. As good as he is, he isn't even the best thing about it. Those three best things are the action, the chemistry between Gibson and Glover and the performances of the two.

    The action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, some of it is overblown but deliciously so. It is very easy to see why the chalk and cheese chemistry of the polar opposite characters of Riggs and Murtaugh became so popular, very rarely in a buddy-cop film has this kind of chemistry been so entertaining and perfectly pitched.

    Gibson's performance here as the loose-cannon of the two is one of his best, a performance of wit, melancholy and great intensity. Glover has the no-nonsense and by-the-book character and is just as spirited while being more subtle. The story may seem familiar by today's standards and is not exceptional structurally, but back then there were not many films with the kind of story 'Lethal Weapon' had and the film was so influential that the number of buddy-cop films increased and the film was parodied a fair bit (like in National Lampoon's 'Loaded Weapon 1', one of those films that has seen me going against the grain and enjoying despite its faults).

    As said, there are parts of the script that work well, while Richard Donner directs with an assured hand and the way 'Lethal Weapon' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish, still looking good 30 years on. Was expecting Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton's music to jar considering their other work (style-wise that is) and reading up on how it was orchestrated and used, but actually it added a lot to the atmosphere and had an atmospheric groove.

    In conclusion, great fun and magic in the case of the action, the buddy-cop chemistry and the two lead performances. 8/10 Bethany Cox
    helpful•11
    0
    • TheLittleSongbird
    • Jul 10, 2017

    FAQ8

    • What is 'Lethal Weapon' about?
    • Is 'Lethal Weapon' based on a book?
    • What type of sniper rifle is used by Riggs in the "limo shootout"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 6, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Smrtonosno oruzje
    • Filming locations
      • International Tower - 700 E. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Silver Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $65,207,127
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,829,949
      • Mar 8, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $120,207,127
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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