Lethal Weapon 4

Talking about the other films for a minute, while not perfect, the first film is very good and one of the best buddy-cop films there is (important to the development of them too). 'Lethal Weapon 2' was almost as good, and while 'Lethal Weapon 3' was a little disappointing it was still fun.

Which is pretty much the same personal opinion for 'Lethal Weapon 4', though a slight improvement over the third. Like the third film, its weak link is the story, except it's even messier than that and sometimes has a going through the motions, tame feel, especially when one can't help comparing to the first two. It also could have done with having less going on and less characters, it did feel over-stuffed and muddled.

'Lethal Weapon 4's' script is also the weakest in this component of the series. Not awful, as some of it is very funny and still intrigues, but there seemed to be too much of an emphasis on sentimentality and especially humour. The humour works better, because there are actually some funny moments like the dentist scene and the fried rice line but there were other parts where it was overdone. The sentimentality really doesn't work, am aware it's for character development but it was done in a very mawkish and under-cooked way and felt really odds and tacked on with the rest of the film.

Was mixed on Chris Rock. Was expecting him to be a disaster and be completely out of place. The good news is that he is a little better than expected, there are times where he is amusing and has some good lines and moments with the rest of the cast. Not so good is that he featured in the film too heavily and some of Rock's shtick is overdone and annoying, when you already have Joe Pesci as a motor-mouth it feels overkill.

However, the way 'Lethal Weapon 4' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish while Richard Donner once again directs with an assured hand. The score is atmospheric and groovy.

Parts of the script doe entertain hugely and crackle in wit and tension, especially the aforementioned moments.

Once again, the action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, with terrific stunts and the sheer scale of them being worthy of huge admiration. The freeway scene and Jet Li's final fight are two of the series' best action sequences 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.

Mel Gibson continues to excel in a performance as witty and intense has before. Danny Glover gives Murtaugh the right amount of spirit, subtlety and no-nonsense attitude.

Joe Pesci, despite the character being a thrown-in plot device, is closer to the funny character he was in the second and not the irritating one in the third. Rene Russo's role is not as fresh and fairly side-lined but she is a lovely presence. While underused, Jet Li is a calmly sinister villain with some truly indestructibly awesome fighting skills, for me the second best overall villain of the series after Gary Busey in the original.

In summary, fun if not blowing the mind. Doesn't see the series going out with a bang, but a long way from a whimper despite a few sizeable flaws threatening to make it so. 7/10 Bethany Cox

It is extremely rare for the fourth film in a series to be just as good as it's three predecessors. Lethal Weapon 4 was awesome.

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had no trouble recreating the magic from the first three films. The humour was there, the action was there and the chemistry between them was there. Joe Pesci was back as Leo Getz.

Lethal Weapon 3 was released in 1992, Lethal Weapon 4 was released in 1998. Six years had passed yet none of the actors or production staff involved in Lethal Weapon 4 had any problem in making a great movie.

The action throughout is brilliant (are real American policemen as mad as Riggs and Murtaugh?). And of course the humour is there; particularly the beginning of the movie where Murtaugh (Danny Glover) strips down to his underwear in the rain and acts like a chicken in order to distract the bad guy. There are other humorous scenes throughout and a great plot too.

Roll on Lethal Weapon 5.

Lethal Weapon 4 starts out with a boring and ridiculous beginning. I remember watching it the first time and thinking, "oh no, another bad sequel."

However, once past the first ten minutes, the film starts to pick up its pace and retreat into familiar Lethal Weapon style.

Just like film 2 and 3, Lethal Weapon 4 isn't as good as the original, but it never gets to the point of unbearable. It is quite entertaining and fun to watch, with some very great actors, that have some very great chemistry between each other.

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover fit like a glove, and Joe Pesci is perfect as the comedy relief, not being like the recent "side kicks" we always see, that are so obnoxious we want to punch them. Mr. Pesci is a very talented actor, and he always makes me laugh, whether it's Lethal Weapon 4 or Raging Bull and Casino.

Rene Russo provides Mel's love interest yet again, and though I found the marriage thing a bit of a throw-in, it was still good for the story. It provided some laughs at the end of the film.

Chris Rock stars in one role where his character is not completely annoying or loudmouthed, mainly because he wasn't extremely famous yet, and had only been on SNL and a few small roles in film... Joes Pesci and him throw back and forth a few insults and jokes, and bounce off each other, which helps me welcom Rock a bit more.

Jet Li's first American film, I believe, proves he can be a quite and intriguing character, which later helped him get roles in films like Kiss of the Dragon and The One.

Another thing about this franchise is that director Richard Donner directed all four films, and it's always good to use the original director for a sequel, rather than a lesser director, as we have countless examples of. (especially horror films!)

From the opening jazz music we have come to love, Lethal Weapon provides enough entertainment and fun to keep one entertained, and it's definitely worth watching. I hope they stop while they're ahead, and do not make another Lethal Weapon film, because it's rare for a film series to still be entertaining and imaginative after these many sequels. 3/5 stars-

Who said all movie series become worse with every installment? Lethal Weapon 4 is probably the best fourth movie in a series ever. I find it incredible that the magic is still there. The main characters still feed of each other and their friendship (both on set and off set) is clearly felt in every scene they have together. Mel Gibson has finally laid the ghost of his wife to rest and is as chipper as ever. He does this without seeming truly obnoxious (even though that is a part of his character). In fact he seems more likable in this film than he did in all the previous films. Danny Glover reprises his role from the previous movies and that is not a bad thing because the Murtaugh role is the best of his career. Rene Ruso returns in her part and although it has been cut down considerably its still a decent role. Joe Pesci is also back and this time around he gets to add some depth to the character (something that was missing in the previous film). Chris Rock is decent. He isn't much of an actor but he is pretty funny and fresh. His part also adds a little something to the all-round comedy of the film, but if you want to know what it is you will have to watch the movie yourself. Jet Li is the villain in this movie and while he is the weakest villain in the series acting wise, he is definitely the most menacing.

The action is still brilliant despite the fact that the actors are getting older. The story is decent for a fourth film and the overall execution is brilliant. I actually prefer this film to the second and third of the series because I find it to be more entertaining overall. It cuts down on the seriousness (even though its still there) and adds a lot to the comedy and this is a very good choice.

All in all an excellent film. Highly recommendable for all fans of action movies and the series in particular.

8/10

After what was by far the longest gap between "Lethal Weapon" movies, the fourth installment in the quadrilogy finally came into theatres, six years after the third one. I was only about six months old when the original was first released, and by the time this fourth one came out, I was nearing adolescence, but was still too young to watch R-rated movies. I've seen all four LW films for the first time this year. Watching this 1998 action comedy's three predecessors, it seemed to me that each one showed a slight drop in quality from the last, so I had fairly low expectations for this fourth one, but still planned to finish watching the series. Many may disagree, but I think this one actually showed a slight improvement after "Lethal Weapon 3".

Sergeant Martin Riggs' girlfriend, Lorna Cole, is now pregnant, so he will soon be a father. Sergeant Roger Murtaugh, meanwhile, will soon be a grandfather, as his daughter, Rianne, is pregnant. One night, Murtaugh and Riggs are out on a fishing trip on Murtaugh's boat with their chatterbox friend, Leo Getz, who has become a private investigator. However, on this trip, trouble finds them once again, as their boat is struck by a large vessel! After a fight against Chinese men aboard this vessel, Riggs discovers that it is full of Chinese slaves! Detective Ng believes that Chinatown crime boss "Uncle Benny" Chan has something to do with this smuggling. Since Cole is pregnant, she cannot help out much on this mission, but Riggs and Murtaugh are sent along with Getz and Detective Lee Butters, the father of Murtaugh's grandchild, to take on the Chinese Triads. Riggs and Murtaugh are now both showing signs of aging, which unfortunately will not help them on this mission.

In addition to the action in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, you also expect humour, and there's lots of that here. I definitely laughed during the intro, with Murtaugh clucking like a chicken in his boxers during a confrontation on the street. Joe Pesci once again plays Leo Getz, and this character is still funny, with his conflict with the two main characters, and the scene around the beginning with the shark on the boat. This third sequel also introduces Detective Lee Butters, played by Chris Rock. The confrontation with Butters and Getz on the road had me in hysterics! There are some good action sequences as well, with fights and chases, which definitely had me in suspense. Unlike LW 3, Rene Russo doesn't steal the show here as Lorna Cole, though she could have if the character had not been made pregnant. Also, the romance between Cole and Riggs, while maybe still not perfect, was done a bit better here than in the previous film. The film also has some significant problems, however. The laughing gas scene is rather tedious, our heroes take a tad too many blows in the fight sequences, and the film left me wanting just a bit more.

Like probably most people, I would say the original "Lethal Weapon" is the best of the bunch. However, I think "Lethal Weapon 4" comes in third, inferior to both LW films from the 80's, but better than the first one of the 90's. I know many would disagree, but I would say this fourth installment in the quadrilogy was a good end to the series. There have been talks about "Lethal Weapon 5" coming out in 2012, which have been on again and off again. Since I've found contradicting news articles on this project, I don't know whether it's happening or not (maybe nobody does), but I don't know if it would be a good idea anyway. It's been over a decade since the last installment in the series, and too many sequels can be a problem. Well, whether they make a fifth movie or not, and whether it turns out to be any good or not, overall, the four films that have already been made make a good action comedy series.