Even after 30 years, it still holds up, great cast, great story, great acting, great buddy flick.
Buddy Cop genre at it's finest.
Over the top cheese made me like it even more. Was going to 7.4 it, but that absurd street fight at the end put it over the top. 8.2. Lol. Still holds up 35 yrs later.
I'm too old for this shit!
I'm never getting too old to watch Lethal Weapon. It's perfectly cast, it's written greatly by Shane Black, it has humor, it's dark, the final fight between Riggs (Mel Gibson and Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey) looks beautiful with the helicopter light in the back and water raining down and it's one of the best buddy cop movies out there.
Masterpiece of the buddies movie genre.
Always gonna be a great classic.
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover ignite a franchise with this dense, multi-faceted action flick from the mid-'80s. Although in later installments the duo grew too chummy and formulaic for my taste, Gibson and Glover's relationship in this introductory adventure is icy, complex and quite interesting, especially with the enhanced benefits of retrospect. Gibson, in his mainstream American breakthrough, is particularly good as unhinged, suicidal cop Martin Riggs, who always seems to have a pit of emotion raging behind his wide, unsettling gaze.
Of course, it's an action movie from right in the heart of the genre's heyday, so there's no shortage of fireballs, gunshots, abandoned warehouses or furiously flying fists, but its big heart, strong core relationship and generally-grounded approach to the big fight scenes keep it from feeling overly indulgent.
Surprisingly gripping and diverse, it's a major feather in the cap for both the headline duo and their veteran director, Richard Donner. Also, Riggs takes out Gary Busey in their climactic showdown with an armbar transitioned into a triangle choke!
Director Richard Donner has crafted an action film classic with Lethal Weapon. It’s the ultimate buddy cop film; a cop on the edge, Martin Riggs, is paired up with a seasoned veteran, Roger Murtaugh, and the two must work together in order to bust a drug trafficking kingpin. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are brilliantly cast and have a great onscreen chemistry as a buddy cop duo. And, Gary Busey delivers a solid performance as the relentless villain going after Riggs and Murtaugh. The action and fight scenes are especially well done; adding a lot of energy and suspense to the film. Lethal Weapon is a riveting, high adrenaline action film that’s a lot of fun.
Seen this a bunch, decided to revisit. Still holds up, especially Mel acting crazy. Two things were disappointing, however. One, it was extremely obvious that when Mel jumps off the roof with the suicidal guy, it is very clear they're not attached by the handcuffs.
Okay, that seems really minor and just a fun flub when I write it out. But the second thing really is disappointing. I noticed for the first time when Danny Glover is trying to pat out a potential fire on Mel's jacket after a house explodes, Mel says under his breath, "what are you a f** or something?" Oy. Look, it was 1987, a product of its time, blah blah blah. But a real bummer catching it this time around.
(Side note, the movie on the marquee at the Wiltern in the background is The Lost Boys. Seems like a good piece of trivia to remember. Also, the Wiltern used to be a movie theater? No idea. I just know it as the place I saw Ryan Adams during the Easy Tiger era and had to fight falling asleep.)
Classic "buddy cop" movie with lots of action and just the right amount of comedy.
Prototype buddy-cop movie. Still a classic despite the woes of MEL GIBSON. :)
It’s the gold standard for cheesy 80’s buddy cop films. Gotta love that saxophone to really ham up those dramatic moments. While not amazing, it is quite fun.
One of those movies where it might be harder to see why it’s great for newcomers, because the blueprint has been ripped off by so many other movies. I’d argue it has a few things going for it that still make it stand out to this day. Shane Black is great at writing dumb action movies, and this is one of his best scripts. The set pieces, dialogue and comedy are all well written, but it’s especially his character work that really shines here. The underlying sadness to Riggs and Murtaugh makes it easy to connect emotionally, and combined with the excellent performances by Glover and Gibson I was engaged from the beginning. Some of the most memorable set pieces are carried by the acting, which is something you rarely see in movies like this. Donner isn’t a director known for having a strong signature, but the cinematography and sleazy sax are very tasteful. He’s also not afraid to push the film to places that could be considered emotionally challenging. There are a few issues, such as the overuse of predictable/tropy plot devices (which were probably less cliche when this was released) as well as some pacing issues, besides that it absolutely holds up. It doesn’t quite beat Die Hard as the best Christmas movie, but fans of that film will probably get a lot out of this as the action strongly references that John McTiernan, muscular style of filmmaking.
7.5/10
One of the best Christmas movies of all time.
This movie is a never getting old classic. I will never be too old for this shit.
Oh yeah, and I recommend watching director's cut, couple of scenes it has are awesome.
A classic action film that still has relevance, and a big part of that is due to the fantastic chemistry between its lead actors, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. As mismatched partners who are forced to work together, their banter and camaraderie draws you in from the very beginning. The film's blend of action and humor keeps you on the edge of your seat while also providing plenty of laughs.
A true 80’s classic buddy cop film. That is perfectly cast with great chemistry.
Yeah, it set the tone for buddy cop movies for the next thrity years. And yeah, Mel really goes for it here. But man, there is a whole lotta :cheese: in this one. 7/10
Cartooney and naive as funk, but why not? I have to admit I had a few drinks before watching though. Gibson and Glover's chemistry is the greatest strength of the film. Hilariously dated action aside, the only thing that really bothered me is the inconsistency with the tone. I have nothing against black comedy and brainless action, but the first bunch of scenes with a girl jumping off a balcony and suicidal Martin Riggs mourning his wife felt a bit out of place.
The cinematography was pretty good, and so was the gunfire and explosions. I'm sure there are some people who consider Mel Gibson's acting a little over the top when Martin is behaving in an unhinged manner, and Danny Glover's acting when Roger is angry, which is understandable. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. There were other moments and things that were a little over the top as well, which I don't have a problem with, either. And I really liked the development and progression of what started out as an annoyance on Roger's part towards Martin to what ended up being a unity of camaraderie between both of them by the end of the movie. Good movie.
Possibly the greatest ‘cop buddy’ movie of all time. I’ve seen it countless times and never gotten bored. In fact as I got older I appreciate it more and more.
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover’s chemistry is a joy to watch.
Solid movie. Tries to deal with some serious topics but is rather dumb.
What a piece of garbage.
Bomb inthe toilet scene is classic.
Shout by Kenn GilmartinBlockedParent2013-08-04T12:40:33Z
Scene where Riggs fights in the rain? Classic.