Lethal Weapon 2 Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1989

Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh return in Lethal Weapon 2 as they face off against some South African drug smugglers, only to find they are powerless to stop them since the smugglers are hiding behind the shield of diplomatic immunity. As if the untouchable foe wasn't trouble enough, they must also simultaneously protect a loud-mouthed bumbling money launderer turned government witness.

With more action and laughs than the original Lethal Weapon, this is one of those rare sequels that at least matches, if not excels, the fun of the original.

Lethal Weapon 2 takes off with a bang as Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are taking part in a high-speed police chase through the city streets. Although the chase causes many crashes and plenty of destruction, the man Riggs and Murtaugh were pursuing manages to slip from their grasp.

Back at the station their police chief assigns them a new task after unloading on them for the botched chase: protect Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), a money launderer that flipped and agreed to become a government witness, for a few days. As they watch over the boisterous witness they soon learn about a drug cartel Getz was doing business with, and suspect the man they were pursuing may have been connected.

Riggs and Murtaugh storm the home of Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland), the boss of the criminal syndicate, but their attempts at arresting the group of criminals is quickly thwarted as they discover Rudd and his associates are official diplomats of South Africa, therefore they maintain full diplomatic immunity.

The partners refuse to accept that they are powerless to stop the drug pushers as they do business right under their noses, so a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins… a game that will result in many deaths on both sides and eventually bring to light the cause of Riggs' wife a few years prior, as well as put his current love interest in jeopardy.

It's a known fact that sequels very rarely meet up to the same standards as the original film, but Lethal Weapon 2 proves to be one of those exceptions. While the first film brought us a nice blend of furious action and humor, it was a far darker movie. Martin Riggs was suicidal, morose and at times plain unpleasant, and while it was good character development it almost limited how much fun you could really have with the film. Though he offered some funny scenes, you knew there was nothing at all humorous about him.

With the sequel Martin Riggs has experienced a catharsis due to his friendship with Murtaugh and his family; he's no longer alone in the world. So while Riggs is still absolutely reckless, he's no longer unhappy or suicidal, which makes his outrageous antics actually guilt-free and fun. But don't worry about it having become a complete comedy or farce - there's plenty of action (more than the original), serious moments and even darker occurrences to balance the comedy. And it's that balance that makes Lethal Weapon 2 a superior movie in my eyes. The first swayed a bit too far towards the drama and darkness, whereas this one keeps the balance perfectly.

The choice of enemies was also one of the sequel's strong points. While Gary Busey was an ominous foe in the original, the sleaziness and arrogance of Arjen Rudd and his cronies almost make us want to reach through the television and choke them each time they flaunt their diplomatic immunity status and gloat about the cop's powerlessness.

Cast selection for Lethal Weapon 2 was perfect all across the board. Gibson and Glover again exude strong onscreen chemistry; they lend a true authenticity and believability to the bond the two characters share. Adding Joe Pesci into the mix for comic relief was a stroke of genius. I don't think anyone could have performed the role of the goofy Leo Getz better. And all the supporting actors also rose to the challenge – I couldn't fault anyone for lackluster performances.

If you enjoyed the first Lethal Weapon, there's almost no doubt you will also love this sequel. Perhaps, like me, you'll even enjoy it more! Those who haven't seen the original need not worry though since Lethal Weapon 2 is perfectly accessible for first-timers. A great sense of fun and exciting action make this a superb 80's gem.

Movie rating: 9 stars

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