It only takes a few minutes into “Lethal Weapon” to forget Mel Gibson the madman beau and remember his former life as a major movie star.
The 1987 film gave Gibson his second iconic franchise and proved he could survive bullets, a suicidal character and a mullet that just won’t quit.
“Lethal Weapon” still matters today thanks in large part to the chemistry crackling between Gibson and his on-screen partner, Danny Glover.
But the real star of the film remains director Richard Donner, who brings a professionalism and gimlet eye for both action and character to what could have been one more genre exercise.
Gibson plays Martin Riggs, an L.A. cop mourning the loss of his wife by occasionally pointing a loaded gun at his open mouth. He’s teamed up with Roger Murtaugh (Glover), an older detective mourning the the loss of his youth.
Their new assignment seems straightforward – at first glance. They’re investigating the death of a drugged up prostitute who took a dive from the window of a tall building. But Murtaugh knows the woman’s father, an old friend he fought alongside during the Vietnam War. And the man’s connections to a mysterious drug cartel spell trouble for everyone involved.
“Lethal Weapon” doesn’t reinvent the buddy cop movie – it simply shows how well it can be done when all the right elements lock into place.
The duo’s oil and water shtick feels forced initially, as does Gibson’s Three Stooges tribute during a drug bust.
But the detectives form a genuine bond when Murtaugh invites Riggs over for a family dinner. Nothing of consequence happens either during or post-dinner. But Gibson shows his character drinking in the small pleasures of family life, the love and affection and humor on vibrant display. You can see him quietly imagining a similar life had his wife lived long enough to enjoy it.
It’s the kind of touch many of today’s films can’t be bothered with.
Gary Busey isn’t given much to do as the film’s heavy, but his wiry presence is more than enough to keep the white hat/black hat balance at an even keel.
And Donner’s ability to capture the seamy side of L.A. without ever obstructing the narrative, deserves applause. He chooses crafty, but organic, camera angles that separate the film from its action competition.
Yes, lines like, “I’m getting too old for this [expletive]” sound even more exhausted today than they did 23 years ago. And the film’s plot takes its sweet time asserting itself – the buddy bonding comes first, mind you.
The silly finale mars “Lethal Weapon’s” workmanlike finish, but it’s not hard to see why the movie gave birth to a long-running franchise.
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