The Lethal Weapons - (1987 - 1998 Film Franchise Review)
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- Опубліковано 3 лют 2020
- Lethal Weapon was once one of the most enduring action franchises in the world, but how does the series hold up today? Is it simply a case of diminishing returns, or is the whole film series from 1987 - 1998 worth watching? Let's find out. Also, sorry for the audio quality at times, my microphone seems to have a bit of an issue! Will be replacing for the next video.
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I am a full time video editor who has worked in the past as a director and editor on a number of small films, and have experience on films of all sizes. Over the years I have been lucky to meet and spend time with industry veterans and up-and-comers alike, and have learnt a lot about action filmmaking. Here you can learn with me more about action cinema. - Фільми й анімація
FYI I know a Lethal Weapon 5 is being discussed at the moment (which is why there is an article toward the end from that current news cycle), but I didn't rerecord the voiceover to include that info more directly as...I don't believe it. At least, I doubt we will see a Lethal Weapon 5 (or at least one with Glover/Gibson as the leads). Maybe I'll be wrong, but I doubt it.
It will probably end up being a reboot
@@Bloodynine606 it'll very likely get the she-boot treatment
@@Bloodynine606 Like the TV Show? Nah. The Clayne Crawford-Damon Wayans fight and the
absurdity of bringing on Sean William Scott from the dead, kills Lethal Weapon as a name, as a franchise and a as a TV show, etc, etc ad nauseam
@@remachaen mate if there's another ghost busters movie -- nothing can be killed
@@remachaen dude the show would've been canceled the first season if it wasn't for clayne Damon was a lazy fuck who just wanted to sit about and collect a paycheck and it showed when the show died a death after he left they shouldve told Damon to bolt instead of clayne
As someone who grew up without a father figure i appreciate this series for teaching me how to shave
I always appreciated how Lethal Weapon 3 briefly inverts Riggs and Murtaugh. Murtaugh is the one living on the edge and suicidal after killing his son's friend. Riggs has to drag him out of the darkness.
Jet Li brushing off a laser sight is the best moment a villain has in the series, I wish he'd had another go at being a baddie in a big time action film.
When I first watched the showdown between Jet Li and Glover and Gibson I was so invested in the movie and found Jet's character so intimidating and dangerous that I was genuinely worried they would survive the fight lol
I LOVE the Lethal Weapon franchise. Perfect blend of action and comedy. As the series goes on, you feel like you grow up with the characters. "We're family" is a fitting last line for the series
I have the same feeling. I also think that this franchise couldn't continue in the way the first two did, because they would be a repeater. They had to grow. The Murtaugh family saved Riggs. They gave him hope and light for him to find purpose and happiness. And 3 and 4 are about that. About Riggs finding his happiness and his family.
Lethal Weapon basically does what the Fast and Furious keeps telling us what it is doing, only for real.
Trivia: Part of Mel Gibson’s stipulation in Lethal Weapon II was that Danny Glover receive the same exact paycheck as him.
Was that to make sure that Danny didn’t get paid more? I don’t imagine Mel was being paid more at the time
jimmyhopkinsman Danny Glover’s initial paycheck was less than half or so of Mel Gibson’s. When Mel found out, he refused to do LW2 unless Danny received equal pay.
Andrew Hudson Oh wow that’s awesome I’m surprised the pay gap was so big, I mean Danny Glover’s definitely not a small-time actor and you need both to make the movie work
And these idiotic far left terrorists have the nerve to say Mel is racist
@@charliebeecher2199 He still is though, one good act of standing up for your co-worker does not dismiss the racism he's displayed numerous times
Props for shouting out to Lethal Weapons 5 and 6. Underrated classics the both of them
5 really pissed me off though when they had that homoerotic hawaii getaway love scene between gibson and glover. But im glad that in the 6th fim they showed it was just a messed up dream that gibsons character dreamed one night. They probably had to do that from all the fan uproar
Legend says they’re still too old for this sh!t
They sure are now
This franchise more or less defined the Buddy Cop dynamic for the past thirty years. And I’m cool with that.
@Al Bundy for President Eddie plays a robber though.
Maybe but _48Hrs_ laid the groundwork
The third is actually my personal favorite. The main reason why is the role reversal on display. In the first two, Riggs was the lunatic while Murtaugh was the straight man. In the third, Murtaugh is the one who loses it after he shot his son's friend, and Riggs gets to be the straight man for once. I find that role reversal very refreshing.
Fun fact: originally it was scripted that only Riggs would fight Li's Wah Sing Koo in the finale. But after a rehearsal where Li not only blocked Gibson's punch, but also delivered nearly twenty blows to the actor's body too fast for the camera to follow, the end was rewritten as they decided the audience would never believe Riggs could defeat Koo alone.
Wait seriously? Riggs was showen to be pretty competent in hand to hand fighting in the first 2 films
@@Johno1992 Yes, but on the other hand- Jet Li. "Pretty competent" just isn't good enough.
Even in the actual finale when Li is fighting the two heroes together, he STILL nearly kills them both with his bare hands. Plus it had been established earlier in the movie that Riggs himself was starting to feel a little "too old for this shit"; though, even a younger Riggs would have been murdered by a guy who can literally dodge bullets.
Also Riggs was getting older his speed was slowing down you see it in the boxing scene in 3 where he fakes the injury scene
@@tec5x5 That was in 4.
@@jonathancampbell5231 dude I dunno you forget that riggs was special forces and normally you've got to be pretty tough to get through that and on your he can dodge bullets argument riggs says he snipes someone from a thousand yards out and that only a handful of people could've made that shot, in my eyes riggs from the first film who had no fear of death would put up a pretty good fight
“Diplomatic Immunity!!!”
Francis Fecktainé “It’s just been revoked!”
I still think they should've had that fucker kill Leo. That is the proper dark ending they wanted. And it would give Murtaugh the motivation to become a lethal weapon
But sir...yer bleck...
@@CorbCorbin It's true...
Jet Li was the highlight of 4 for me. Aside from bringing his skill as a martial artist he is quite an imposing figure throughout tr film.
the only enjoyable part of 4 for me. Big disappointment
Zach Ober he’s very menacing
I love how they built towards that fight. The first guy Riggs fights in the beginning completely dominates him, and Li's character easily kills that guy. Then they Li's character has a brief fight where he again shows how much of a dangerous enemy he is at the Murtaugh's household by beating up both Riggs and Murtaugh and dismantling a gun with his bare hands. Them at the end his brother is killed, and you can see he is completely taken over by rage.
There's also a great parallel to Li's and Mel's character. In the first movie, Riggs IS the lethal weapon, and unstable, volatile and dangerous cop who is on the brink of losing himself over his grief, and towards the end of the first three movies he has finally found peace in a family that supports him and people he can care about. He's gone Full circle at the end of 4 by starting a family of his own. Li's character on the other side is the anti-Riggs. HE is now the lethal weapon, a mirror to Riggs' past he must now overcome to complete his journey
@@eliel9521 That is an excellent breakdown and I completely agree. Another good bit of building towards the final fight, Is when Riggs has that boxing match with the younger cop who is beating him so Riggs fakes his shoulder injury to get out of it, shows he's ageing and not the man he once was. Li's character was terrifying and intimidating when I first watched it and that final fight scene had me on the edge of my seat. I got lost in the movie and thought either Riggs or Murtaugh might actually die
Lethal Weapon didn't have any stinkers unlike other series, they're all good, some are just not as good as others. My favorite is 2, because it's funner, got more action and still has that edge(by the end) plus one of the best killed-villain one-liner
Lethal Weapon 2 was my favorite movie when I was a kid. I watched it 4 times at the theatre. Mel's mullet was the bomb!!!
I do love the movies. The first one also portrayed depression quite accurately, where Ricks can function and even laugh and joke, but occasionally, or when left alone, reality shows itself, and even others' reaction to it ("crazy"). Great video Rossatron.
Honestly, I don't think I've seen a Mel Gibson movie that's bad.
Expendables 3 was pretty bad.
Though, he was the best thing in it, granted.
"What Women Want". Case closed.
Yeah. They did a good job writing it, and Gibson nailed the performance. It hurts me to watch it, having lived it.
Lost my,pregnant, girlfriend to a drunk driving accident. Same one wrecked, for lack of a better way to say it, my left everything. Would take less time to list what wasn't damaged.
Seeing him in that role, brings back some dark memories. About 7 years worth. 30 years, 2 marriages, 1 divorce, and a step daughter later, I still miss her. And I'd sell my soul to hold my son or daughter. That never goes away, as Gibson also shows throughout the series.
Took wife 1 3 years to get me to consider it. Wife 2, almost 5, as there was also our daughter involved. Wanted to take our time, and make sure it would work first. We owed our little girl that much. I rven asked for her permission, before proposing.
As well as Jen's. Spent an hour at her grave that day.
As the series was also mentioned, and gone too soon, I have two say Crawford also did an exceptional job as Riggs. So much like Gibson, but still his own. Absolutely phenomenal performance, as well as the writing.
And the dream sequences with Martin and Miranda?
Yeah. Those dreams do.happen.
"What about the tv show?" said no one ever
I'm pretty sure everyone forgot that show even existed.
Even though I didn't think it was as bad as Rush Hour or Training Day, it's just another forgettable FOX show that somehow got more than one season.
In one ear out the rubber😉
For some reason I feel this is like Mission Impossible, heavy character development, you feel to know the characters, you care for them. And even though maybe you know they will make it through the day, you are fond of their partnership, friendship. I'd say Lethal Weapon saga is an action classic, a police classic. Is so good I didn't even miss Rossatron's master editing skills at all 👌
Regardless of what people think of 3 and 4 - they are good films.
It gives the invested audience the feeling your catching up with old friends.
We aren't friends we're family.
@@andymc96 😂👍
I’m not too old for my favorite action movie franchise!
I'm so happy that in a couple years ago Alamo Drafthouse by me showed all 4 of these in one day. I'd never seen the first two in theaters.
The only good thing I can say about Lethal Weapon 4 is that it introduced me to Jet Li for the first time. He and Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx is what slowly got me into Asian action cinema.
Just binged the series all again. Came here right after. Funny how that ARE better watched all together. No other serie is like that.
For me the frog speech was delivered expectionally, hit me right in the feels.
Same here. Especially as someone who's always felt particularly lonely, I think for a character like Leo to have a small moment like that to connect with Riggs really cements his place in Riggs' and Murtaugh's family. It's really touching, and the way Pesci acts it really is lovely.
The sting theme song for the third one was awesome
The final fight versus Jet Lee in the rain in the fourth movie is the best and most memorable action scene in the entire franchise IMO.
I remember the most how Murtaugh saved Riggs. Is like the best relief in the serie for the audience, you care about them.
@@GarfieldRex WILL IT TO ME RIGGS!
Man i love these films.
I give you that was the most impressive action sequence. But for me "would you like a shot at the title" is still the most memorable action scene. The fight isn't as impressive, or the camera work, but it's such a great culmination to all the build up.
RedVIII for the me it the final fight between Mr Joshua and Riggs in the original Lethal Weapon as one of the best fight scenes.
"If we were in Hong Kong, You'd be dead" (Jet Li)
"From your Momma's cooking"
I love all 4 films.. 4 is very much the closure we need with Riggs, Froggy story and all
Danny Glover's house constantly getting blown up, set on fire, cats driving through walls and toilet bowls getting blown out into the street was always a joy to see!!!
The first movies Directors Cut helped drive home Riggs’ suffering as a widower with anger and alcohol issues. The scene where he shoots the school shooter is a staple scene that shows just how suicidal Riggs really was. Walking into the line of fire, ready to die at any moment, but also prepared to do his job.
Great franchise! One of my favorite lines in LW3 is when Riggs and Murtaugh discover that Jack Travis is there new main killer and and Riggs says "It looks like he's had one cappuccino too many." One of the funniest lines in movie history and even the way Gibson says it made me lmao.
I’ve always loved the smooth jazz flourishes from David Sanborn.
That Wyatt Mann cartoon is perfect to describe this movie. The one about black/white buddy cop.
Leathal Weapon 4 is actually my favorite
i like the fourth film. i honestly don't get why people don't.
I hate the 4th one. Jet Li is the only thing I enjoyed. I don't speak for everyone, but it just didn't feel like a Lethal Weapon to me. I'm a Chris Rock fan, but was not a fan of him in LW4.
@@faz6877 For me, I thought 4 was leaps & bounds better than 3. The third film was by far the weakest in the series
@@bluelivesmatter719 : You know in fairness I haven't seen 3 and 4 in their entirety in a long time! I may agree with you upon a rewatch.
I did like the opening of 4 and the final fight potentially more than anything in 3. That was a really good end fight.
they don't. because they are too old for this sh!t
@@bluelivesmatter719 Completely agree. In the third one, almost nothing works. Too old to be 1 and 2, yet not something new. The fourth one at least went and embraced some new stuff while perfect some old (like the action).
Your reviews are incredible. You're nice and insightful and these are great.
Lethal Weapon 4 was my first Lethal Weapon and I remember loving it. I'll have to check out the others for sure.
I don't care if I'm alone here
But I really like Part 3
The greatest action movie franchise in movie history. Every movie was entertaining and the last had the best wrap of a franchise ever.
I've always really liked the subplot with Murtaugh and his son, the whole youth gang thing with his son's friend etc. The family stuff in general always worked really well in the series in my opinion.
Gosh one of my favorite Buddy Cop films ever !
Lethal Weapon 2 easily the best. Best villains, best action, best drama, best comedy. The trio of Gibson/Glover/Pesci was godlike
@bestboutgaming3212 básicamente lethal weapon 2 es el Terminator 2 pero de las buddy movies
Your video has some impressive editing - like Jet Li throwing Danny Glover into a window cutting to Mel/Rene opening a door with the glass breaking sound over it (16:40). Great job!
Faves in order:
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 4
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 3
And I dont think Leo's "Froggy" story falls flat; anyone who had that one special friend in childhood to help them survive can relate. I think it was, also, a good way to let Riggs know he could move on.
Great job on the editing for this one Rossatron!!!
Gotta say, the first movie is the only one I love wholeheartedly. I thought the second one was problematic because of Joe Pesci's role as a comic relief character, since the comedy in the first film came out very natural. That said though, i cant help myself from chuckle at it, LWII is okay. The rest of the franchise I tend to avoid though. Theyre not particularily bad, I really do like Murtaugh and Riggs, but to me shift in tone contrasts so much that the last two films turn into parodies of the franchise.
Anyway I'm just yacking now. Great vid!
3 has the best opening titles. It's a shame the rest of the movie couldn't live up to those titles
Rog......grab the cat.
There's an uploaded video of the audience's wild audio reaction to Jet Li's first fight against Gibson & Glover. Which is consistent to how I remember the U.S. crowd reacted when I saw the 4th film back in '98. Part of me was very glad that Americans were finally being introduced to JL, but also lamented the fact that such a basic fight scene by his standards was already "mind-blowing" by Hollywood standards. In any case, he still stole the show in a mostly silent role. Hence, I personally found that LW4 had the most memorable villain in the series.
Yeah I've heard that, it surprised me (but then UK audiences never react the way US audiences do) but I guess it is a cool moment in the context of the film. Perhaps the recording was of audiences more aware of Li already and excited to see him finally take action against Riggs and Murtaugh?
@@Rossatron It sounded like they were surprised by his skills as they also were w/ Russo's character.
Wow your editing is amazing.. really enjoyed this so I subscribed and liked of course... great job!
You are one of my favorite movie channels by far. It’s concise but completist. It’s humorous but you’re not trying. Well done sir.
PS Your Jackie Chan videos are how I got into you. He’s a Goliath of martial arts movies and your breakdown of the final fight from Drunken Master II is great.
I love these movies. Seriously, nothing tops the chemistry between Mel and Danny , as they are the heart and soul of this series.
I was so hoping for this video.
Cool review - was just rewatching some fight scenes the last few days.
The Frog speech is PURE CINEMA
Great video as always Ross
Love these movies & your channel great job!
These kind of action movies you don't see at the cinema any more. Great video.
Enjoy your videos.
Would like to see a Universal Soldier retrospective, as well as The Last Boyscout. Cheers!
Thumbs up @0:02 because your videos are THAT good!
Crazy to thinnk Gibson was only 30 years old when filming Lethal Weapon and Glover was 49
I remember my dad showing me these movies when I was a kid and how he watched these when we was younger. Now that I’m older I had to buy the box set on blu ray they are so good
The flame thrower guy in #4 is one of my favorite action/comedy scenes. Riggs to Murtah “Take your clothes off and act like a chicken. “
Holy hell! As always, brilliant and spot on! I couldn't agree more with what you said!
Rest in peace to Mr Richard Donner (1930 - 2021).
Every new Rossatron video I hit like before even watch it.
No mention of the 3rd film's hilarious opening sequence? One of the best comedy bits in action film history. Not to mention the callback in the post-credits scene.
Grab the cat!! Lols
That sequence is there briefly, I just don't mention it directly (I let Murtaugh do the talking). This video was already getting too long.
@aussiebear22 Ah, I see. So they should've cut the blue wire then.
Shiranui Aensland when I saw that opening in the cinema as a thirteen year old kid I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pass out!
Best buddy cop franchise we'll ever see.
You always have a fantastic synopsis
10:56-11:03 Which is what I choose to do.
Anyway, fantastic job yet again, Ross! Whenever I watch a video from you, old or new, I feel like I'm in a real film school. You certainly sound like a good professor.
Also, power to you for finding the fourth film enjoyable. I just couldn't stand it. The whole thing just felt too cheesy like a bad sitcom.
Always loved these movies, I was only 10 in 87 but was allowed to watch it, then got 2nd 3 or 4 years later, can't wait for 5.
Great review. Agree with every point.
If anything watch LW-4 for Jet Li fight scenes. I kept saying, "guys don't piss him off" How he took apart that gun in a blink of an eye, total bad ass. I like them all, especially 1&2 more.
Finally a new Rossatron video 😀
I miss movies of this style. Many have done them later, but the chemistry and style are at their own level with the older ones.
still one of my favorite franchises. I don’t know why. But since I was a kid.
LW5 will be about Riggs's son and Murtaugh's granddaughter. Martin and Roger will get drawn into the action when something bad happens...
Mel and Danny aren't too old to act and shoot weapons and do a little running etc. Mel can still be a badass on film, as is evident by his recent films.
Not many directors today are anywhere near the level of Donner.
With Jez Butterworth currently writing the screenplay or re-writing the current version, we might be in good hands!
They just need to keep the budget lower this time compared to LW4. A 75 million budget this time would be good.
Lethal Weapon 1 was a perfect storm - script, director, actors, time and setting, score and cinematography. It all just came together...
It manages to walk the line between giving you that warm movie reality feel and staying grounded enough to be believable and relatable. You care for these people as if they were your pals, while fully understanding that having headcase like Riggs as friend in real life would be well... undesirable.
Suicide attempt scene is an elevated moment of the film - you get to really see and understand how broken Riggs is. It's heartbreaking, and that score hits you where well you don't quite expect from buddy cop film.
About the only department where it did not age well is action - 80s style over substance in full effect. Final fight on the lawn is an exception to that rule - it's chaotic and messy.
I remember watching as a kid and only later I got to fully appreciate what a gem it is.
5 and 6 are pretty good, but they can't hold a candle to the action masterpiece that is Thundergun Express.
Loved the first two movies, enjoyed the 3rd, mixed feelings on the 4th
You and me both
Great retrospective, cant wait til LW 5!!!
I'm interested to hear your opinions on "Lethal Weapon" TV show, first 2 seasons were surprisingly good.
Wayans destroyed that series being an entitled drama queen.
I love the Frog speech so much. It reminds me of Frank Reynolds
Bring n the 5th part. We are ready 😊😊
Thank you so much, I love the film series so much and each entry.
Love 1 and 2...my childhood..and that sax is cool AF
More or less summed up everything I feel about the Lethal Weapon series. 4 with the scrap book pics of various moments throughout the series from both in front and behind the camera felt like a definitive end to the series to me. Which is why I hope the rumors of a 5th lethal just stay that way. I probably shouldn't care, but it would be nice to have some franchises I grew up with remain enjoyable throughout even if the quality did go down.
I'm not much of an action movie fan, but I love all four of these movies.
I grew up watching all the films, but honestly, I love the 4th one the most, it's just the most fun and easy to re-watch of all of them.
I love Lethal Weapon & 2 The chemistry of Gibson and Glover is spot on. I do like 3 & 4 but I felt they were made for TV with its lighting it was missing that grittiness.
A great review! I've always been on the fence with this series. Everything is so good about the first one, and the sequels are not bad though diminishing returns is a great point to make, but the casual homophobia in the series always sucks the fun out of the movies for me. I know that the time period these take place in is to blame, but it still kills the mood for me. Its surprising considering Shane Black would go on to create characters like Gay Perry in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the other writers handle interesting topics like Apartheid and Asian exploitation reasonably well. Still, its nice to be reminded they exist. The giant cellphone in the first one does always manage to crack me up though.
Really enjoyed this video. I actually really love the 2nd and 3rd movies I love the action scenes and the fact it’s all done practically is one thing modern movies should learn from. In fact I’d prefer to see more movies like lethal and Indy and less superhero rubbish.
I agree about mostly diminishing returns , however, I think part 4 is an uptick from 3 pretty much because of Jet Li. I didn't like the villain too much in 3. I love all 4 though regardless. That time for movies was so special and I had no idea all the greatness I was watching as a kid.
I remember rewatching the first one sometime last decade and having to keep reminding myself that the reason it felt like there were a lot of cliché scenes is because it has been imitated to death. I'm not saying it was completely original when it came out, but it felt fresh back then and sure left it's mark on the genre.
He fucking mentioned 5 & 6. The madman!
I liked 4. I enjoyed them taking on the Triads and Jet Li looked great!! The end fight and the We're Family like was very good!!!!
I regularly binge watch the lethal weapon movies however i go for the directors cut of 1, the uncut blu ray of 2, theatrical of 3 and the uncut blu ray of 4
I recently re-watched all four films within the span of a week and still found it an enjoyable watch. I do agree on the tonal shift between the 2 and 3, but I also see it with the progression of real-time between each film. We witnessed all of Murtaugh's kids' age throughout the entire franchise. Keeping that in mind, when we finally see that realization on Riggs' face that, like Roger, he's getting too old for this sh*t; much to Murtaugh's amusement. Riggs has the most character progression through all four films, and it's a joy to see. He even finally comes to actually visible like Leo by the series end.
As much as I'd like to see a fifth film, it's unnecessary and doesn't make much sense as both Rigg and Murtaugh in-universe ARE literally too old to be active police officers. I don't want to see a passing of the torch moment, NOR do I care to see a rebooted film series with a new cast. (Sorry TV show fans), especially under current Hollywood HACK standards.
It is so important to keep the same people behind the scenes as in front of the camera... for example look at the Die Hard series, the two installments directed by McTiernan are considered the best out of that series (even though I do enjoy but almost as a guilty pleasure Die Hard 2), but Die Hard 1 and 3 are pretty consistent creatively. This is a huge (underappreciated) asset that you could find from the entire Lethal Weapon series thanks to Donner helming the entire series and collaborating with the same actors. | To a certain extent the same could be said from a series like Seinfeld, once Larry David left, Jerry tried keeping the thing afloat and brought new showrunners, but it was never the same.
I love them all. And if they make 5, I’ll be there! Die Hard 5 sucked...but I’ll watch 6 if that ever happens, too!
Good boy, just consume. Their quality doesn't matter as long as you're a good little consumer and just consume whatever is put in front of you.
I think 4 is underrated