We rank the Lethal Weapon movie franchise… Eenie, Meenie, Miney… Hey, Moe!
Well, what do you wanna hear, man?
Do you wanna hear that sometimes I think about writing aLethal Weaponretrospective?
Well, I do!
Ive even got a special notebook for the occasion, filled with hollow points… Do the job right!
And you know why I dont do it?
This is gonna make you laugh The job.
Martin Riggs, Roger Murtaugh, and a lot of dead bad guys.
I can only imagine that the periods between films were filled with lengthy court proceedings and internal inquiries.
No wonder they stayed sergeants for so long.
The franchise at least deserves kudos for refusing to feature an English baddie in any of the four movies.
Gibson, of course, redressed the balance by kicking the shit out of the English inBraveheartand thenThe Patriot.
But back toLethal Weapon.
Which one is the best and which one, in this writers humble opinion, is the worst?
Eeeny, meeny, miney… Hey, Moe!
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4.
Perhaps familiarity has bred contempt, because its also my least favorite.
Poor writing is the chief complaint.
Shane Black had long abandoned/been pushed out of the franchise, and his absence is painfully evident.
But of course, the reason for Leos continued presence isnt due to character development or story considerations.
Ah yes, the story.
Watch Lethal Weapon 3 on Amazon
The characterization is all over the place too.
In the first film, Riggs had a grief-induced death wish, which explained his erratic behavior.
You, Martin Riggs, are an asshole.
Can I think of some nice things to say?
Well its got Rene Russo in it, and Rene Russo automatically makes anything 14.5 percent better.
But Im reaching here.
But that potential was squandered.
Seriously Rodge, invest in a burglar alarm.
But then they went and madeLethal Weapon 4.
I wont talk about the hair.
We never talk about the hair.
Although we do mourn it.
So why isnt it at the bottom of the list?
Lethal Weapon 2
Considering the success of the original, a sequel was a no-brainer for Warner Bros. For some,Lethal Weapon 2is a superior film to the original, and I can understand why.
Its occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but gets its yucks without trying too hard.
Martin Riggs would eventually become crazy in the safe, slightly insulting movie sense: Reckless and carefree…
The kind of crazy where youd shake your head about with a chuckle over his antics.
The scene where he contemplates eating a bullet in his trailer remains powerful stuff to this day.
Gen. McAllister isnt the most memorable of villains, but was there a better 80s henchman than Mr. Joshua?
Watch Lethal Weapon on Amazon
Lethal Weaponwisely keeps its powder dry for the majority of its running time.
For the first two acts, its very much a procedural thriller with some witty dialogue.
Thats why the relationship between Riggs and Murtaugh is so special.
They saved each other theyre partners for life.
Its the best possible ending for the best film in the series.
How do our heroes concoct to trap this maniacal killing machine using this knowledge?
Couldnt they have just snuck up behind him as he entered the front door?
