Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

 Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

If you liked Lethal Weapon, you would like Lethal Weapon 2. Action sequels very rarely are on par or exceed the quality of the original. This particular sequel is no exception to the rule, but it comes very close. Like the 1987 original, the relationship between Riggs and Murtagh is the heart of the story. Their partnership is the reason why this action series is better than most. Most of the action is loud and dumb, but Richard Donner (returning to the director’s chair) and his team made you invest in these sequences. Some of them (okay, most of them) were awesome! The helicopter gunship blowing Riggs’s trailer to pieces and especially the sequence where Murtagh cannot leave the toilet or will get blown up are memorable action scenes. I liked the villain. Their scheme is a bit complex but the steely-eyed Arjen Rudd and his righthand hit man are impressive in making us despise them…and giving the cops a worthy opponent.

After the success of them original, Warner Brothers greenlighted the sequel. Shane Black, who wrote the amazing script, wrote a first draft. It was rejected because the producers wanted to focus more on the comedy. Black’s draft was dark, bloody, and featured Riggs’s demise. Jeffrey Boam, who wrote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, created a completely different script from Black’s draft. He combined comedy and hard-boiled action to create the script as is. I think Boam’s script is great, but we can play the “what if” game. Black never released his draft, but people said it is sheer brilliance. Still, we were given a great screenplay that focuses on the camaraderie between the two cops while upping the action and comedy. Plus, we were given an introduction to Leo Getz (depending on who you talk to, but people find either ingratiating or hilarious).

Los Angeles police sergeants Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtagh (Danny Glover) are working on a drugs-related case yet again. After an eventful car chase, they found one million dollars’ worth of South African currency. They are given the task to look after Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), an accountant who is about to testify. Who doesn’t want him to testify? Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland) who works for the South African consulate. Now, Getz has something to do with the drugs case. Things go south when Getz is kidnapped, and also when Riggs falls in love with Rudd’s secretary, Rika Van Den Haas (Patsy Kensit). We later find the truth behind Riggs’s wife’s death. That just might be what finally sends Riggs over the edge.

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are so great working together. They continue to exhibit fantastic chemistry. They excel in the action scenes, but even more so during the quieter moments. We learn why Riggs is the way he is during some heartbreaking moments played effectively by Gibson. Joe Pesci, so good as the younger brother in Raging Bull, plays a different type of character here. Certainly memorable, but was the performance any good? I am hit or miss. His character annoyed me at times. Other times, he came across as lovable. Honestly, I have no idea. But he will become a big part of the franchise. Joss Ackland is downright creepy as the villain. Despite a complicated scheme with hardly any explanation, Ackland made a worthy villain.

Overall, Lethal Weapon 2 is a mighty fine sequel. While it may not surpass the original (hardly anything does), is makes for a fun, entertaining, hilarious action romp. Put me in a room to watch Murtagh and Riggs play cards for two hours and I will find that entertaining. Goes to show how important the chemistry between the two men is. Donner took the first film and pumped in some steroids to deliver a fun film. This actually became the third-highest grossing film of 1989. Go figure.

My Grade: B+