benaboo
I think one of the reasons people aren't as crazy about the fourth film in one of my favorite franchises is because of how comedic it is. One minute this is an action movie next it's a silly comedy and I actually commend it for that because both of those aspects really work. I know that's not really how the first two movies were but I like it in this one. The chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover is still there but there's also a good back and forth between Chris Rock and Joe Pesci. They have two really funny scenes together and they work so well because these two guys are both loud mouths in their own right. There is just a lot of chemistry in this movie. Mel Gibson and Rene Russo have fantastic chemistry that I as an aspiring actor would love to have with an actress someday. Jet Li in my opinion is the most memorable villain in the franchise. This is not the best Lethal Weapon movie but it's one of the most fun. It has so many great moments. Towards the end Joe Pesci talks about his backstory and you can't help but feel sorry for the little guy or at least I did. Whoever thought that Joe Pesci should be nominated for a Razzie Award has no heart. This movie is not as good as Lethal Weapon or Lethal Weapon 2 but it's an improvement over Lethal Weapon 3. I personally enjoy every movie in the franchise and I hope Lethal Weapon 5 happens. I will be paying money to see it if it comes along.
bkoganbing
After several years and an offer of some considerable cash I'm sure, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were lured back to yet another Lethal Weapon movie. This one however is a concession to old age and a hint there won't be any more with them.I remember Clint Eastwood being asked rather stupidly by someone who wanted to know whether there were any more Dirty Harry films on the boards. He replied something to the affect of the next one would be done from a nursing home with a walker. The next one for Riggs and Murtaugh will be done from there.This episode has Glover's daughter pregnant by young detective Chris Rock but the marriage is still being rather stupidly being kept a secret because Glover has forbidden here to date cops. Rene Russo the internal affairs officer from the third Lethal Weapon has moved in with Gibson and is now pregnant, but Gibson is reluctant to go to the altar again.At the same time all of them are dealing with Chinese triads and both counterfeiting, illegal immigration, and sweat shops. Martial arts actor Jet Li squares off against Gibson and he concedes he's getting old. The climax is a close run thing and it takes more than Mel to bring the main bad guy down.The series itself is getting tired as well. It was a good thing to stop it right here.
FlashCallahan
Riggs and Murtaugh, both feeling too old for the proverbial, try to stop the Chinese Triads from doing their business in the U.S. Uncle Benny, Chinatown's mob boss, has imported Chinese slaves to pay for an artist to create counterfeit Chinese currency which the Triads will use to buy the Four Fathers back from the Chinese military...After the second film, the makers took the grittiness of the first two away, and decided that a comic book element needed to be added, because Black was/is the king of one liners, and many found this to be the endearing factor of the wonderful chemistry the two leads have.There was no doubt that this was going to be a success, it's Lethal Weapon, and the characters are like everyday people, and over the years that the films have been released, we have grown to love them.And whilst the film goes through the Lethal Weapon motions, the title seems irrelevant now, because Riggs is more placid now, but to show he still has that 'dark' side, the makers get him to act like a fool during the set pieces, rather than him becoming unhinged.The action is very impressive, there are a lot of laughs, and the whole film feels like one last family reunion before everyone parts company.The story is complete tosh, Li, in his Hollywood debut, is wasted in his role, he just spends the entire amount of his screen time looking slightly perplexed. Rock is the newcomer, and does a really good job in an otherwise worthless sub-plot, and Pesci, a wonderful actor, turns it up to eleventy stupid, and ruins every scene that he's in, even the heartfelt goodbye at the end.But it's Lethal Weapon, and everyone knows it raised the bar in the 'Buddy Cop' genre. Many have tried to mirror it's charm (hello Rush Hour) but failed miserably.Not the send off I would have liked, but it could have been a whole lot worse.
Python Hyena
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998): Dir: Richard Donner / Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li: High powered action that attempts to broaden character yet evaporates into mindless action violence. Rene Russo is pregnant and Mel Gibson wrestles with the idea of marriage. Danny Glover's daughter is also pregnant but he is unaware that the father is fast talking rookie cop Chris Rock. Joe Pesci discovers the pains of being a detective. Plot regards the smuggling Chinese into America for illegal money making labour. Jet Li is the new villain and he is so swift that he can handle Gibson, Glover and Russo all at once in an ass kicking bout. Routine story that owes much to its spectacular stunts. Gibson and director Richard Donner collaborated on all three previous Lethal Weapon films as well as Conspiracy Theory. Glover is still the bunt of jokes but perhaps the biggest is the reality that his daughter is pregnant with Rock's kid. Russo wrestles with her future as a mother and wife. Rock is a nice edition with his usual psycho-babble that gets under Glover's skin. Jet Li plays off a fine villain who ends up warding off Gibson, Glover and Russo with near ease. The basic purpose of the film is to continue the series and big fans of the franchise will no doubt enjoy the action and stunts and all the other implausible hijinks performed throughout. Score: 5 / 10
AD
