Great Movies- Lethal Weapon

   Thirty years ago today, the greatest buddy cop movie ever created was released upon an unsuspecting public. There was no hype or fanfare, despite Mel Gibson's mid-'80s 'Sexiest Man Alive' status and the stellar rep of director Richard Donner("The Omen", "Superman I AND II", "The Goonies"). The best movie of the year isn't supposed to quietly come out in early March. That's what "Lethal Weapon" is, and don't let anybody tell you differently("The Last Emperor" should have to hand over it's Academy Award for Best Picture to Riggs and Murtaugh). I'll go one better and state here and now that's it's one of the greatest movies ever made. I don't know how many movies exist in the world, easily tens of thousands, and I'm not going to pretend I've seen them all, but I've seen enough to safely say that "Lethal" is in the top 250, and that's a pretty great place to be.

   The action film genre was exploding, literally and figuratively, as the Reagan years were winding down. Rambo's omnipresence necessitated a counterpoint, which cleared a path for more human heroes(John McClane wasn't far behind). I could list every movie that "LW"(and "Die Hard") inspired, but I'm sure you have other things to do today. Instead, I've compiled all of the reasons that you should be as familiar with Donner's defining work as I am. So, settle into your sick trailer on the beach, or wherever you read essays on old buddy cop movies in peace, and let's get started.

   I believe that a great movie grabs your attention immediately and never lets go. After lulling us into a false sense of security with a "Jingle Bells" opening credits sequence, a coked-up, half-naked Jackie Swanson does just that as fallen porn star Amanda Hunsaker(she's best known for playing Woody's future wife on "Cheers"). Michael Kamen's ominous score lets us know that something bad is about to happen, and Swanson actually performed a 35 foot fall onto an airbag with the help of veteran stuntman Dar Robinson. The lighter tone of the later sequels made it easy to forget how dark and gritty the original "Weapon" is. Not many movies start with the suicide of an attractive 23 year old.

   The role of Roger Murtaugh was written for a white actor. Casting director Marion Dougherty should get credit for doing some reverse whitewashing. It was quite a novelty in 1987 to present a sturdy, stable black man with a loving family onscreen. Donner takes the time to develop this dynamic, and Danny Glover, having just appeared in "Witness" and "The Color Purple", was perfect casting. Danny was an experienced stage actor with no illusions about having a big-time movie career when he was cast in those two highly successful films. This snowball affect put him in contention for Murtaugh, and he secured the life-changing part after a dynamite reading with Mel at Donner's house. I doubt Roger would have been fifty if Warner Bros. had for-seen the four-part franchise that would ultimately result from this(Glover was only forty when the cameras rolled in the summer of '86).



Martin isn't a morning person.

   Mel Gibson was 30 years old when he landed the best role of his career(Mad Max was more of a cult figure, and 1985's "Beyond Thunderdome" underperformed). That mulleted maurader Riggs is the reason he became an A-list movie star until he decided not to be one anymore. This suicidal "Three Stooges" enthusiast is the reason that "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ" exist. Simply put, he's a great character, and Mel absolutely nailed the part with a combination of edginess and humor that's rarely been seen. 'Dirty' Harry who? That was the reaction of stunned audiences to the LAPD's loosest cannon. Fun fact- "Lethal Weapon" gave HBO it's highest ratings to date when it premiered in March '88. Riggs has had an open dinner invite in my home ever since.

   Victoria Riggs must have been an amazing woman. Our anguished protagonist almost loses his battle with himself before we've even really begun. Mel had three Oscar-bait dramas released in 1984- "Mrs. Soffel", "The Bounty", and "The River". None contained a moment as powerful as the scene that should have earned him a Best Actor nod. Maybe even the win. But an oily Michael Douglas was also in the zone, and greed is good. Oh, well.

   Alright, here's the deal. I NEED bad-ass villains. They add SO much to your enjoyment of a film. A strong villain can take a movie from good-to-great, and Gary Busey more than holds up his end of the bargain. The guy's creepy when he isn't even trying to be. When he's allowing his forearm to be licked by a lighter flame just to prove what an invulnerable lunatic he is, you might pause the movie for a minute just to make sure the doors and windows are locked. I mean, who does that? Ed O'Ross was in "Full Metal Jacket", and he's terrified. I'd avoid talking to Mr. Joshua at all costs. This blonde ex-Special Forces psycho makes it clear that our heroes are in for a rough work week.

"We're gonna get some sequels out of this"

   Does God hate Roger? The super-duo's first day together involves a suicidal jumper and a tense stand-off in which Riggs describes his own tortured daily existence as a reckless widower, a perfect segue. That's some black comedy mixed with explosive drama, and both men are terrific. I think it's obvious at this point that we're watching something far better than your standard actioner and we're only thirty-five minutes in.

   Roger shoots dangerous suspects in the leg. His loony new partner knows better than that. Riggs is Johnny-on-the-spot with the follow-up kill-shot on a pimp/drug dealer, that spills the action into a convenient pool nearby(model Joan Severance is presumably a coworker of Amanda Hunsaker). This marks the first of MANY times that Mel gets wet in the series. Pouring rain is a pretty clear indicator that a fight-to-the-death is about to take place. Those sick South Africans try to drown Riggs and his new girlfriend Patsy Kensit in the equally-enjoyable "LW2". I think the only reason Roger bought a boat was to get his best friend closer to water. Sounds like a new drinking game. 

   Roger's daughter Rianne(Traci Wolfe) has a crush on Riggs. She can join the club. Again, the inclusion of the Murtaugh family is an important human element that many action films of the era couldn't be bothered with. These characters are flesh-and-blood people. We're getting emotionally invested. We actually CARE. Imagine that.

   Most cops never have to take their gun out of it's holster. These guys do it every single day, and with the male bonding officially underway, it's time for some target practice. We get some expository dialogue and a little homophobia while discussing Amanda Hunsacker's life choices in between manly gunshots. Riggs is an expert marksman, a plot point that this scene humorously illustrates. Who has time for a haircut?

   The boys arrive at a hooker's residence for some routine questioning when her house blows up(explosion #1 for the series). A neighborhood kid in 3-D glasses saw Gary Busey up to no-good earlier that day, and is able to provide a detailed description(a Special Forces tattoo). Little Alfred casually expresses fear over something his mother told him. Cops shoot black people- a joke that probably wouldn't make it into the movie today. Ahh, the politically incorrect '80s.

Michael Hunsaker(Tom Atkins) got himself and his little girl killed.

   Another aborted questioning leads to a Busey kill as we're hurtled toward the climax. Roger's old war buddy gets gunned down at his daughter's funeral, just in case you weren't sure how evil our antagonists really are. Riggs unloading on that helicopter is just one of many tiny bits of awesomeness that this film possesses. He's just getting started.

   Riggs tries to snipe the drug thugs that have kidnapped Roger's daughter(again, these are bad guys). He's stopped by Mitchell Ryan, a seasoned TV vet that got his film feet wet in the second Dirty Harry movie, 1973's "Magnum Force". That's very fitting. Ryan's chief antagonist General McAllister(whose not REALLY the big bad) is killed by Roger in a highlight reel-worthy stunt involving a car and a bus without a whiff of CGI(take that, "Fast and the Furious"). The action gets ramped up right after this happens.

   A movie has to have memorable scenes. In "Lethal Weapon", you can take your god-damn pick of about half a dozen. The reason that you're detecting some anger in my tone is because so many modern films fail to meet that requirement despite technological advancements and seemingly endless budgets making virtually anything possible. You're going to have to give Riggs the electroshock treatment in a dank hallway behind a nightclub because he doesn't know about that heroin shipment. Yes, Joshua's Asian henchman(Al Leong) later went to work for Hans Gruber. As long as I'm mining minutiae, we also have Mary Ellen Trainor, Murtaugh's precinct pal Agent Johnson(Grand L. Bush), and Michael Kamen's music linking up the late '80s two greatest action films in a way that makes a movie buff smile on the inside(and mega-producer Joel Silver had a little something to do with it all, too).

Mel's physicality was fantastic. When I think of athletic actors, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Keanu Reeves come to mind. Gibson is in that group.

   "Would you like a shot at the title?" Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago probably reigns supreme, but this rain-soaked scrap between Riggs and Joshua is definitely one of the best throw-downs of the 1980s. Cuffing this albino asshole and reading him his rights would have been too easy after the night's carnage, and Riggs knows it. Years of subsequent police brutality headlines haven't lessened the cathartic joy of watching Busey trapped in a triangle choke way before Royce Gracie put the UFC on the map(his brother Rorion choreographed these brilliant last few seconds). Stephen Goldblatt went on to be one of the better cinematographers in the business, with Oscar nominations for "The Prince of Tides" and "Batman Forever".

   And there you have it. Riggs relinquishes his hollow-tipped bullet, and finds a reason to live(more bad guys to kill) and a place to have dinner four nights a week. His wily presence is always welcome in the Murtaugh household, even though it substantially increases the chances of savage criminals showing up there as well. They would be dealt with, by the dynamic duo, in entertaining sequels released in 1989, 1992, and 1998. That's called a dynasty, and the box office more than justified these reunions. The Fox TV series of the same name was briefly a success, and rumors of a fifth film persist to this day. I haven't even mentioned Shane Black yet. Every great movie is a perfect storm, and this one started with a 24 year old film school grad that wrote an incredible fucking script that made him a major player in the industry overnight. Joel Silver immediately tapped his young protege to work on "Predator" as an actor AND script doctor(?). His involvement with Riggs and Murtaugh ended with "LW2", but his impact extended to 2013's massive money-maker "Iron Man 3". Cinema of the late '80s-early '90s can't be discussed without a dissertation of Donner and company. "Lethal Weapon" is one of the world's greatest films.