Lethal Weapon (film series)
Encyclopedia
Lethal Weapon is a series of films
starring Mel Gibson
and Danny Glover
as a pair of LAPD
detectives. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner
, and also share many of the same core cast members.
) is partnered with young and suicidal
narcotics officer Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson
). Together, they work the case of the apparent suicide of Amanda Hunsaker, daughter of a wealthy businessman who served with Murtaugh in Vietnam. Murtaugh and Riggs soon discover that Hunsaker was involved in a heroin-smuggling scheme led by a retired general (Mitchell Ryan
) and his lead enforcer (Gary Busey
).
s. This sparks a series of attempts at their lives, forcing them to take a less dangerous case, protecting Leo Getz (Joe Pesci
), a loud-mouthed whistleblower
. However, they realize that Getz was involved in the same South African illegal activities. As a result, they become tangled in a drug-smuggling operation involving South African diplomats in Los Angeles. Riggs kills the murderer of his wife who is among the criminals.
, they find themselves in the middle of an Internal Affairs
investigation led by Sergeant Lorna Cole (Renee Russo). The subject of the investigation is a rogue AWOL cop (Stuart Wilson
) who's stealing impounded weapons and selling them on the black market. In the middle of the investigation, Murtaugh shoots and kills a teenager, who turns out to be a friend of his own son, that attacked him and Riggs. This prompts Murtaugh to capture the man responsible for the distribution of illegal firearms and to rethink his retirement.
) to investigate a Chinese
immigrant smuggling ring. Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li
) is a ruthless enforcer who personally attempts to murder Murtaugh's family by burning them alive in their own home. As the story progresses, Murtaugh discovers that Lee is the father of his daughter's unborn child. Murtaugh and Riggs slay dozens of Chinese gangsters and ultimately manage to catch up with the boss of the smuggling ring.
and Danny Glover
have expressed disinterest. In 2007, Moviehole.net received word from sources that Warner Bros.
were in the early stages of trying to relaunch the Lethal Weapon series sometime in 2009 or later. A spec script treatment was written by Shane Black
, leading to rumors that the sequel was on fast track by Warner Bros.
with Black in the director's chair. Actor Columbus Short
said he was being considered for the role of Murtaugh's son. Director Richard Donner
was not involved with these plans, but had his own ideas for a Lethal Weapon 5. According to the LA Times, Gibson refused to reprise his role as Martin Riggs
for the fifth time, which Donner thought was out of personal loyalty because Donner is not involved. Joel Silver
later confirmed Gibson’s lack of interest in the project. "We talked about it, but it was something that Mel didn't want to do now," he explained. "It doesn't mean that he doesn't want to do it ever, but as of right now, he doesn't."
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
starring Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
as a pair of LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
detectives. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner
Richard Donner
Richard Donner is an American film director, film producer, and comic book writer.The production company The Donners' Company is owned by Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. After directing the horror film The Omen, Donner became famous for the hailed creation of the first modern...
, and also share many of the same core cast members.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Struggling with age and retirement, homicide detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny GloverDanny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
) is partnered with young and suicidal
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
narcotics officer Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
). Together, they work the case of the apparent suicide of Amanda Hunsaker, daughter of a wealthy businessman who served with Murtaugh in Vietnam. Murtaugh and Riggs soon discover that Hunsaker was involved in a heroin-smuggling scheme led by a retired general (Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,...
) and his lead enforcer (Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
).
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
During a car chase, Riggs and Murtaugh stumble upon a trunk full of illegal South African KrugerrandKrugerrand
The Krugerrand is a South African gold coin, first minted in 1967 to help market South African gold. The coin, produced by the South African Mint, proved popular and by 1980 the Krugerrand accounted for 90% of the gold coin market. The name itself is a compound of Kruger and rand, the South...
s. This sparks a series of attempts at their lives, forcing them to take a less dangerous case, protecting Leo Getz (Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
), a loud-mouthed whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
. However, they realize that Getz was involved in the same South African illegal activities. As a result, they become tangled in a drug-smuggling operation involving South African diplomats in Los Angeles. Riggs kills the murderer of his wife who is among the criminals.
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
As Murtaugh, who is three days from retiring, and Riggs investigate the busting of an armored carArmored car (valuables)
A common meaning of armored car is as an armored van or truck, used in transporting valuables, such as large quantities of money . The armored car is a multifunctional vehicle designed to protect and ensure the well being of the transported individuals and/or contents...
, they find themselves in the middle of an Internal Affairs
Internal affairs
Internal affairs may refer to:* Internal affairs of a state* Internal affairs , a division of a law enforcement agency which investigates cases of lawbreaking by members of that agency...
investigation led by Sergeant Lorna Cole (Renee Russo). The subject of the investigation is a rogue AWOL cop (Stuart Wilson
Stuart Wilson
Stuart Wilson is an English actor.-Early life:Wilson was born in Guildford, Surrey, to an RAF family, and consequently had a varied educational history. Having relocated to London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After leaving Royal Academy of Dramatic Art he played in theatres...
) who's stealing impounded weapons and selling them on the black market. In the middle of the investigation, Murtaugh shoots and kills a teenager, who turns out to be a friend of his own son, that attacked him and Riggs. This prompts Murtaugh to capture the man responsible for the distribution of illegal firearms and to rethink his retirement.
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
While both Lorna and Rianne, Murtaugh's daughter, are pregnant, Riggs and Murtaugh must pair with rookie Detective Lee Butters (Chris RockChris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
) to investigate a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
immigrant smuggling ring. Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
) is a ruthless enforcer who personally attempts to murder Murtaugh's family by burning them alive in their own home. As the story progresses, Murtaugh discovers that Lee is the father of his daughter's unborn child. Murtaugh and Riggs slay dozens of Chinese gangsters and ultimately manage to catch up with the boss of the smuggling ring.
Potential fifth film
There has been talk of a fifth Lethal Weapon film, although both Mel GibsonMel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
have expressed disinterest. In 2007, Moviehole.net received word from sources that Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
were in the early stages of trying to relaunch the Lethal Weapon series sometime in 2009 or later. A spec script treatment was written by Shane Black
Shane Black
Shane Black is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. He contributed to some of the biggest blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including work on Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout...
, leading to rumors that the sequel was on fast track by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
with Black in the director's chair. Actor Columbus Short
Columbus Short
Columbus Keith Short, Jr. is an American choreographer, actor, and singer. He choreographed Britney Spears's Onyx Hotel Tour and worked with Brian Friedman...
said he was being considered for the role of Murtaugh's son. Director Richard Donner
Richard Donner
Richard Donner is an American film director, film producer, and comic book writer.The production company The Donners' Company is owned by Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner. After directing the horror film The Omen, Donner became famous for the hailed creation of the first modern...
was not involved with these plans, but had his own ideas for a Lethal Weapon 5. According to the LA Times, Gibson refused to reprise his role as Martin Riggs
Martin Riggs
Martin Riggs is a fictional police officer and protagonist from the Lethal Weapon franchise. He is played in all four films by Mel Gibson.- Military career :...
for the fifth time, which Donner thought was out of personal loyalty because Donner is not involved. Joel Silver
Joel Silver
Joel Silver is an American Hollywood film producer, co-creator of the sport of Ultimate, co-founder of Dark Castle Entertainment and owner of Silver Pictures.-Life and career:...
later confirmed Gibson’s lack of interest in the project. "We talked about it, but it was something that Mel didn't want to do now," he explained. "It doesn't mean that he doesn't want to do it ever, but as of right now, he doesn't."
Cast
The series is notable as having great continuity within its cast, with every recurring character in each film being played by the same actor or actress throughout. Even relatively minor characters, such as Roger Murtaugh's younger family members and his LAPD co-workers, are played repeatedly by the same people (although some of these characters are killed off as the series progresses).| Character | Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lethal Weapon Lethal Weapon Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary... |
Lethal Weapon 2 Lethal Weapon 2 Lethal Weapon 2 is a 1989 action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Patsy Kensit, Joe Pesci, Derrick O'Connor and Joss Ackland... |
Lethal Weapon 3 Lethal Weapon 3 Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 American action film directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. It is a sequel to Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and it is part of the Lethal Weapon film series.The movie is set in 1992, six years after... |
Lethal Weapon 4 Lethal Weapon 4 Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 American action film directed by Richard Donner, starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock and Jet Li. It is the third sequel in the Lethal Weapon series of films. -Plot:... |
|
| Martin Riggs Martin Riggs Martin Riggs is a fictional police officer and protagonist from the Lethal Weapon franchise. He is played in all four films by Mel Gibson.- Military career :... |
Mel Gibson Mel Gibson Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in... |
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| Roger Murtaugh Roger Murtaugh Roger Murtaugh is a fictional character and protagonist in the Lethal Weapon films, played in all four by Danny Glover.-Lethal Weapon:... |
Danny Glover Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:... |
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| Leo Getz | Joe Pesci Joe Pesci Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks... |
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| Lorna Cole | Rene Russo Rene Russo - Early life :Russo was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Shirley , a factory worker and barmaid, and Nino Russo, a sculptor and car mechanic who left the family when Rene was two. Her father and maternal grandfather were of Italian descent. Russo grew up with her sister, Toni, and their... |
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| Lee Butters | Chris Rock Chris Rock Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central... |
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| Trish Murtaugh | Darlene Love Darlene Love Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963.... |
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| Rianne Murtaugh | Traci Wolfe | |||
| Nick Murtaugh | Damon Hines | |||
| Carrie Murtaugh | Ebonie Smith Ebonie Smith Ebonie Smith is an American former child actress known for her role as Jessica Jefferson in the 1970s-1980s sitcom The Jeffersons from 1984 to 1985. She was sometimes credited as Ebony Smith... |
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| Captain Ed Murphy | Steve Kahan Steve Kahan Steve Kahan is an American character actor who has appeared many films, his best known film role is in the Lethal Weapon film franchise as Capt. Ed Murphy. Kahan's cousin is director Richard Donner, who has cast Kahan in many of his films... |
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| Dr. Stephanie Woods | Mary Ellen Trainor Mary Ellen Trainor Mary Ellen Trainor is an American actress best remembered as either Dr. Stephanie Woods in Lethal Weapon or as Harriet Walsh in The Goonies.Trainor was born in Chicago, Illinois... |
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Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Profit | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | |||||
| Lethal Weapon | March 6, 1987 | $65,207,127 | $55,000,000 | $120,207,127 | #795 | $15,000,000 | $105,207,127 | ||
| Lethal Weapon 2 | July 7, 1989 | $147,253,986 | $80,600,000 | $227,853,986 | #190 #172(A) |
#323 | |||
| Lethal Weapon 3 | May 15, 1992 | $144,731,527 | $177,000,000 | $321,731,527 | #199 #189(A) |
#189 | $35,000,000 | $286,731,527 | |
| Lethal Weapon 4 | July 10, 1998 | $130,444,603 | $155,000,000 | $285,444,603 | #255 | #236 | $140,000,000 | $145,444,603 | |
| Total | $487,637,243 | $412,600,055 | $900,237,298 | $190,000,000(E) | $710,237,298(E) | ||||
List indicator(s)
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through... ). |
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Critical reaction
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | ||
| Lethal Weapon | 90% (40 reviews) | 88% (8 reviews) | 67 (14 reviews) |
| Lethal Weapon 2 | 82% (34 reviews) | 100% (5 reviews) | 70 (13 reviews) |
| Lethal Weapon 3 | 59% (39 reviews) | 43% (7 reviews) | 36 (17 reviews) |
| Lethal Weapon 4 | 54% (61 reviews) | 55% (11 reviews) | 37 (21 reviews) |
| Average Ratings | 71% | 72% | 53 |