User reviews

Many action flicks over the years have been called loud and dumb. This is no exception. The "Lethal Weapon" series has never been especially noted for its intellect but it has something that a lot of action films lack: heart. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover's winning chemistry created some of the most tender moments in the series and "Lethal Weapon 2" excels because they make the audience care about their characters. This movie is by far the best in the series with tones of moments registering directly to the viewer. Gibson and Glover provide these characters with depth that could easily have been lacking and the ending of this film leaves the audience actually feeling the love these two men have for each other. And, as a bonus, "Lethal Weapon 2" digs even deeper into one of the protagonist's past, shedding even more light as to why he is the way he is.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

The first half hour of this movie is such an empty mixture of very fast chase scenes and some dull talking between supposed bad guys you might not get to the final hour which is fun and funny and as good (in a way) as the first Lethal Weapon from two years earlier. Same cast, same crew, same assets.

The problem at first is partly that we don't know who the bad guys are. We have no reason to fear or hate them. We just know that Mel and Danny have to be in on some new awful crime situation. That requires faith, so okay, we keep watching. The opening chase is highly kinetic and violent and spectacular, if you like that kind of thing. It is also a heads up for a couple scenes later that are also really spectacular —a ridiculous machine gun festival from a helicopter (if they have helicopters that have rocket grenades and boom, that's that), and a really ridiculous yanking down of a spectacular building with a GMC pickup truck (an amazing highlight of the movie).

Yeah, it's a wonderful mixed bag. By the end I was loving it the way you love things like this—not as film studies, but as a lowbrow good time. There are some classic scenes, also ridiculous—like the great toilet one—and some filler, of course, but it clicks along and is a worthy sequel. If you liked the first, you'll like the second.

However, it's worth saying the first one has an elegance at times that makes it not just more artful (who cares?) but more compelling. Just the way the first scene is handled (in the first movie) makes you want to know what's happening, and you worry about the next few scenes because of the first one. Here, it's more a continuation of affection—which means you might have to see the first one before this, in case you haven't!

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are back. The movie opens with the cops in hot pursuit of some drugs. It ends up with a big action chase and a helicopter to fly the bad guys away. The bad guys are South African and they threaten Murtaugh and his family. So the captain gives them an easy job babysitting a witness Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) who turns out to have laundered around half a billion dollar worth of drug money. And somebody immediately tries to kill him.

The chemistry is still great for the two guys. The car chase scene right off the bat only highlights their relationship. Joe Pesci adds a fun comedic element into this duo. This is energetic fun. It's funny, and it has good action. The only thing off is the South African bad guy. He is too much like a Bond villain. That's a different franchise.

A worthy sequel. In fact, I think it's a bit of an improvement, with tighter plotting and more kinetic action sequences. I also liked, to my surprise, the addition of Joe Pesci as a witness Riggs and Murtaugh are protecting. Yes, he's more than a tad annoying, but he's annoying in a mostly funny way. I also very much liked Mel Gibson's love interest, played by the cute Brit Patsy Kensit, who unfortunately never made it very big. The sequence with the bomb attached to Murtaugh's toilet is classic, and the shot with the woman cop getting blown off her diving board is (unintentionally) hilarious. Also side-splitting: the aging henchman played by Derrick O'Connor, who becomes a master of kung fu whenever the shot gets dark enough for a stunt double to take his place.

First of all this movie is almost as good as the original. It retains all of the elements that made the first film so darn entertaining and adds some new elements.

As all actors from the first movie appear in the second one as well its pretty clear what you can expect acting wise and surprise, surprise: The acting is still stellar, close to perfection. Mel Gibson is always good and in the second installment of the series he gets to be a little more wild and add even more nuances to the character. For example we get to see Riggs hit on women which adds an entire new side to him as the side we saw in the first film was of him mourning. Also we find out how his wife dies in a beautifully underacted scene (if you want to know how she dies you'll have to see the movie). Danny Glover returns as well and he plays the character pretty much as he did in the first film which is good because the character he plays is the one who is not supposed to change. He is meant to be square and combined with the character of Riggs this becomes highly entertaining. However, a new element is put into the mix to make it even more entertaining, Leo Getz, played beautifully by Joe Pesci and is to this day still one of his most memorable characters. He is funny and fast talking but most importantly: he is a crook and when you put him together with Riggs and Murtaugh the mix becomes explosive. The main villains are played by Joss Ackland and Derrick O'Connor and they are also good and a bit more developed than the villains of the first movie obviously because they had to focus more on the relationship between Riggs and Murtaugh in the first movie. Riggs' love interest is played Patsy Kensit and she is good if a bit underdeveloped.

The story is excellent and is almost better than the story in the first one. It is entertaining and funny and best of all the incredible chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover is maintained and is almost as good as it was in the first movie. Furthermore the addition of Joe Pesci was a very nice touch because he immediately makes the scenes with him, Gibson and Glover even more interesting and entertaining. The plot with the villains is kept relatively simple like in the first film, which is good because the goal for the film is entertainment not to be thought provoking.

The action of the film is kept in the same style as in the first movie and it is still both exhilarating and entertaining. The effects are still relatively realistic and this of course gives the movie a level of credibility that is sorely needed in many modern action movies.

All in all a worthy sequel and an excellent film on its own.

8/10

The first one had a completely fresh and enjoyable concept - What happens when you pair an older cop who has a family that he loves and who just wants to live to see retirement (Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh) with a younger cop who has nothing to lose after the death of his wife and seems to have a death wish himself (Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs)?

So this film picks up where the first one left off, with Riggs still doing wild and crazy things, yet he now seems to want to live. He has also found a taste of family in his partner's wife and kids and spends lots of free time with them. To me those small scenes between Riggs and Martaugh's family are the best in the film.

The film's villain was a favorite punching bag of the day - and rightfully so - apartheid enforcing South Africa. So unless you know something of how that country was run historically, this plot might not make much sense to you. The actual villain is Arjen Rudd, a South African diplomat and the corrupt Minister of Affairs for the South African consulate in Los Angeles. He uses diplomatic immunity to manage to do all kinds of illegal racketeering and murder in defense of that racketeering . Now this is not really how diplomatic immunity works. The first time the diplomat is arrested, the country of origin has a choice. If it cares about its reputation and thinks the charges are valid, that country could allow you to be charged in America. If they don't care or don't think that the charges are valid, you would be protected by diplomatic immunity that first time. But then the country in which you are serving - in this case America - could just kick you out in which you can kiss your criminal career goodbye. But if this happened then we would have no plot.

I always thought the movie seemed disjointed, especially towards the end. Then I learned that it was originally intended that this would be the only sequel and so the script was changed multiple times, resulting in an ending that just didn't ring true to me. But it is still a pretty good action buddy flick.

The first one was hard core. It was all about drugs, intrigue and Vietnam. It was also about Riggs' suicidal tendencies. It was serious. Too serious. That was awesome. This one is about a lighter, gentler Riggs. The same Murtaugh I'm afraid but a lighter gentler Riggs-for a while that is. Reasons why this film is better than the original: 1. Leo Getz, 2. Same chemistry but with a tighter bond, 3. Comic relief, 4. Truly despicable villains, 5. Revenge story that pops out of nowhere really (this is quite surprising for a Gibson flick mind you). This one's the best of the series. Part three was a joke. Part four...I dunno what the hell that one was. Part one was pure setup baby. This is the one. >

Coming from somebody who really enjoyed the first 'Lethal Weapon', while not considering it quite perfect, this is quite high praise. Although there are sequels that are as good as their predecessors is nearly better ('Godfather Part II', 'Terminator 2', 'Aliens') there are many others that don't measure up and some even disgracing them.

'Lethal Weapon 2', thank goodness, is not one of those films. But saying that it is almost as good as the first 'Lethal Weapon' is genuinely meant, even if it is not in the same league as the three sequels listed above that are almost as good and nearly better. 'Lethal Weapon 2' has its faults but the good things are many and very obvious to spot.

It is let down a little by a script that's at times inconsistent, with the tone sometimes forced and confused and like it's trying to do too much. While the action is mostly great, the helicopter scene is somewhat implausible, more so than most of the script in the first film.

Most of the performances are spot on, but two didn't really do it for me. One was Patsy Kensit, who is attractive but looks lost. The other is Joss Ackland's hammy villain who looks like he belongs in another film entirely. Not things that everybody is going to share but just personal opinion.

However, like 'Lethal Weapon', the way 'Lethal Weapon 2' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish while Richard Donner once again directs with an assured hand. The score is atmospheric and groovy.

Despite not finding all the script working, a lot of it does with some cracking, sometimes hilarious humour, tension and dark pathos. The story is tightly structured and plotted, with some great tension and always being fun. Loved the bathroom scene, one of the best and most unique on film.

Once again, the action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, apart from one that suffers from excessive implausibility. It is very easy to see why the chalk and cheese chemistry of the polar opposite characters of Riggs and Murtaugh became so popular, very rarely in a buddy-cop film has this kind of chemistry been so entertaining and perfectly pitched.

Mel Gibson continues to excel in a performance as witty and intense has before. Danny Glover gives Murtaugh the right amount of spirit, subtlety and no-nonsense attitude. They are matched well by Joe Pesci, who is a motormouth delight, and Derrick O'Connor who gives much more of a sinister edge than Ackland (have noticed that in both films that the henchman has always been the more memorable and better played than the lead villain).

In summary, very well done and just as good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Lethal Weapon 2: A complete review in as short as possible

If you're looking for an extremely enjoyable movie, in all aspects of the word "enjoyable" i seriously recommend this masterpiece! It has everything anyone can ask for: a star-studded cast, excellent performances, masterful directions, engrossing story, amazing action-sequences, witty dialogue, sensational sound track, and this is just the beginning! And if this is not MAGIC then I don't know what is!

Gibson's Riggs and Glover's Murtaugh are amazing, the chemistry here is absolutely amazing! Each complements the other perfectly and the inclusion of Pesci's Getz is the best thing that could have ever happened to the movie.

It's not just the performances either. LW2 is an excellent follow-up to the original that spawned 4 sequels and is a MUST-SEE. As a matter of fact, I personally find it to be the best movie throughout the series. Do not pass this one up!

Oomph!-scale (from 5) : *****

I must say that I enjoyed this one, though I was shocked, too. Now that I am older and I understand the nature of my country, to see a film focused so heavily on South African baddies pre the fall of Apartheid was heavy. Now, if you're from South Africa, just about any movies that refer back to our country way back in the day are bound to peeve you. They are usually stacked full of white guilt and terribly done, too, or done by people that don't get the history so it becomes a hollow experience. Well, Lethal Weapon 2 didn't try to be a very serious drama or anything. In fact, it took South African dudes as the bad guys and their awful racial biases and gave us a comedy. There are ridiculous accents (yes, Luke, it is an age old problem) to boot, though they did get some of the pronunciation down, and I laughed at the Afrikaans tossed in there. I was shocked at the rate the k-word was dropped because here, by us? Say it in the streets. I dare you. Either you are going to get your ass handed to you or you are going to land up fighting a massive legal battle. True story. The plot was alright here, and I liked the small little things that they did to make it authentic for the South African bad guy - how dangerous the country was then (when Murtaugh went with Leo to "move" to SA) and the shipping containers being "Transvaal Lines" and the Afrikaans cussing... very cool. I actually laughed with Murtaugh at his final joke for the movie - racial punning but it was funny. I am probably going to be shot. I liked the reveal of more of Riggs's past and the death of his wife, that was a little heavy. I was a huge fan of the partnership between Riggs and Murtaugh, obviously, and there were so many things that made me laugh (that commercial!), which is something I really value in a movie. Joe Pesci is introduced here, and while his character irritated me at times, I think he worked really well overall. It is such a cool thing for me to see how tight Riggs and Murtaugh are, and how Murtaugh's family has taken Riggs in. He really is a part of them. The humour was good, the action was well worth it, there was some cheese, pretty thin ideas and crazy shootouts and investigation techniques. The plot wasn't bad either, and there were some pretty intense South African throwbacks. Overall, I think that this holds up really well after all the years, so definitely an action film to check out and enjoy!

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover return to kick heads and shoot bad guys for the second time, as Riggs and Murtaugh, the "Oscar and Felix" of law enforcement in "Lethal Weapon 2." This time

around, the boys are forced to become the 3 Stooges when they are assigned to guard a feisty, foul-mouthed federal witness named Leo Getz (the frantic Joe Pesci) from a group of sadistic Afrikaner thugs (led by the usually dark-natured character actor Joss Acklund). At the same time, Riggs meets a new love named

Rika (the hot Patsy Kensit), who happens to be a pawn in the

villain's dangerous games.

The action is faster and more furious in this sequel to the

slam-bang original. Even the banter gets a boost, thanks to the

added comedic riff by Pesci. Watch for his slightly annoying,

yet hilarious speech on a Subway tunafish sandwich!

Just as fun as the first one , this movie manages to pull out all the punches to deliever an entertaining sequal once more our friends gibson and glover are back at it to stop the bad guys before it is too late. And this time around there is a new addition to the crew. Joe pesci is a pretty good addition and his chemistry works with the other two, I look forword to seeing him in the other films. We have great action scenes and jokes once more and a poor mertof getting caught in a compromising position involing a bomb. A young dean norris also appears and is fun for the time we see him. Overall this is what a good action sequal is and another classic.

A terrific sequel to one of the first action duo films that worked well. Adding Joe Pesci to the cast, what a great choice! He was so funny, together, Mel, Danny, and Joe are the three stooges of Lethal Weapon. They work together so well. This movie has everything that you could want: action, romance, comedy, and drama.

Again, like in my last Lethal Weapon comment, must we go on for ten sentences? I mean, is it just me or isn't that a little silly? I think so. It's like, you can't just put down you liked the movie or hated it? I miss the old IMDb! *sob!*

8/10

PS: Ask me questions about the movie if you have doubts about me witnessing it's glory.

This didn't live up to the awesomeness of the first film for me but it was still a hell of a ride. Unfortunately there's so many big action scenes here that it loses a bit of its charm, heading into over-the-top territory. Joe Pesci's character didn't help either, and I found his interaction, as the third wheel with Riggs and Murtaugh extremely annoying. Thankfully the plot moves along at a supercharged rate and he gets overshadowed.

Still this is better than a lot of sequels, as LA detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) reprise their roles and chemistry this time battling a vicious South African drug cartel.

I also enjoyed the quieter side here and seeing how Martin's relationship (and mental status) had progressed, in particular in his scenes with Rogers wife and family. Sadly he has bad luck in love again and a sore shoulder. 07.13

When I saw the first Lethal Weapon movie (admittedly I was underaged at the time) I thought a better flick could never be dreamed of. I was wrong, its all here the chemistry between Glover & Gibson is better than ever, the action is faster and to my lasting surprise the comedy has been much improved.

The inclusion of Joe Peschi as the whinny Leo Getz was a master stroke and finally completed the picture.

SEE IT!

Mel Gibson returns as Martin Riggs, his most iconic and affectatious character - the very definition of 1980s action-hero extravaganza. This sequel picks up so effortlessly where number one left off that we're not sure we're actually watching a different movie. New screenwriter Jeffrey Boam just throws in a few new bad guys and a fairly clever political angle, and off we go. Richard Donner's slick, routine direction and Gibson's star-power does the rest. Whenever the film strays into a somewhat more profound and emotional territory, it yanks itself quickly out of it again, and you realise that's just how it's supposed to be. We're not supposed to feel or think, we're just supposed to be entertained. And Lethal Weapon 2 delivers on that by being just about clever enough that you don't start resenting it.

Two years after having "shot Air America down" in LA, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh are cracking down on another fascist gang: White supremacist South-African Nazis who are drug dealers hiding behind diplomatic immunity. In this second episode, Martin finds a new love interest embodied by sweet and lovely Patsy Kensit A great antifacist and antiracist movie, and one of the best films of 1989 (a great year at the movies).

There are a lot of reasons to rave about "Lethal Weapon 2": the comedy, the action, the plot, even the music. I'm sure all of these things have been highlighted before so I'd like to highlight something different.

"Lethal Weapon 2" was one of the rare American movies that had the courage to address South Africa and apartheid when it seemed like every movie focused on Russia as the bogeyman. Not that Russia wasn't a major nemesis, but South Africa was getting a total pass. To be honest, as a country we were too cozy and comfortable with South Africa considering what they were doing. I really appreciated LW2 putting South Africa on blast like they did.

Politics aside, LW2 was a fabulous follow up to "Lethal Weapon." The addition of Joe Pesci was just terrific. His character was great comic relief and he complimented Murtaugh and Riggs so well. LW2 was a remarkable model of how to make a sequel: keep your core, add a nice complimentary character, and vary the plot. A simple equation but effective.

With the possible exception of Martin Rigg's mullet, which actually looks like it's been given a bit of a trim, everything about Lethal Weapon 2 is bigger than the first movie: the explosions are more explosive, the shoot-outs more shooty, the car crashes more crashy, the widdly guitar more widdly, and the warbling sax more warbly. As 80s action flicks go, this is definitely one of the best for spectacular vehicular chaos, ballistic mayhem, random acts of death and destruction, and tuneless music.

Jeffrey Boam's script delivers on all counts, matching Shane Black's original in terms of wit, pathos, and excitement, and although it does introduce what would become one of the most irritating characters in cinematic history—fast talking money launderer Leo Getz (Joe Pesci)—at least Boam has the good sense to inflict a lot of pain and suffering on the guy in the process, Leo getting more than a few bruises as the story progresses.

Seasoned Hollywood director Richard Donner handles proceedings well, balancing the light-hearted moments and the gritty action just right (a trick he seems to have forgotten come part 3), and with the benefit of a bigger budget than before, he gets to pull off some truly impressive action scenes, including the amazing destruction of an entire house on stilts.

Part 2 also benefits immensely from a pair of memorable villains—South African diplomat Arjen Rudd, played by Joss Ackland, and his truly wicked henchman/assassin Pieter (Derrick O'Connor), and the welcome presence of the wooden but still very lovely Patsy Kensit, who very kindly strips off for a sex scene (the price we must pay for that pleasure is yet another Mel Gibson ass shot, but at least it's only a side view— not a full on crack shot like in the first film!).

Gone are the sexist jokes, gone are the suicidal tendencies, gone are the cruel torture scenes, this second edition is more toned down, more lighthearted, more geared towards a bigger family oriented audience, but it is still good fun to watch!

The good: Joe Pesci. This guy is known for his many evil character roles in classic mobster movies, but he can be a perfect (annoying and hilarious) clown as well. He really steals the show.

More good: we have got a family theme going on for real this time, with some quite amusing scenes wherein Danny Glover has to survive the pitfalls of family life, like having to endure his daughter starring in a commercial for condoms or like having to endure the whole police squad coming to his rescue when he is home alone sittting on a the toilet with a bomb underneath it.

Lots of action. Lots of good jokes. WAY sillier than the original hardcore edition, but that doesnt spoil the fun!

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) was a lame and useless sequel. Why was this made? To make more money! The first film was a surprise success. So a sequel was in order. What I hated about this movie was they changed the back ground story line. Riggs suddenly got younger but Murtaugh grew even older than he was in the first film. Riggs background was changed to suit the inane storyline.Like I said in the last comment. The series became more homo-erotic as the series continued.

Another strike against the film are the cartoon villains. The only thing missing was them sporting thick mustaches and smoking big cigars. I hated this movie. The action scenes were over done and realism only mattered when it suited the story line. Adding characters and making overt and annoying political statements date this lame movie even further. While the first film was fun, this one blows chunks. I don't like it very much.

Overrated garbage.