Lethal Weapon (1987)

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover team up (2.7.5)
i thought this movie was not bad.it teams Mel Gibson and Danny Glover
together as two cops who couldn't be more different,and end up
partnering with each other.both hate having partners.Martin
Riggs(Gibson)is a loose cannon who likes to bend the roles,and who just
might be suicidal and/or homicidal.Roger Murtaugh is older,more
conservative,and likes to do things by the book.i wouldn't say the
movie is action packed,but it does seem to move at a fairly decent
pace.i wouldn't say it's that funny,either,although it is classified as
an action/comedy.still,i've seen a lot worse in the genre.Gary Busey
has a nice turn as a bad guy.when all is said and done,Lethal Weapon is
a 2.7/5

Introducing Murtaugh and Riggs
Sgt. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is a L.A. police detective who has just turned 50. He's a good detective and enjoys the job, but is feeling the effects of age and is looking forward to retiring in a few years. Murtaugh is assigned to investigate the apparent suicide of one Amanda Hunsaker, the daughter of a wealthy bank executive and one of Murtaugh's former Vietnam War buddies. In addition, he's assigned a new partner, Sgt. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a top of the line officer with a crazy edge. He lost his wife a few years earlier and seems to be suffering from severe depression and might have a death wish and according to Murtaugh should be classified as a "lethal weapon".

Murtaugh and Riggs have very different personalities, but they work really well together. Their initial investigation reveals that Amanda Hunsaker didn't commit suicide, but was murdered. The unraveling of the crime leads the duo into the midst of an international drug cartel run by former special operation military forces. Murtaugh and Riggs are good cops and their investigation threatens to unravel the cartel. The man behind the money, former Gen. Peter McAllister (Mitch Ryan), wants Riggs and Murtaugh dead no matter the cost and sends his second in command, Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey) to make sure that the two meddlesome police officers keep out of the way and cause no more trouble.

LETHAL WEAPON is one of the best buddy action flicks of all time. The movie works on several different levels. As an action film, it is full of car chases, crashes, explosions, and shootouts. It's also a great comedy full of humorous quips not just between Murtaugh and Riggs, but also between Murtaugh and his family, and between Murtaugh and Riggs and the other police officers they work with. Many action films, especially from the 1980s, attempt to parlay the same type of comedy, but few do it as well as LETHAL WEAPON. Finally, LETHAL WEAPON is also a buddy picture. Even though Gibson and Glover seem to have very different real life beliefs, their chemistry in the film is unmistakable. The situations that the duo find themselves in are anything but realistic, but they work because we believe the partnership and friendship between Murtaugh and Riggs is real.

LETHAL WEAPON began a lucrative franchise for Warner Brothers that ultimately spawned three sequels. The movie also permanently cemented Richard Donner's place as one of the premier action directors in Hollywood as well as reviving the career of Gary Busey.

Highly recommended for people who like action movies; for fans of Donner, Glover, and Gibson; and anyone who likes a good buddy flick.

If You Love Lethal Weapon--DON'T BUY THIS DISC!
I had gotten this disc in the four-pack that also includes Road Warrior and Swordfish. First off, it's not even in the proper aspect ratio (2.4:1)--it's essentially full-screen, in laymen's terms. This is also NOT the director's cut, so keys scenes, like the shooter at the school yard, are not in this film. Considering they're in a war against Blu-Ray, I'm not sure what prompted them to take and press a substandard edition to HD DVD, but bottom line is save your money and wait for them to do it right.