Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989): Dir: Richard Donner / Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Patsy Kensit, Joss Ackland: Inferior sequel to Lethal Weapon opens in the middle of a mindless high speed chase where cars flip and crashes abound without much thought on innocent civilians. Mel Gibson returns as Martin Riggs and he is fired up and seems to keep going despite obstacles. His partner, played by Danny Glover is attacked in his home along with his wife by masked assailants. There is a tie here to what happened Riggs and his departed wife. Glover springs some humour when his daughter's big acting break comes within a condom commercial prompting ribbing at work. Joe Pesci is also quite comically engaging as a witness they are assigned to protect. Pesci is loud and obnoxious yet seemingly likable. Patsy Kensit plays the secretary to the film's villain. She hates her job and becomes the next romantic interest to Riggs but one cannot help but dislike the handling of this character, especially given the already dreaded past of Riggs. The villains have all the life of a store window mannequin with laughable thugs with shampoo looking long hair that seems fresh out of a commercial. The action is over the top with lots of bullets flying and Riggs going full force on survival. In the end the original film packs a much higher lethal delivery. Score: 4 ½ / 10

Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take the second sequel of a buddy cop action movie in the "Lethal Weapon" series, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) is one of the greatest action films of all time! Mel Gibson's performance as sergeant Martin Riggs is fantastic as well. This is a great must see movie! Martin Riggs becomes a bad ass in this movie, when his woman is killed. And also the movie gives more back story on how Riggs wife died from the first movie. I love this sequel but I have always enjoyed Lethal Weapon 3 much more than I did have enjoyed this one, but still a good awesome flick. I an a lot of opinions it is better than 3 & 4. It is my third favorite sequel in Lethal Weapon trilogy and I have enjoy Lethal Weapon 3 much more than I did 2. I love this sequel the same that I love 1 and 3, but 2 is one grade lover for me than 1 & 3. In the year of the Batman, Lethal Weapon 2 brought back Riggs and Murtaugh for the summer of '89. Man what a jammed packed summer that was. Lethal Weapon 2 lost it's darker tone but amped up the action elements and tossed in Joe Pesci (who was lost in cinema oblivion) until his turn in this movie, plus my cousin Vinny and eventually Home Alone and Goodfellas. His performance as Leo Getz introduces the comic relief that would go on through the next two movies. Lethal Weapon 2 offers up a fun ride with old friends an deeps the trust we have with Mel and Danny. They truly make a great cinematic team. Lethal Weapon 2 is the second installment in the Lethal Weapon film franchise. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover returns as Detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, who find themselves assigned to protect an accountant (Joe Pesci) whose testimony involves a large money laundering conspiracy that involves South African diplomats during the time of apartheid. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Patsy Kensit, Joss Ackland, Jenette Goldstein, Derrick O'Connor and Dean Norris did a terrific outstanding job portraying their characters. In the first movie there were drug smugglers, former Vietnam vets of a Shadow Company, this time they are South African diplomats who are smuggling drugs, weapons and gold coins from South Africa. I love the opening scenes that are in the middle of a car chase through the 4th Street tunnel in downtown Los Angeles. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), partners in the LAPD's homicide division, are in pursuit of a red BMW, while their colleagues are converging on the car from the opposite direction. It's a suspected drug bust. Riggs kicks it open and hundreds of South African krugerrands (gold coins which were illegal in the U.S. at the time due to the South African apartheid government), come spilling out. Murtaugh and Riggs head for the docks in search of the cargo ship, the Alba Varden. Murtaugh tells Riggs that it's scheduled to sail for South Africa. They find the ship and see three men standing near a container waiting to be loaded onto the ship. They ambush the men and take their weapons, then break into the container to investigate. Inside, they find Rudd's Mercedes sedan and numerous pallets piled high in shrink wrapped United States currency, in multiple denominations. The last showdown in the docks on the ship was pure action scenes and action sequences. The gun play was delivered with a lot of weapons. There was a lot of action scenes. (At one point Riggs fires his Beretta 92FS at an attacking helicopter and kills one of the henchman's.) Riggs (Mel Gibson) fires back at Rudd's henchmen atop his mobile home with a Heckler & Koch MP5A3. I have enjoyed the second movie a lot and the action sequences I still love this movie, I always love watching it and I just love all Lethal Weapons movies. I am giving this movie a 9 tough I gave Lethal Weapon 1 & 3 a 10, this movie deserves a 9, because I didn't like the scene "It's just been revoked!" Closeup of Murtaugh's Smith & Wesson Model 19 the moment before Murtaugh fires on Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland)in the head, when his gun was empty and the guy shows his South African diplomatic I.D. I don't like that scene and I think what Murtaugh did was just wrong in my opinion I am sorry. I am wondering what happened too Patsy Kensit? I have never seen her any other film role or on any other movie anymore. Lethal Weapon 2 is a 1989 American buddy cop action film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci , Patsy Kensit, Derrick O'Connor and Joss Ackland. It is a sequel to the 1987 film Lethal Weapon and second installment in the Lethal Weapon series.9/10 Grade: A- Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Silver Pictures Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor, Patsy Kensit Director: Richard Donner Producers: Richard Donner, Joel Silver Screenplay: Jeffrey Boam Story: Shane Black, Warren Murphy Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 54 Mins. Budget: $25 Million Box Office: $227,853,986

This is an action-packed cop sequel pairing up again Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs and Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh on a mission to stop a gang of South African diplomats using their immunity from U.S. law to commit crimes. From start to finish, it's a non-stop rush of humor and action, from the gun-totting showdown at the diplomat mansion to high speed chases.Gibson and Glover continued their at times frustrated partnership but spelled great chemistry together and delivered enough humor to keep the film engaging enough to go along with the mad rush of all the action scenes. Riggs' suicidal tendencies and Murtaugh's too-old-for-this-s?it mantra continue to become two intriguing focal points in the story. The addition of Joe Pesci as Leo Getz spell headaches for the cops and adds onto the craziness, but I thought he was very annoying in his acting and his voice is very cringe worthy.***spoiler ahead*** The ending is a little anti-climatic as I think it was a little rushed and were wasn't enough lasting drama in places were it is supposed to be serious ***spoiler ends*** Overall, it's one of the better action sequels out there.Grade B

Soon after finding one million dollars of South African currency in a crashed BMW, Riggs and Murtaugh are assigned to keep an eye on Leo Getz, who is scheduled to testify in a case. But Arjen Rudd, the minister of diplomatic affairs for South Africa, doesn't want Leo to testify. Rudd turns out to be the man that Riggs and Murtaugh were after in the case they were working on before Leo was placed in their custody, which doesn't look very promising when Leo is kidnapped by Rudd's men. In a confrontation with Rudd's right hand man, Riggs is told the true circumstances behind the death of his wife, and this sends Riggs over the edge once more.......The essence of Lethal 2 is more of the same, but bigger, louder, and more comic book. And seeing that this took the biggest film of 1989 off the top of the U.S. box office, it's clear that Silver and co. were on to a winner.As with the first film, this relies on rich dialogue and wonderful set pieces to win over the audience, rather than narrative.It starts as it means to go on, with a brilliant and funny opener, and after a wonderful break from the action, featuring Murtaugh's daughter in a commercial, the film goes a little darker in tone, and the writers add a wonderful dimension to Riggs with the revelation concerning his wife's demise.It's a rollicking action movie, nothing more and outside of the Murtaugh extended network, the rest of the characters are just your action movie stereotypes.But it still has the best bathroom scene ever...