Lethal Weapon at 30: 11 reasons why it's the best cop film of all time
Lethal Weapon at 30: 11 reasons why it’s the best cop film of all time
1. Riggs literally is a cop on the edge
The great thing about the first Lethal Weapon is that it’s Riggs’ suicidal tendencies that make him dangerous.
The man with nothing to lose is the man you don’t want to cross.
That diminishes with the sequels – Riggs acquires a girlfriend, and eventually a family, and the series concludes with a cheesy group photograph in a hospital maternity ward.
But in Lethal Weapon, the recently widowed Riggs is tortured and hostile, constantly on the verge of putting a gun in his mouth (or against his chin), which makes him the worst possible choice for talking down a potential suicide, right?
2. Riggs is one of the most human characters you’ll ever see
The death of Rigg’s wife haunts the entire series from the beginning of the first film to its conclusion at the end of Lethal Weapon 4.
But it’s in the original that we get the strongest sense of how wretched he feels about it.
Whatever you think about Mel Gibson, you can’t fault him as an actor – and here, he’s at the top of his game.
3. He’s a pretty good shot
‘You’re a psycho son of a bytch. But you’re good.’
4. The chemistry
For all of its epic chase scenes and furious gunfights, what really gives the Lethal Weapon series its potency is the spark between the two leads.
They trade gags, undercut each others’ sentences, and bicker like an old married couple.
It’s the kind of pairing many films have tried to emulate since, but very few have even come close.
In the first film, the chemistry is still forming as the two cops learn to work together.
But this angry confrontation between them is testament to how well Gibson and Glover have gelled.
5. Gary Busey is awesome
Mitchell Ryan, playing bad-guy-in-chief General McAllister, is also pretty great but Joshua is the one to watch.
6. This deleted scene
Grieving over his dead wife, Riggs seeks solace in the arms of an underage prostitute – but it’s not what you think.
He just wants someone to watch TV with him.
Quirky, but there’s an understated sweetness about it.
7. ‘How am I funny?’
One thing the Lethal Weapon series is renowned for is maintaining a dry sense of humour, even in the face of some pretty dark material.
Whether it’s through Murtaugh’s chicken dance, the toilet seat bomb or
the scene with the cat.
The first film is the darkest, owing to its subject matter, but it’s still very funny in places.
And it’s one reason why parody flick, National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), doesn’t work.
Yes, it has William Shatner and Tim Curry – but how can you spoof something that’s already a spoof?
8. The final fight is brutal
No explosions, no slow motion, no frills whatsoever, in fact.
It’s just two badasses having a boxing match on the lawn, in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Hollywood never had it so good.
9. Killer Soundtrack
It’s not all about the visuals.
Featuring David Sanborn (who played with David Bowie) on sax and Eric Clapton (who needs no introduction) on guitar, Lethal Weapon has a stunning, eclectic score from Michael Kamen.
It’s moody and atmospheric and as much an iconic part of the franchise as Riggs’ mullet.
10. It spawned a host of imitations, none of which measured up
Lethal Weapon wasn’t the first buddy film but it set a new standard, and there have been dozens of pretenders challenging its throne ever since.
Most fell at the first hurdle (I think we’d all rather forget Tango & Cash), but one got pretty close in 2005 – when Val Kilmer teamed up with Robert Downey Jr for the blistering Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
11. It’s a Christmas film
Everyone talks about Die Hard as being the ultimate Christmas action film, but Lethal Weapon has a fight in a Christmas tree lot. With bells.
Lethal Weapon wins.
(And yes, I know it’s March. But any excuse, right?)
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