Mad Mel's Magic Is Back

Lethal Weapon 2 was the sequel I thought should never happen, so perfect, whole and complete was Shane Black’s first story for Martin Riggs. But a sequel was made anyway and, while not being the hard hitting, dark emotional journey of the 1987 classic, it is a damn fun ride anyways.

Instead of Black’s intense, flawless psychological drama we get a basic crime story from any cop TV show of the week. Lethal 2 Is a loose and disjointed collection of comedy, buddy relationship, action, detective thriller, police procedural, family relationship stuff…all great individually but never quite melding together into more than the sum of it’s parts. Each scene is excellent whether it’s a highway chase, a confrontation with the baddies, some comic banter at a drive through or a romantic encounter in a local store…all very entertaining stuff…but poorly structured as it meanders towards the end zone.

Despite that you get an hugely entertaining R-rated action romp with leads, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, riffing on the lively, electric interplay that made the first film a massive joy to behold. The South African villains (Joss Ackland and Derrick O’Connor) are memorable, Patsy Kensit is beyond cuteness, Joe Pesci is endearing and funny (and hasn’t got annoying at this part of the franchise) while the returning cast of cops and family make this a warm and comfortable fictional place to want to inhabit for two hours. It’s also great that they saw fit to tie events here into the traumatic occurrences in the first film making this at least a legitimate sequel.

Witty, fun, energetic and slick, Lethal Weapon 2 is entertainment, pure and simple.