LETHAL WEAPON 2 - 1989
Directed by Richard Donner
Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O’Connor, Darlene Love, Patsy Kensit, Steve Kahan, Mark Rolston, Jenette Goldstein, Juney Smith, Traci Wolfe, Grand L. Bush, Nester Serrano, Mary Ellen Trainor, and Dean Norris
Genre: Buddy Action Sequel (Audio clip)
One of the best sequels EVER. This film is just the textbook for how to sequel right:
- Raise the stakes to reasonable levels - some notable characters die, the action gets bigger but not crazy
- Progress the main characters - Riggs and Murtagh are truly friends now, making their interactions even more fun
- Introduce new characters but retain focus - Leo Getz (Pesci) is a great comic sidekick but the story never strays towards his character and he's not even part of the final climax
- Bring in interesting villains - The South Africans diplomat/drug dealers were just a masterstroke even though they date the film a bit...they're not really give a plot per se but they're just fun to watch.
At the end of the day, this is still the Glover/Gibson show and director Richard Donner never loses sight of that...he's confident enough to just let us hang out with these characters periodically, especially that early scene when they're all gathered around with Murtagh's family to watch Rianne's first commercial...yes it's kind of a cheap punchline to see what kind of commercial it is but it's also just a great scene to reintroduce us to these guys and their world, my personal favorite part being Murtagh quietly threatening "George...I got a gun." 🙂 (Audio clip)
And of course there's Chevkov's nail-gun AND dislocated shoulder....projectile surfboards...South African diplomats who will come to your trailer on the first date....condom bouquets.... exploding toilets...touching stories about gold pens....and of course, South African villais who can't properly pronounce the word "black,"....!" 😏 (Audio Clip)
Jeffrey Boam was handed the screenplay baton from Shane Black and just nailed it with loads of gems throughout. This was the peak of not only this franchise but likely buddy cop movies from this point on...
Best Needle drop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film):
It would probably easy to dismiss the score for this movie from returning composers Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton, and David Sanborn as somewhat of a rehash of the blues guitar and sexy sax-infused score from the first film….and while much of it is, there are also several points throughout where it feels more ramped up, often faster, and with some new instruments thrown in no less. (Audio clip)
But for me, the musical highlight has always been the strangely catchy pop tune which closes out the movie…..we’re in a large open space in the middle of a shipping barge….Riggs has been shot up quite a bit and is in Murtagh’s arms. Is he going to make it?? Well apparently in the originally shot ending, he wasn’t….and even though we just hear them laughing together with Riggs breathing…..it’s the final shot which was apparently retained from that original ending. The camera simply pulls up and away and you see them together just sitting on the floor….with different audio over it, you can DEFINITELY tell that this vague long shot of them together could have been interpreted differently as Rigg’s final moment. (Audio clip)
But of course we not only hear them laughing briefly but a uniquely cheery rock ditty DESPITE its ironic title playing overhead…..it’s from THE legendary Beatles guitarist George Harrison and we not only hear his smooth vocals but a bouncy hook made up of some funky blues guitar and jangling piano keys. Oh yeah and if you listen closely, you might ALSO hear some back-up vocals and guitar licks from one of Harrison’s collaborators from their supergroup at the time who not only co-wrote the song but produced it….none other than the late, great Tom Petty! It was released as a single at the time exclusively for this movie’s soundtrack and I can’t think of better music to be playing as the camera pans along the LA harbor at night….AND a gentle musical reminder than Murtagh AND Riggs will in fact return…..the song is titled, “Cheer Down.” (Audio clip)
Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):
Ok I guess I’m going to continue with an issue similar to what was stated in this category for the FIRST Lethal Weapon….mainly that the Mary Ellen Trainor therapist character was introduced in that movie only to be still making appearances in each sequel where she just becomes the butt of the joke….well here I feel I have to mention the FANTASTIC Joe Pesci who really did kick-off QUITE the career run with his highly acclaimed (there was even some Oscar buzz) turn as Leo Goetz. I mean wow look at his next few years AFTER this: Goodfellas which he DID win an Oscar for, the underrated Betsy’s Wedding, Home Alone, JFK, and….one of the best comedies of the ‘90’s, My Cousin Vinny. (Audio clip)
Now any regular fan of this or any other beloved franchise like this one would LOVE to see this character return for sequels…as did I. And three years later, he was ALL over the marketing for Lethal Weapon 3. Alas….not only was that still solid sequel a BIT of a disappointment in relation to this movie but sadly, HE was the most disappointing part of it. Leo becomes a real estate agent popping in for the occasional scene to provide over-the-top comic relief for a movie which ALREADY had too much of it….he just becomes more of an annoyance unfortunately…..and it gets even worse in the….OK follow-up Lethal Weapon 4. And by this point, we’re loaded to the gills with side characters including Rene Russo’s Lorna and Chris Rock’s Butters….and not only does the franchise feel more overstuffed but Leo Goetz (who is NOW a private detective in this sequel) just feels more unnecessary. By the end, he’s just fighting for screentime with tired jokes…MAINLY there just for Rigg’s to torment. (Audio clip)
From a franchise character standpoint, you could KIND of consider this a smaller scale version of what would eventually occur with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack character in the Pirates of the Caribbean series over time….what seemed like such a fun, FRESH new character in his first appearance would just eventually feel increasingly stale in future installments. This isn’t Pesci’s fault mind you, he just didn’t have much to do….
Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):
Tough call here as this movie is just LOADED with so many memorable moments so I’ll try to narrow it down to two:
1. The first one occurs about 40 minutes into the movie at the culmination of what is DEFINITELY among the best action sequences in this franchise. Riggs, Murtagh, AND Goetz have visited a mansion on stilts which happens to be the home operation of our bad guys – they attempt to start questioning them but the one who our heroes saw attempt to assassinate Leo just earlier, he drives away…..in a tow truck which happened to situation on the street right near them. Rigg manager to jump on the back of this tow truck as he leaves while Murtagh follows back with Leo as his passenger…..and they drive furiously around what I believe is the Mulholland Falls area. Amazing stuntwork here and a lot in-camera as we can clearly see Gibson himself hanging off of the side of this seemingly fast-moving truck. (Audio clip)
Just a fantastically shot sequence with help from sterling DP Stephen Goldblatt who also worked on the first one….and cutting back and forth between Riggs, the driver, and Murtagh in hot pursuit, MASTERFULLY edited by one of the best of that era or any era especially with genre stuff….Stuard Baird who had been a long-time collaborator of Donner’s going back to the first Superman movie in ’78 and eventually two best Daniel Craig Bond movies, Casino Royale and previous episode Skyfall. Well beyond the plaudits behind it, this sequence just ends in the most absurdly clever fashion…..a collision but not just any collision. The two truck has to stop short so not only the car towed in the but Riggs himself fly forward….the car flies up in the air, Riggs narrowly rolls off the street before it can land on him….and said car collides with oncoming pick-up….which has a surfboard strapped to it the top. The surfboard becomes a projective FLYING straight forward towards the bad guy in is car….and GUESS what happens? Just thrilling stuff….punctuated with one of the better audible reactions from a bad guy about to lose his head that you’re ever likely to hear. (Audio clip)
2. For the second one….well it’s one of Murtagh’s sterling moments but certainly simpler. It’s the very end of a thrilling climax taking mostly on a shipping barge….almost all of the bad guys have been taken down by this point, EXCEPT one. And that would be slimy leader of this South African gang….Arjen in a great acid turn by the late, great British character actor Joss Ackland who sadly passed away just last year, LOVED this guy! Well Arjun apparently has the high ground as Riggs is down below in this big shipping area, Murtagh is significantly higher on a side platform and our lead villain is standing alone well above both of them on a platform. He gets in some unexpected shots on Riggs seemingly taking him down……but then Murtagh turns towards him, does his now iconic head cock to show that he’s aiming his gun….and THEN…..only one of THE best brief dialogue exchanges in the history of action cinema. Seriously if Ripley’s “Get away from her you BITCH moment” in Aliens is Number One, I would say this is probably in the Top Five. (Audio clip)
MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):
Even though seemingly everyone involved is at the top of their game INCLUDING the late great Dick Donner who just directs the hell out of this….arguably HIS best movie, though the first Lethal Weapon, Superman, AND The Omen belong in that conversation too…..at the end of the day, it STILL comes down to the Dynamic Duo. Watching them play off of each other SO well not only elevates this sequel but would pretty much carry the increasingly weaker sequels which will follow. Among action or comedy pairings in the history of cinema, Riggs & Murtagh remain among the elite…..Danny Glover and Mel Gibson are your co-MVP’s. (Audio clip)
Final Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Wow and to think this came out in the middle of the positively STACKED Summer of 1989 where you had memorable films coming out seemingly every week…..Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Do the Right Thing, When Harry Met Sally, my man Soderbergh’s vaunted debut Sex Lies & Videotape, the original Road House, previous episode License to Kill, future episode The Abyss…..and let’s not forget….Weekend at Bernie’s. Crazily enough along among that stellar crop, this MIGHT be the most purely rewatchable…..high praise indeed!
Streaming on Netflix
And that ends another DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY….review!
