LETHAL WEAPON 4 **1/2 (out of four) -a review by Bill Chambers
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starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Chris Rock
screenplay by Channing Gibson
directed by Richard Donner
In the first Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson's character Martin Riggs would break into "Three Stooges" routines and handcuff himself to suicidal jumpers-these were actions meant to characterize an insane, unstable human being. They called him a "lethal weapon"; he had a death wish for both anyone who crossed him and, most importantly, for himself. 1998 brings us LETHAL WEAPON 4 and the plot itself has become something of a Three Stooges routine, with Gibson, Glover (as Roger "Too Old For This Shit" Murtaugh) and Pesci (as opportunistic Leo Getz) doing everything but bashing each other with sledge hammers and "nyuk nyuk"-ing. It is precisely for this reason that some will dismiss or dislike LETHAL WEAPON 4, while others will find comfort in its familiarity and congenial tone.
While fishing one night, said lethal trio encounter a slave ship; naturally, a gunfight ensues, with Triad members protecting their boatload of Chinese immigrants. Riggs and Murtaugh-promoted to police captains this time around-eventually uncover a secret: Chinese families are being traded as slaves in some sort of underground operation in Los Angeles' Chinatown district. Murtaugh elects to hide one of the families at his house until the case is solved, which triggers a chain reaction of violence. Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li) pursues Murtaugh and his stolen family; Ku employs lightning-fast Martial Arts moves as well as a team of shameless yes-men who strike at the captains in water, on land, and in water again. Meanwhile, Murtaugh's daughter is pregnant (Murtaugh doesn't know the baby belongs to Lee Butters (Rock), a detective who gamely joins the investigation), as is Gibson's girlfriend (Rene Russo, kicking up a storm as she did in the last instalment, even whilst bearing a child).
Jet Li moves with such speed and grace his movements almost provoke laughter in the fight scenes: since Riggs and Murtaugh are no match for Ku, the hand-to-hand combat plays like slapstick. I was reminded of that Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs gets into a ring with a heavyweight boxer (or is it wrestler?) and wins because he better understands the laws of cartoon physics; likewise, Gibson and Glover exercise enough movie-logic-and they have the benefit of three prequels under their belt-to put up a good fight. The action scenes (which also include Riggs riding a coffee table-yes, coffee table-along the L.A. Freeway as he is dragged by a truck) are thrilling and inventive and satisfyingly ludicrous, but they seem like an afterthought. Whenever the banter runs on too long, something blows up. This isn't a problem, really, since the banter is relaxed, cute, and, despite the presence of much profanity, harmless. Gone is the dark heart of Lethal Weapon 2; director Donner has turned the franchise into something of a Sunday dinner-is it any wonder he included photos of the cast and crew goofing around off-camera as part of the end-credit sequence? Rock makes a nice addition to the cast, but Pesci has worn out his welcome. He's a terrific actor, but his performance has degenerated over three movies into a one-note impersonation of his original portrayal of Leo Getz. He has a nice moment at the end of the picture, delivering a sweet monologue, but it's too little, too late. Jet Li, on the other hand, is a charismatic presence. I hope his inevitable journey through the Hollywood machine lands him a film in which he has a worthy opponent and a decent screenplay supporting him.
Some critics have complained that LETHAL WEAPON 4 is completely extraneous, that it has nothing to say. Did this series ever have something to say? I for one fell in with its tone and rolled with it-the worst scene in this movie is better than the best scene in, say, Armageddon or Godzilla. Yet I'm not exactly thrilled with the prospect of LETHAL WEAPON 5; everyone involved really is getting too old for this shit.
-July, 1998 -- "FILM FREAK CENTRAL" Forever: http://www.geocities.com/~billchambers
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