Lethal Weapon 4 (1998, R)
Directed by Richard Donner
Written by Channing Gibson
Story by Jonathan Lemkin, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar
Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo, Joe Pesci, Chris Rock, and Jet Li
The equation for the number of new major players in the Lethal Weapon series is simple. Take the number that the movie is in the series and add one. Hence, Lethal Weapon has two cast members, Lethal Weapon 2 has three, Lethal Weapon 3 has four, and Lethal Weapon 4 has five. This time out, the new addition is that of Chris Rock, who functions as a much less annoying Joe Pesci and is able to slip easily into the idea of a buddy action-comedy, despite having never gone into that uncharted territory.
Sure, he's a comedian, and comedians don't normally make a one-time switch to a buddy-action comedy (in the case of people like Martin Lawrence, it's more of a permanent move), but the Lethal Weapon series has always been far from typical. It practically spawned the buddy action-comedy back in 1987 with its first outing and has been redefining the genre of its own creation ever since.
Lethal Weapon 4, like all of the other Lethal Weapon films, is timely. This one concerns illegal immigration from China, something that has drastically increased since Hong Kong was handed over in 1997. The fall of Hong Kong also comes into play, but I opt not to give away what little bit of mystery there is to the plot. Also in the mix is the fact that Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is facing the prospect of parenthood along with IAD Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo). And, compounding the multiple family problems that Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) already has, his daughter Rianne is going to be a mother… but who's the father?
The characters, already developed over the past 14 years of the saga, continue to grow and expand in the fourth (and perhaps final) installment. Herein lies the separating aspect of the series: as we all know, action movies are really supposed to have either plot or characters. Yet, in Lethal Weapon 4 (and all of the other Lethal Weapon films), not only do we have characters that we know and like, but we have a continuing and ever-expanding dynamic. We have a sharply written script. We have a tightly directed film. In short, we have everything we don't expect.
For those who target Lethal Weapon 4 as being formulaic, remember that in fact they invented the formula. They are working with, and altering, their own creation as they go. As proof of this I offer the dozens of great lines that pop up throughout the film, each of which would qualify as bad dialogue did we not know the characters so well as to have their ability to think up good responses and joke under pressure down to an art. Also, the standard of most action movies (grabber sequence, plot development, action sequence, repeat) was started with Lethal Weapon yet is not always utilized by it. Lethal Weapon 4 often blends plot development and action sequences together, or separates them so little as to never allow the viewer to get bored.
Going with my formula of a positive review, I begin the problems paragraph with my constant: As always, I have my gripes. The acting is as bad as it ever was. Gibson may be furnished with a great character to work with, but that does nothing for his thespian abilities. Chris Rock isn't quite as funny as he always has been, and this falls to the fault of the writers who tried to inhibit his native comic genius by making him do the standard bits (i.e. the "They screw you with…" bit that appears in every movie from Lethal Weapon 2 on). Joe Pesci continues being Joe Pesci… an annoying person. Whether this is intended or not, it gets on the viewers nerves.
My final complaint comes in the form of the message that it tries to insert. I do like my action movies timely, but I don't like them to be political. With its overwhelming message about the importance of family, Lethal Weapon 4 serves to waste about twenty minutes of screen time.
Were those twenty minutes cut, we would have had a really great action film on our hands. As it is, we have to settle for a pretty good action film.
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