Gibson, Glover still a deadly team in 'Lethal Weapon 4'

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Six years ago, most moviegoers probably thought they had seen the last of the Lethal Weapon films after a successful three-movie run over more than half a decade.

Most blockbuster movies mothball their characters after a second sequel. Die Hard, Home Alone, Indiana Jones and Star Wars went three rounds before petering out. Some, like Speed for instance, don't make it past a second film.

But director Richard Donner has challenged conventional Hollywood thought with a fourth edition of his action-comedy series.

Mel Gibson (Conspiracy Theory, Ransom) and Danny Glover (Color Purple, Predator 2) dust off their old, colorful characters in Lethal Weapon 4, now playing in Jakarta theaters.

And if a relationship is like a marriage, then Gibson, in his role as maniac policeman Martin Riggs, and Glover as older but saner policeman Roger Murtaugh, are about to celebrate their 12th anniversary.

In 1987, viewers were introduced to the two characters for the first time in Lethal Weapon. The film introduces Riggs as a policeman so depressed over his wife's death from a car bomb that his life seems meaningless. His apathy, though, proves to be quite an asset in chasing bad guys, enabling him to pursue criminals almost past the point of sanity.

But his new partner, family man Murtaugh, who just wants to be able to retire from the department without breaking any rules or his own neck, influences some change in Riggs.

A budding friendship with Murtaugh and his family enables Riggs to get a new lease on life. Murtaugh, on the other hand, becomes more energized by Riggs' determination, while grudgingly following his partner on insane chases.

Two years later, Donner directed Lethal Weapon 2, which shows Riggs on more solid emotional ground, but still living on the edge, and Murtaugh still finding it difficult to say no to his determined partner.

The second movie also introduced Joe Pesci, who earned an Academy Award in 1991 as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Tommy De Vito in Goodfellas, as fast-talking Leo Getz. Leo is a key prosecution witness under Riggs' and Murtaugh's protection.

Rene Russo (Ransom, Tin Cup) entered the scene in Lethal Weapon 3 as tough-talking and hard-hitting policewoman Lorna Cole of the Internal Affairs Department -- a woman who clashes but finally hooks up with Riggs.

Then several years passed -- Lethal Weapon 3 seems way before the Spice Girls hit the big screen.

Lethal Weapon 4 plays this up a bit: Both Gibson, who won Academy Awards for best director and best picture for his 1996 hit Braveheart, and Glover complain that they're getting too old for this sort of thing. Joe Pesci (Casino, Home Alone), on the other hand, becomes more and more irritating, but model-turned- actress Rene Russo's spirit cheers us up even though her role is limited since she is pregnant with Riggs' child.

So, once again, the whole gang is back on the screen: Riggs, Murtaugh, Leo and Lorna, with a couple of new characters added to the mix.

Just like all three prior films in the series, Lethal Weapon 4 opens with a spectacular scene.

This time, Riggs and Murtaugh race to the scene of a bizarre crime in which a lunatic dressed in a bullet-proof outfit is walking around with a flame-thrower in one hand and a machine gun in the other.

But laughs are never missing in Lethal Weapon movies. Here, Riggs resolves the situation with "extraordinary" police procedures.

He convinces Murtaugh to distract the psychopath's attention by running away half naked while squawking like a chicken.

Chris Rock (Beverly Hills Cop II) is added as junior detective Lee Butters who helps Riggs and Murtaugh investigate Asians smuggling immigrants into L.A. and a dangerous counterfeiting scheme.

Rock's loud-talking acting, especially when he and Leo up one on each other about the unreliability of cell phones, produces some of the film's funniest scenes.

For action lovers, Donner cast Hong Kong star Jet Li as Wah Sing Ku who is a major threat to the good guys with his incredible martial-arts skills. Li not only marks his American debut movie here but also his first role as a bad guy.

For some, the movie may seem like a high school reunion with the same old formula and actors.

But the plot is better than many would expect and the formula continues to bring enjoyment, even if it doesn't leave you craving for a fourth sequel.