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

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.