Lethal Weapon 4

Starring:Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li, Steve Kahan, Kim Chan, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Eddy Ko, Jack Kehler, Calvin Jung, Damon Hines, Ebonie Smith, Mary Ellen Trainor, Steven Lam, Michael Chow, Tony Keyes, Richard Riehle
Director: Richard Donner
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

In the fourth and reportedly final film of the Lethal Weapon series, director Richard Donner reunites with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, who reprise their roles as Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh for one last hurrah in a film that is decidedly better than the third and first chapters. This time the pair are pitted against Jet Li, who plays the leader of a Chinese organized crime unit. Li, a veteran of hundreds of Hong Kong action films, more than holds his own against the more established team of Gibson, Glover, Renee Russo, and Joe Pesci with his subtle yet strong portrayal of the quietly irrepressible Wah Sing Ku. As always with the Lethal series, the plot is incredibly simple to follow: someone steals something, someone gets killed, and Murtaugh is reluctantly thrown into the mix while Riggs dives into the case with gleeful aplomb. As with the previous movies, we watch for the sheer action and chemistry alone. The action sequences throughout the fourth installment are exquisite, from the opening scene involving a flamethrower, a burning building, and a half-naked Murtaugh strutting like a chicken (don't ask, just watch), to the climactic showdown that pays genuine tribute to Jet Li's masterful martial art skills. As for chemistry, the bond between these characters is so strong by now that you sometimes feel like you're watching a TV series in its sixth season, such is the warm familiarity between the audience and the personalities on the screen. The humor is more fluid than ever, aided immeasurably by the casting of comedian Chris Rock, who like Li does a great job of making his presence known in some memorable verbal tirades that would bring a smile out of the Farrelly brothers. But it's the verbal and emotional jousting between Glover and Gibson that makes this fourth episode especially appealing; both are in peak form with great physical and verbal timing. One can only hope that if this is indeed the last of the Lethal films, that it won't be the last time we see Glover and Gibson together on screen. --Jeremy Storey

Description

This sequel involves an action packed battle with a Chinese ganglord.

Customer Reviews:

Mel,Danny,Joe,Richard and Rene reunite!.......2007-01-24

Again Martin Riggs(Mel Gibson) and Captain Roger Murtaugh(Danny Glover) are doing their dirty police work in this third and most recent sequel to 1987's Warner Bros. action-packed film LETHAL WEAPON. Now Martin and Lorna(Rene Russo) are husband and wife. Roger still has his wife Trish(Darlene Love) and their children(some are now young adults). Oscar-winner Joe Pesci returns as the annoying Leo Getz("Anything you need,Leo gets!"). Saturday Night Live veteran Chris Rock(BOOMERANG) and Jet Li join the cast in this installment. Eric Clapton brings another great song in this soundtrack,PILGRIM,from his 1998 album of the same title. And again,Richard Donner directed this film. I guess he woudn't have allowed anyone else to. This film was theatrically released on July 10,1998 and was just as successful as the three predecessors. Possibly,Gibson and Glover will reteam for future films,with or without Donner or anyone else aforementioned. I heard a rumor over a decade ago,that a fifth LW film was in the works along with this film. But I think it was in 1997 when this film was made. Maybe it was over a decade ago,that this film's script was written. If Gibson and Glover haven't yet received stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame,they should now.

Very good,but flawed in several areas.......2006-12-16

3 1/2 stars.

Being a huge fan of both comedy and action films,I love seeing films that have both action and comedy in them being made and released. And despite how dark the first "Lethal Weapon" film was,the humor in LW2 and LW3 alllowed the idea of the fourth LW film being an action/comedy film to be a great idea. Not only was the idea to bring back Mel Gibson,Danny Glover,Joe Pesci,and Rene Russo for what has become the last LW film a excellent,the addition of Chris Rock was both smart and creative,while it was a pretty cool idea at the same time. Having Jet Li play the villian here was a nice touch,especially since Li now shares the honor with Gary Busey of being one of the two famous actors who share the honor of being one of the only two famous actors playing lead villains out of the LW series,for the LW film that Busey was in (LW1),and for the LW film that Li is in (LW4).

The story is well developed,and is sort of a direct follow-up to the first LW film,with leftovers and flashback information from both LW2 and LW3. A combination of the story for the first LW film and the story for the second LW film,this film finds Mel Gibson reprising his role as Martin Riggs,and Danny Glover reprising his role as Roger Murtaugh. In this installment of the LW films,not only do you find both Riggs and Murtaugh going through personal struggles in their own lives (Riggs being engaged to Rene Russo's character of Lorna Cole and Cole being pregnant,with Riggs not feeling like the time is right for him to be a father,while you find Murtaugh being worried about his daughter Rianne making him a grandfather,and what resulted in Rianne doing just that for Murtaugh),they have another tough assignment to deal with. That tough assignment is to bring down a murderous Chinese group by the name of The Triads,lead by a man named Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li's character)who bring illegal Chinese immigrants into America to begin new lives under slavery.
This becomes difficult for Riggs and Murtaugh not only because of the level of the assignment,but also due to Riggs and Murtaugh being so busy in their own lives during this period of time,and an official new member to their "team" of Riggs,Murtaugh,and Joe Pesci's Leo Getz. That official new member turns out to be a younger and more recent officer of the LAPD,Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock),who finds himself having problems with Murtaugh that,once you discover them,will make you laugh and realize how far the producers of this movie expanded the first three LW films for this film itself.

As I already said,this movie is very good,but flawed in some areas,so let me address all of that. While it was nice to see Richard Donner and the producers of this film turn this film into an action/comedy with LW2,LW3,and even some of LW1 having signs of comedy to them,a problem results in this script due to that. The humor in this film works,but is usually tied into the movie story and results in less action,something that hurts this film a little bit. Don't get me wrong--the jokes here are good,but are still nowhere close to Chris Rock's humor outside of this film and Joe Pesci's humor in the first two "Home Alone" films. Also,the action in here is the weakest out of all of the action scenes from the first three LW films. This time,the action here is more martial arts than the original style of action from the first three LW films,making the movie a little bit hard to follow and deteriorating it from some--but not all--of its potential. For the last LW film,you would surely think that the action would be more real and more towards the style of the action that was used in the first three LW films--something that every film needs for its sequels.

There are some really good scenes in this movie though,which pulls this movie off. Not only do Mel Gibson and Danny Glover do a good job at bringing out the original personalities of Riggs and Murtaugh in this movie (a good sign,considering the fact that Gibson and Glover were a lot younger when they made the first three LW films,compared to Gibson and Glover both getting older during LW4's filming),Chris Rock is a good supplement to Gibson,Glover,and Joe Pesci. Rock being in this film allows this film to have more chemistry and humor in it,which works on behalf of Rock's scenes with not only Joe Pesci,but also the scenes that find how Rock's character of Butters is like around Murtaugh and to see how Butters,Riggs,Murtaugh,and Getz all work together as a team in this movie.
There is also a lot of energy that is brought out in this movie,which keeps it on a somewhat similiar level that the first three LW films were set on. The drama here,which is brought out very well by the script (most notably the graveyard scene with Gibson and Pesci at the end of the movie),does a good job at letting the producers of this movie make it more serious and more funny then the previous LW films,at the same time.

The "Behind The Scenes" feauture that appears at the end of this VHS is good,and a good substitute for the fact that as of this writing,LW4 has not been issued as a director's cut (something that the first three LW films got). It is also worth adding that a lot of good music from older bands/musicians (Van Halen,Eric Clapton,etc.)appear here,and prove themselves to be excellent supplements to this movie.

Overall,while this film could have been better,it still does a good job at living up to the standards that it was intended for,and is worth watching after you have watched LW1,LW2,and LW3 in order. Hopefully,this will be issued as a director's cut like the other three LW films were. I would say that this film does a good,worthwhile,and interesting way and job at ending the series of "Lethal Weapon" films.

The best lethal Weapon Since the first one.......2006-10-20

The Lethal Weapon series has been a great item in the whole action/comedy buddy genre. The first was instant classic from the 80's. Easily the best. All of its sequels were terrific, however just short of being as good. However this fourth installment I believe may come to being as good as the first. I would not say better, but I do not which one I would rather watch. Their are just so many great things to take note of in this film such as the car chase scene and the ifhgitng sequences performed by Jet Li. Brinigin in Jet ;Li was a great idea, plus compared to his other american films that followed (Romoeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One) the movie ws deinetly one of his better films (even though he was not in the starring role). And the comedy could not have any better with the addition of Chris Rock. Although I do not think he's that funny in real life, his antics defiently gave me a good laugh in this movie. Anyway, here is the plot.
The movie starts of with Riggs (Mel Gibson)and Murtough (Danny Glover) facing off a pyromaniac. While they are attempting to take him down we learn that both Rigg's girlfriend Lorna (Rene Ruso) and Murtough's daughter Rianne (Tracy Wolfe) are pregnant.
The film then fowards to about nine moths later. While fishing Murtough and Riggs (And Leo Gets played by Joe Pesci) get into a gun battle with chinese mobsters. We learn that these guys were smuggling in chinese immigrants. The leader of the bad guys is Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li) who needs the immigrants to produce counterfeit money. He will then use this money in order to free the "4 fathers" (4 big chinese Criminals, one whom is Wah Sing Ku's brother) Also a young a detective named Lee Buttters (Chris Rock) joins the gang and helps the investigation. He also happens to be the father of Riannes baby but Murtough does not know that yet.

In short Lethal Weapon is a great fun film. Get it now a fun enjoyable time!

Great to see Danny and Mel together again.......2006-08-29

When "Casino" opened, some complained that Joe Pesci's performance was a retread of his work in "GoodFellas". I made the defence that his character was the same sort of person, and it would be inappropriate to act in a different way.

I'll make the same sort of defence for "Lethal Weapon 4", to anyone who claims that the series is settling down into a formula. It is, yes, but it was always about character, and these characters are carried not by a story which keeps giving them different things to do, or different interactions to have, but simply new lines and convincing performances. We get this with each new "Lethal Weapon" film, and "LW4" shows that the same thing can work yet again, making it about four times as good as you'd expect. Who cares if the witty banter is the same type as in the other three movies, it's still slightly different in its specifics, getting a little more outrageous each time. And even though Mel Gibson said a while back he had no interest in doing another "Lethal Weapon" film, no matter how good the script was, he and Danny Glover are putting in as much effort as they always have, making the screen sizzle with their chemistry.

This time, the plot involves some Chinese mobsters who Riggs and Murtaugh first meet they disrupt their fishing trip with gunplay. It transpires that they are attempting to buy back, from some other Chinese mobsters, some old dudes who lead the Triads. I wonder, in retrospect, how they got captured by anyone in the first place, if they're hard enough to be the leaders of the Triads, but never mind, because we get another enormously effective villain out of the Chinese element. His name is Wah Sing Ku, played by Jet Li, the star of those many violent martial arts movies that dealers at film fairs will tell you they have a copy of out in the car, with Japanese subtitles, but they couldn't get it in any other way, it's banned! Li creates a cold, sadistic-yet-disciplined scumbag, who deserves every second of Riggs' disgusted looks. He does this by not changing his facial expression from a totally mastered look of calculation, even when he breaks out into spectacular moves of violence. These are also performed skillfully, and Wah Sing is such a quick cat that, at one point, he even dodges a bullet. The guy is as seemingly invincible as the villains who inhabit the higher levels of "Mortal Kombat".

The action sequences are terrific, and I don't just mean entertaining and well-done, I mean exciting. That's a rare thing, especially for a cops-and-robbers comedy, but the slick cinematography and the wonderfully energetic crunch-bang-boom sound stirs us until we're dissolved in the onscreen activity.

Of course, we still have to have the "Lethal Weapon" humour here, and the members of the trusted supporting cast are all back to enrich it, with Leo Getz (Pesci) thinking he's become a private investigator, and Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) pregnant, as is Murtaugh's daughter Rianne. The latter has been knocked up by Lee Butters, a cop who hangs around with Riggs and Murtaugh, and who is very funny despite being played by Chris Rock.

"Lethal Weapon 4" is not as good as the other three films in its series, borrowing their heart as a substitute for one of its own, and certainly without one outstandingly memorable line, which the others all had. It's all glossy, cocky surface. But likeably glossy, hilariously cocky, and difficult to resist.

Introducing Jet Li.......2006-08-13

The series had pretty much run it's course, but Jet Li gave this movie a real punch. As a fan, it was really interesting to see him as a villain. I was scared of him.

Average customer rating:

Lethal Weapon 4 [Region 2]
Starring: Mel Gibson , Danny Glover , Joe Pesci , Rene Russo , and Chris Rock
Director: Richard Donner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Lethal Weapon 3 (Director's Cut)

ASIN: B00004VYNJ

Average customer rating:

Mel,Danny,Joe,Richard and Rene reunite!
Very good,but flawed in several areas
The best lethal Weapon Since the first one
Great to see Danny and Mel together again
Introducing Jet Li

Lethal Weapon 4 [Region 2]
Starring: Mel Gibson , Danny Glover , Joe Pesci , Rene Russo , and Chris Rock
Director: Richard Donner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Lethal Weapon/Lethal Weapon 2/Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3 (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 2 (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon Legacy (Director's Cut 3-Pack)

ASIN: B00004RYKY

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Mel,Danny,Joe,Richard and Rene reunite!.......2007-01-24

Very good,but flawed in several areas.......2006-12-16

The best lethal Weapon Since the first one.......2006-10-20

Great to see Danny and Mel together again.......2006-08-29

Introducing Jet Li.......2006-08-13

The series had pretty much run it's course, but Jet Li gave this movie a real punch. As a fan, it was really interesting to see him as a villain. I was scared of him.

Average customer rating:

Mel,Danny,Joe,Richard and Rene reunite!
Very good,but flawed in several areas
The best lethal Weapon Since the first one
Great to see Danny and Mel together again
Introducing Jet Li

Lethal Weapon 4 [Region 2]
Starring: Mel Gibson , Danny Glover , Joe Pesci , Rene Russo , and Chris Rock
Director: Richard Donner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Lethal Weapon/Lethal Weapon 2/Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 3 (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 2 (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon Legacy (Director's Cut 3-Pack)

ASIN: B00004CY9Z

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Mel,Danny,Joe,Richard and Rene reunite!.......2007-01-24

Very good,but flawed in several areas.......2006-12-16

The best lethal Weapon Since the first one.......2006-10-20

Great to see Danny and Mel together again.......2006-08-29

Introducing Jet Li.......2006-08-13

The series had pretty much run it's course, but Jet Li gave this movie a real punch. As a fan, it was really interesting to see him as a villain. I was scared of him.

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