Lethal Weapon (1987)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writer:

Shane Black (written by)

Release Date:

6 March 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

If these two can learn to stand each other... the bad guys don't stand a chance.

Plot:

A veteran cop, Murtough, is partnered with a young homicidal cop, Riggs. Both having one thing in common, hating working in pairs. Now they must learn to work with one and other to stop a gang of drug smugglers.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Suicidal | Drugs | Death | Vietnam

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Mel Gibson	...	Sergeant Martin Riggs
Danny Glover	...	Sergeant Roger Murtaugh
Gary Busey	...	Mr. Joshua
Mitch Ryan	...	General Peter McAllister (as Mitchell Ryan)
Tom Atkins	...	Michael Hunsaker
Darlene Love	...	Trish Murtaugh
Traci Wolfe	...	Rianne Murtaugh
Jackie Swanson	...	Amanda Hunsaker
Damon Hines	...	Nick Murtaugh
Ebonie Smith	...	Carrie Murtaugh
Bill Kalmenson	...	Beat Cop
Lycia Naff	...	Dixie
Patrick Cameron	...	Cop #1
Don Gordon	...	Cop #2
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Drug Dealer #1

Runtime:

110 min | Germany:108 min (cut version) | USA:117 min (director's cut) | Turkey:104 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (director's cut) (DVD version) | Finland:K-18 (1987) | Brazil:16 (1999 re-rating) | Brazil:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:M | Hungary:16 | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:15 (uncut) (1993) | Argentina:16 | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | South Korea:18 (director's cut) | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:16 (director's cut) | West Germany:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

2817 Via Segovia, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, USA

Company:

Silver Pictures

Trivia:

In his "E! True Hollywood Story" bio, Gary Busey says he was hired to play Joshua because they were looking for someone big and menacing enough to be a believable foe for Mel Gibson. Busey also credits the film for reviving his failing movie career.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: While chasing Mr. Joshua on foot, smoke blasts can be seen coming from Riggs' machine gun, yet no sound is heard.

Quotes:

Roger Murtaugh: Have you ever met anybody you didn't kill?
Martin Riggs: Well, I haven't killed you yet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rush Hour (1998)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Started it all

If there's one movie that's an absolute an unquestionable action classic, it's without a moment of doubt "Lethal weapon". Who would have guessed back in 1987 that the same team would make a third sequel eleven years later? Still, the fact that "Lethal weapon" got sequels doesn't make it a miraculous movie. The fact that it means the same thing to "a buddy film" -genre than "Die hard" means to "one man saves the day from terrorists" genre makes it a special motion picture. It practically started the whole phenomenon as we know it today and just take a good look at all the dozens and dozens of buddy flicks that tries to imitate the mixture of vivid action and relaxing, splendid humor of "Lethal weapon". I have to admit that part of me would still like to see Riggs and Murtaugh together for the very last time. On the other hand Mel Gibson is already 46 years old and Danny Glover just turned 55 and he's definitely starting out to be "too old for this".