Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), Shane Black (story),

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Martin Riggs
Danny Glover	...	Roger Murtaugh
Joe Pesci	...	Leo Getz
Joss Ackland	...	Arjen Rudd
Derrick O'Connor	...	Pieter Vorstedt
Patsy Kensit	...	Rika Van Den Haas
Darlene Love	...	Trish Murtaugh
Traci Wolfe	...	Rianne Murtaugh
Steve Kahan	...	Captain Murphy
Mark Rolston	...	Hans
Jenette Goldstein	...	Meagan Shapiro
Dean Norris	...	Tim Cavanaugh
Juney Smith	...	Tom Wyler
Nestor Serrano	...	Eddie Estaban
Philip Suriano	...	Joseph Ragucci

Storyline

Riggs and Murtaugh are at it again in this sequel to the original Lethal Weapon in 1987. When a red BMW crashes while they are chasing it, they discover the trunk is full of South African Krugerands. Their boss assigns them to protect a federal witness named Leo Getz to try and keep them out of trouble. When the witness reveals he has been doing business with South Africans, the story evolves into a fast moving chase.

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Plot Keywords:

police | chase | sequel | police officer | diplomatic immunity | 

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Taglines:

The magic is back!

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Afrikaans

Release Date:

7 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arma mortal 2

Filming Locations:

2nd Street Tunnel between Hill and Figueroa, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$147,253,986 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 108 min (cut) 118 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The body count is 33, the highest of the 'Lethal Weapon' series.

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Goofs

The camera is reflected in the window of Riggs' truck when he drives off after blocking in the car of the South African diplomat.

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Quotes

Rudd: Now we DO have a serious diplomatic situation here, which I will be taking up with your state department first thing in the morning.
Riggs: Whoa, you got me quakin' in my boots, but I'm still gonna bring you down.
Rudd: My dear officer, you could not even give me a parking ticket!

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Crazy Credits

The Merrie Melodies theme is briefly heard during the opening sequence.

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Connections

Referenced in The Book of Orgazmo (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
Performed by Eric Clapton, Randy Crawford and David Sanborn
Written by Bob Dylan

User Reviews

Pure Magic

The first one was hard core. It was all about drugs, intrigue and Vietnam. It was also about Riggs' suicidal tendencies. It was serious. Too serious. That was awesome. This one is about a lighter, gentler Riggs. The same Murtaugh I'm afraid but a lighter gentler Riggs-for a while that is. Reasons why this film is better than the original: 1. Leo Getz, 2. Same chemistry but with a tighter bond, 3. Comic relief, 4. Truly despicable villains, 5. Revenge story that pops out of nowhere really (this is quite surprising for a Gibson flick mind you). This one's the best of the series. Part three was a joke. Part four...I dunno what the hell that one was. Part one was pure setup baby. This is the one. >