Synopsis for
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) More at IMDbPro »

After an initial car chase, a red BMW crashes and LAPD officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh discover the trunk is full of South African Krugerrands (gold coins which were illegal in the U.S. at the time due to the South African apartheid government).

Murtaugh is threatened at his home by South African thugs and Murtaugh and Riggs wonder if this is related to the find of the Krugerrands. The thugs' racist behavior towards Murtaugh is a clear metaphor for the apartheid government's abuse through its racial segregation in the country.

At one stage during the film Roger Murtaugh's family notices that he had the intention to eat a tuna sandwich, however was told not to continue eating his sandwich because the tuna was not deemed "dolphin safe".

When Murtaugh and Riggs are assigned to protect a Federal witness, Leo Getz (played by Joe Pesci), they discover Getz has been doing business with South African drug smugglers. The drug smugglers are led by Arjen Rudd, who is the minister of diplomatic affairs for the South African consulate in Los Angeles (who enjoys diplomatic immunity), and his enforcer Vorstedt.

While Leo and Murtaugh distract the guards, Riggs infiltrated the building and grab the paper saying, "Alba Varden". Then, he tells Rudd and his Gangs to leave his country and never come back. Then Riggs shoots the glass aquarium and leaves happy.

While investigating the South African diplomats Riggs falls for Rudd's secretary, Rika Van Den Haas, who does not care for Rudd.

While Riggs falls for Rika, Vorstedt kills Officers Tom Wyler, Meagen Shapiro, Tim Cavanaugh, and others.

While confronting Vorstedt, Riggs learns how his wife Vicky really died: Vorstedt caused the crash in 1984, while intending to kill Riggs instead. When Vorstedt attempts to kill Riggs, Riggs finds Rika drowned.

After this Murtaugh and Riggs exact a bloody revenge against the drug smugglers on the cargo ship, the Alba Varden. In the process, Vorstedt and Riggs get into a violent fight. Riggs stabs Vorstedt with his own knife and leaves him for dead, but Vorstedt grabs a gun and aims it at Riggs. In the nick-of-time, Riggs exacts his revenge by pressing a button on a control panel which drops a metal container and crushes Vorstedt.

Rudd appears behind Riggs and shoots him several times. Murtaugh sees this and aims his gun at Rudd. Rudd then exclaims, "Diplomatic immunity!" and holds up his ID. Murtaugh responds by shooting Rudd in the head and utters: "...it's just been revoked!"

Murtaugh goes to a dying Riggs and it turns out Riggs is fine. The two buddies laugh and joke as the sirens come for them in the background.