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122 reviews in total

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24 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
An Enjoyable Action Comedy, 26 March 2005

Author: Devin (d_e_v_i_n-1)

Los Angeles police sergeant Roger Murtaugh and his partner, Sergeant Martin Riggs, arrest Billy Phelps for trying to rob an armored truck, this being just 8 days until Murtaugh is scheduled to retire. In the interrogation room, Billy is murdered by Lieutenant Jack Edward Travis, a vicious former cop who now sells guns that are stolen from evidence storage facilities. The investigation of Travis teams Riggs and Murtaugh up with Sergeant Lorna Cole of the Internal Affairs Division. Martin Riggs has finally meets his match with Lorna Cole, a beautiful but tough policewoman. Later, in a shootout against a street gang, Murtaugh kills a gangster who turns out to be Darrell Smithers, the best friend of Murtaugh's son Nick. A guilt ridden Murtaugh later tries to drink himself to death, but Riggs helps him realize that they must go after Travis, the man that Darrell's gun came from. They are also joined by the hectic Leo Getz whom is now a legitimate real estate agent.

Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and Joe Pesci are back with director Richard Donner for the third installment of the Lethal Weapon Saga, this time joined by Rene Russo. Just like the first 2, this film has plenty of comedy and allot of amazing action. This is a very enjoyable adventure.

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25 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Still has the magic, 16 June 2003
Author: DunnDeeDaGreat from Woodbridge, VA

Lethal Weapon 3 is the thrid film in the series and just as good. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and the funny Joe Pesci are all back for the fun. This time they add the sexy Rene Russo to the mix who can hang with Riggs and is just as crazy. Underreated actor Stuart Wilson makes another good bad guy in this good sequel.

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17 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Good, really, really good!, 8 June 2005

Author: MinorityReporter from Denmark

This is a great series! Actually I could stop right here because I have already said what needs to be said but just for people's enjoyment I'll elaborate a little.

The acting is, much like in the two previous films, excellent. Somehow Mel Gibson and Danny Glover never seem to get tired of each other and it shows because their playful banter never seems to get tiring to the audience. Mel Gibson is a class actor and this time around he develops the character of Martin Riggs even further than he did in the second film. He is so good at portraying emotions that the audience genuinely feels with him. When he is angry you feel his anger and when he is sad you feel sad, you get the picture. The fact that he is so versatile shows in the contrasts of the character. He is both great in action-sequences and in romantic sequences. As for Danny Glover he also does a great job in bringing his character further and he really does in this installment because you get to see the more negative sides of the character this time around. In the first two films he was the character who didn't evolve much but took pride in it. This time, because retirement is rearing its ugly head, we get to see, what I must suppose was, the facade stripped away and see Murtaugh in his raw, pure form. Joe Pesci also returns this time for the comic relief and he is still funny. There is just something about the character of Leo Getz that is incredibly entertaining. However, the best performance is perhaps done by Stuart Wilson, an incredibly underrated actor who has sadly never really achieved a commercial breakthrough. He is the villain of this film and is perhaps the best villain of the series simply because he has more depth than any other villain in the series. He is also given considerably more screen time than many of the other villains so he really has a chance to shine. Rene Russo appears in this film as Riggs new romantic interest and she may not be the most gifted actress ever to be on film but her chemistry with Mel Gibson is undeniable and her on-screen presence is pretty amazing considering that she is a new entry to the character gallery.

The story of the film is the weakest out of all the series (yes even the fourth one) and sometimes it kinda drags. Mainly, however, the story is still highly entertaining and funny. The best element of the script is the fact that villain is an ex-cop this time around and that does that the heroes can hate the villain even more because he is, aside from being a mean bastard, a traitor, almost a symbol of the back-side of the medallion.

The action of the film is just like in the two previous movies absolutely brilliant. The action is highly entertaining and well made and Mel Gibson is excellent as an action star as well as many other things.

All in all a great entry to a great series.

7/10

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15 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Still Lethal, 25 February 2002

Author: mattymatt4ever from Jersey City, NJ

I caught this movie on TV a few days ago, so I may as well voice my opinion. I've enjoyed all the "Lethal Weapon" flicks and I hope one day to buy a boxed set of DVDs containing all four in the series. Don't ask which one I think is best. They're all lots of fun to watch.

Of course, the original didn't have as much humor as its sequels. Mel Gibson's character was a downtrodden loner, who was established as a "loose cannon." But as the series continued, he suddenly turned into Buddy Hackett, cracking jokes left and right.

Needless to say, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover make one of the best on-screen duos in the history of film. Their characters of Riggs and Murtaugh are like polar opposites, but that's the beauty of it. That's the essence of the buddy cop genre. The two partners are always at each other's throats, yet they share a great bond and deliver much humor.

Richard Donner is a spectacular action film director, and there are some breathtaking stunts. The opening truck chase is extremely memorable.

And each and every scene is buoyed by great comic relief. Gibson says a great line when he arrests the fraudulent truck driver: "You have the right to remain unconscious. Whatever you say...ain't gonna be much." That's a priceless line!

OK, so the plot is meandering. There are scenes that are very entertaining, yet don't really move the story along. But the whole movie is so funny and exciting that I just think...who gives a damn? I'm having too much fun!

Joe Pesci's character, Leo Getz, adds additional comic relief. His bleached blond do is hilarious enough, and his nebbish schtick makes it all the more humorous. Rene Russo is also added to the cast, to provide some good eye candy. Just like the Bond girls, there's always a sexy love interest in the "Lethal Weapon" movies. In the second movie, there was Patsy Kensit.

And there are some human elements to the story. Danny Glover's Murtaugh still thinks "he's getting too old for this s**t" and is about to retire. He's suffering a severe middle-age crisis and to add to his problems, he ends up killing one of his son's friends--which he did out of self-defense. Sometimes I think Glover's acting talent is underrated. And though this is a fluffy action/comedy, he delivers the kind of powerful performance he would in any Oscar-winning masterpiece.

"Lethal Weapon 3" again showcases the immense talent of its two irreplacable leads. This sequel packs a lethal punch and delivers first-class entertainment from start to finish. And I love that Eric Clapton/Sting song "It's Gonna Be Me."

My score: 8 (out of 10)

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12 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Dumb fun – polished and family friendly fun, 25 January 2002
Author: bob the moo

Riggs and Murtaugh arrest a man on gun charges just for him to be killed in the interrogation room by ex-cop Jack Travis. Travis is running illegal guns. Riggs and Murtaugh team up with IA officer Cole to track down and stop Travis while Murtaugh also faces trouble at home as the illegal guns impact on his family.

This third in the series is a lot more polished and refined than the first two - there's a lot of money riding on this now! The story is quite good but it's not rocket science. It's really all an excuse to have a series of set pieces - from a building being destroyed to a desert showdown. The romance between Riggs and Cole take away from Riggs' madman style character and makes the film a lot softer. It also makes the action scenes a lot less believable as he seems to revert to action hero on cue. However it does allow some humour. The involvement of Pesci is funny but at times it's a little stretched.

Gibson and Murtaugh are good, mainly because they're just having fun now in well worn characters - like old shoes! Pesci is not quite as annoying as he was in LW2 but is still a bit of a spare wheel. Russo is good as the love interest and handles herself well.

Overall it's good fun but it lacks the dark, rough tone that made LW such a hit in the first place.

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11 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
The Boys Are Back!, 29 November 2000

Author: jhclues from Salem, Oregon

The most popular team of detectives in cinematic history is back again, making the streets of Los Angeles safe and secure for the citizens at large in `Lethal Weapon 3,' directed by Richard Donner and once again starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. This time the action literally starts with a bang (a big one) when Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) answer a call and, suffice to say, Riggs can't wait for the bomb squad to arrive. It makes for a spectacular opening scene, but it's just a warm up for what follows. Some bad things are going down in the City of Angels, perhaps not unusual for L.A., but someone is putting automatic weapons and armor piercing bullets (called `Cop Killers' as they can penetrate a bullet proof vest) on the streets, which is really bad news for police officers in general, and especially for those in particular areas of the city. Riggs and Murtaugh are on the case, but it quickly escalates, and because of certain untoward circumstances soon falls into the hands of Internal Affairs. Which brings Officer Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) into the picture. And sparks begin to fly. The first two installments of this series are hard to beat, but as they say, the third time's a charm; and Donner must have had the shaman working with him on this one, because he pulled off quite a feat-- making a third that ranks right up there with the first two. He seems to have found the perfect balance with this one; the main characters are in place and established, Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) is back, and the addition of Russo is the icing on the cake. The story is good, there's plenty of great action and some sensational stunts, and the humor has been toned down a notch, which increases the level of intensity of the drama. In short, Donner measures out all of the right elements to perfection and makes it all gel together for the complete package. And what a package it is. By now, Gibson IS Riggs, from the inside out; still somewhat on the edge, but not quite as volatile. And Glover could play Murtaugh in his sleep; which may sound like easy street for an actor, but it takes real professionals to maintain the credibility of characters they know so well (it would be so easy to phone it in and let the details slip at this point), and these two have what it takes. Their chemistry remains intact, and they've put polish on an act that was already shining. The real chemistry this time, however, is between Gibson and Russo, who click from the beginning, starting with their first scene together. Russo sparkles as Lorna, putting some real style and spunk into her; there's just enough edginess to her to make her believable as a no-nonsense I.A. investigator, and it makes her the perfect match for Gibson's Riggs. There's a terrific scene between them, in which they compare battle scars, that fits their characters so well and so credibly underscores the development of their relationship. it's a memorable scene, and a good example of how well the script, by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen, was written. The supporting cast includes Darlene Love (Trish), Traci Wolfe (Rianne), Stuart Wilson (Jack Travis), Steve Kahan (Capt. Murphy), Damon Hines (Nick), Ebonie Smith (Carrie) and Gregory Millar (Tyrone). In the world of the Cinema, it's a rare thing when a sequel matches up to the original, and when the third does, it's a real triumph; and `Lethal Weapon 3' is just that, a triumph. It's a quality action/drama that exemplifies why this series is so popular. Simply put, it's a good movie on it's own, and part of a great series; so don't stop now, `Lethal Weapon 4' is ready and waiting for you. I rate his one 10/10.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Third entry with the enjoyable couple battling a corrupt and killer ex-cop, 6 October 2008

Author: ma-cortes

Our friends Los Angeles policemen Martin Riggs(Mel Gibson) and and his methodical pal Roger Murtaugh(Danny Glover now are patrolling through the streets after a botcher explosion caused into a building. Roger is about to retire when they encounter themselves into a dangerous case. A previous police named Leo(Stuart Wilson) turned into criminal kingpin and heinous weapons smuggling. Meanwhile Martin falls in love with a tough police(Rene Russo) from Internal Affairs.

This fast paced picture packs noisy supercharged action scenes ,thrills, loud pursuits, lot of violence and murders.The wacky police Gibson, always on the edge, and his partner the gentle and good father Glover again give nice performances with special chemistry between the two actors. They go after and run afoul a nasty villain well played by Stuart Wilson, including to Joe Pesci as likable swindler. Furthermore appear as secondaries Mark Pellegrino, Nick Chunlund,Alan Scarfe and unbilled , the director's wife and also producer: Lauren Shuler Donner as a nurse and the director Stephen T. Kay as a filmmaker. Colorful cinematography by equally director Jan De Bont and atmospheric musical score by Michael Kamen , accompanied by catching song by Eric Clapton. Richard Donner directs with fair-play and the result is quite entertaining. Acceptable and passable movie for enthusiastic of the series won't be disappointed. It's followed by the last chapter 'Lethal weapon 4' with same players adding to Jet Li and Chris Rock.

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5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Keep On Rollin' Out The Sequels!, 5 July 2009

Author: g-bodyl from United States

The third movie in the Lethal Weapon series is once again a great addition. This film is perhaps the best of the bunch. Maybe the first film is a tad better. As I said for the review of the second Lethal Weapon, the crew knows how to make these successful films.

After a disastrous accident, Riggs and Murtaugh have been stripped of their sergeant status. They are now patrolmen and they only have the power to cite jaywalkers. But things gets out of control when a former cop decides to wreak havoc.

The acting once again is fantastic. Glover, Gibson, and Pesci all had great chemistry. The addition of Rene Russo adds more stardom to the cast.

Richard Donner decided to add more comedy to this action-laden film. Let me be the one to tell you that it works out evenly. There is plenty of action to keep the comedy in check.

Overall, this is the a great piece of work. As people say, the third time is the charm. I rate this film 9/10.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
The Third Movie in the Series, but still worthy of the title, 23 January 2005

Author: mjw2305 from England

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Richard Donner again directs Riggs and Murtaugh in another action adventure worthy of the title.

Rene Russo is introduced as Lorna Cole (internal affairs) and clashes with Riggs and Murtaugh on the investigation of an arms dealer (Jack Travis) Cole and Riggs begin to see eye to eye as their relationship takes shape, while Murtaugh is torn apart after killing his sons best friend in a kill or be killed shoot out.

Chasing the man who put the gun the boys hand the three join forces and face the arsenal of armour piercing bullets being fed on to the streets (cop killers)

Pesci's character takes a back seat but still provides some laughs in this successful extension of the series.

Not as good as the first 2 films, but still good 7/10

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Definitely worth watching if you liked the first two, 21 February 2004

Author: rbverhoef (rbverhoef@hotmail.com) from The Hague, Netherlands

'Lethal Weapon 3' has the best opening sequence of all 'Lethal Weapon'-movies, although the opening of the fourth installment comes close. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) try to disable a bomb and what happens in the end can probably only happen in a movie like this. It is hilarious and spectacular anyway.

The movie starts eight days before Murtaugh's retirement. He and Riggs must find an ex-cop named Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson). He steals weapons and ammunition from the police. At first they thought it was an inside job so Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) from Internal Affairs is put on the case. She is the perfect match for Riggs, beautiful but tough. We also meet Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) again. He kind of helps them with this case and again he is very good for the comedy.

This is a fine installment although things get more and more familiar. Still, as long as it is spectacular and funny that doesn't really matter. The fun Gibson, Glover and director Richard Donner must have making this movie is clearly visible on the screen.

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