Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are far funnier in the actual Lethal Weapon films, which is a big problem in a movie meant to spoof them.
Most of this film is a misfire. Emilio Estevez and Samuel L Jackson don't have any chemistry, comedic or otherwise. Neither one is particularly funny on their own nor do they play off each other well. Jackson seems particularly lazy in his role and doesn't seem like he wanted to be there. Even the lines between the two characters seem sparse, and they mostly seem to interact with anyone but each other for a lot of the film. As if the actors weren't getting along or had very different shooting schedules.
Cameos - such as by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox (Ponch and John from CHiPs) aren't used for anything but nostalgia, in an "Oh, I remember them" way. I guess they thought that was enough but it's curious why they couldn't be bothered to write some jokes.
The bad casting is paired with poor direction and editing. Some of the weaker jokes could have worked in better hands but the comedic timing is nearly always off. Small laughs that work for a chuckle get whittled down to nubs by leaving them to linger way too long on screen. When jokes fall flat (which is pretty often) the silences feels deafening and overlong. The handful of jokes which earn a big laugh are weighed down by all the misfires that surround them. A re-edit that cleans up all the bad timing could make it a significantly funnier film.
William Shatner goes full Shatner mode in his evil villain role and is one of the only lively and invigorating performances to be found. Tim Curry should have been another standout but the script leaves him high and dry. Kathy Ireland is very pretty in a 1990s supermodel way but has the comedic chops of a basket of laundry.
It's too bad, too, because there are some genuinely good jokes if you've got the patience to wait for them. With a better team this could have become a spoof franchise.
Most of this film is a misfire. Emilio Estevez and Samuel L Jackson don't have any chemistry, comedic or otherwise. Neither one is particularly funny on their own nor do they play off each other well. Jackson seems particularly lazy in his role and doesn't seem like he wanted to be there. Even the lines between the two characters seem sparse, and they mostly seem to interact with anyone but each other for a lot of the film. As if the actors weren't getting along or had very different shooting schedules.
Cameos - such as by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox (Ponch and John from CHiPs) aren't used for anything but nostalgia, in an "Oh, I remember them" way. I guess they thought that was enough but it's curious why they couldn't be bothered to write some jokes.
The bad casting is paired with poor direction and editing. Some of the weaker jokes could have worked in better hands but the comedic timing is nearly always off. Small laughs that work for a chuckle get whittled down to nubs by leaving them to linger way too long on screen. When jokes fall flat (which is pretty often) the silences feels deafening and overlong. The handful of jokes which earn a big laugh are weighed down by all the misfires that surround them. A re-edit that cleans up all the bad timing could make it a significantly funnier film.
William Shatner goes full Shatner mode in his evil villain role and is one of the only lively and invigorating performances to be found. Tim Curry should have been another standout but the script leaves him high and dry. Kathy Ireland is very pretty in a 1990s supermodel way but has the comedic chops of a basket of laundry.
It's too bad, too, because there are some genuinely good jokes if you've got the patience to wait for them. With a better team this could have become a spoof franchise.