Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh pursue a former LAPD officer who uses his knowledge of police procedure and policies to steal and sell confiscated guns and ammunition to local street gangs.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), Jeffrey Boam (screenplay by)

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Martin Riggs
Danny Glover	...	Roger Murtaugh
Joe Pesci	...	Leo Getz
Rene Russo	...	Lorna Cole
Stuart Wilson	...	Jack Travis
Steve Kahan	...	Captain Murphy
Darlene Love	...	Trish Murtaugh
Traci Wolfe	...	Rianne Murtaugh
Damon Hines	...	Nick Murtaugh
Ebonie Smith	...	Carrie Murtaugh
Gregory Millar	...	Tyrone
Nick Chinlund	...	Hatchett
Jason Rainwater	...	Young Cop (as Jason Meshover-Iorg)
Alan Scarfe	...	Herman Walters
Delores Hall	...	Delores

Storyline

Archetypal buddy cops Riggs and Murtaugh are back for another round of high-stakes action, this time setting their collective sights on bringing down a former Los Angeles police lieutenant turned black market weapons dealer. Lorna Cole joins as the beautiful yet hardnosed internal affairs sergeant who catches Riggs's eye.

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Plot Keywords:

crooked cop | corrupt policeman | dirty cop | sex | 1990s | 

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Taglines:

The magic is back again!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert De Niro was considered to play Jack Travis.

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Goofs

During the armored car chase, Riggs can be seen wearing black socks with his uniform when he's thrown back onto the pursuing truck. Soon after, during a close-up of a what is supposed to be his foot hitting the brake, white socks are clearly visible.

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Quotes

Martin Riggs: Look, that kid was a killer, alright? That wasn't a Tinker Toy in his hand, that was a machine pistol with twin carbies and all the trimmings, man! He would've drilled you, me, anybody that came along, alright? You had no choice.
Roger Murtaugh: Oh no, it didn't happen to you, Riggs, it happened to me! It happened to me! I killed that kid, I killed that boy. Oh yeah, oh you killed a lot of people, you kill a fuckin' lot of people. You ever kill a baby?
Martin Riggs: You selfish...
Roger Murtaugh: You got ice in your veins. You don't kill a ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

During the credits you can hear that another bomb has been discovered. When Martin and Roger show up in their car, they have this discussion again whether or not to go in. Just as they stop at the building, the whole building explodes and you can hear Martin saying, while backing up the car, "I hope nobody saw us".

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Alternate Versions

The German release was rated FSK 16 and is uncut. On the television, a version cut down to FSK 12 has been aired once.

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Connections

Referenced in Empire of the Censors (1995)

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Soundtracks

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday
Written by Christine Yarian and Freddie Perren
Performed by Boyz II Men
Courtesy of Motown Record Co., L.P.

User Reviews

Still Lethal

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)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lethal Weapon 3

Filming Locations:

City of Los Angeles Piper Technical Center - 555 Ramirez Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,243,086, 17 May 1992

Gross USA:

$144,731,527

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$321,731,527

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 121 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) (4 channels) Dolby SR Dolby Digital (5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1