With personal crises and age weighing in on them, LAPD officers Riggs and Murtaugh must contend with deadly Chinese triads that are trying to free their former leaders out of prison and onto American soil.
Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, after escaping death from the previous movies are put on a hit list by The Triads. When blood thirsty mercenaries are on their tail they team up again with Leo Getz and Lorna Cole, a newcomer (Chris Rock) to finally put an end to the Triads for good.Written by
Brian H <hershey@visuallink.com>
After Simon Rhee and Jeff Imada work together in Lethal Weapon 4, they work together again in Blade with Wesley Snipes. See more »
Goofs
When Martin Riggs rides Jet Li into an installment of boxes, it is clear that is a stunt double driving the vehicle. See more »
Quotes
Capt. Ed Murphy:
We're dinosaurs headed for extinction.
Martin Riggs:
Speak for yourself...
Capt. Ed Murphy:
Gotta make way for the NEW-IMPROVED police department; guys with guns and psychology degrees, like Butters, out there.
Martin Riggs:
Biter has a psychology degree?
Roger Murtaugh:
More like a PSYCHO degree.
Capt. Ed Murphy:
Ah, hell, I got nothin' against it; times have gotta change. Hey, I almost got shot by a hot-rodder with a zip gun; that's how far back *I* go.
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The Australian theatrical and rental VHS releases were cut to obtain a more commercially viable M rating. The uncut MA rated version was released on sell-through VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray. See more »
'Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)' is the weakest in its series, but it still cements the franchise as one of the best in cinematic history. The most drastic difference here is actually Gibson's hair, which has transformed from a luscious mane into a simple short back and sides, which is a testament to the continued enthusiasm and skill of everyone involved. The two leads are as great as ever, their dynamic remaining compelling and enjoyable right the way through. They really feel like long-time friends and, for the stars, it seems utterly effortless to pull off. Riggs isn't as much of a loose cannon as before but that's actually a part of his overall arc. One of the worse changes in character is the fact that Russo's Lorna is, essentially, reduced to 'the wife', only serving to add stakes to the plot and get a knife held to her pregnant belly - though, she does get a couple of good kicks at her captor. Leo is back in a bigger role than last time. Thankfully, though he is annoying (as designed), he gets a heartfelt scene that really rounds out his character. Chris Rock does a decent job as an eager young detective, even if his more improvisational style doesn't always mesh with the otherwise more 'written' stuff, and Jet Li serves the film well as its often-silent antagonist, bringing his martial arts expertise to the often brutal action. That action is as good as ever. The set-pieces are inventive and exciting, a good mix of fisticuffs, shoot-outs and car chases that are all sure to get your blood pumping. It's unusual for a director to remain on board for an entire series, but it's difficult to imagine 'Lethal Weapon' without Richard Donner. Aside from a couple of dodgy edits, he delivers yet another enjoyable action-comedy. The movie does have some flaws, including a fairly lacklustre plot and quite a lot of unfortunate Asian stereotyping, but (for now) it satisfyingly closes the book on its brilliant franchise. 7/10
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'Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)' is the weakest in its series, but it still cements the franchise as one of the best in cinematic history. The most drastic difference here is actually Gibson's hair, which has transformed from a luscious mane into a simple short back and sides, which is a testament to the continued enthusiasm and skill of everyone involved. The two leads are as great as ever, their dynamic remaining compelling and enjoyable right the way through. They really feel like long-time friends and, for the stars, it seems utterly effortless to pull off. Riggs isn't as much of a loose cannon as before but that's actually a part of his overall arc. One of the worse changes in character is the fact that Russo's Lorna is, essentially, reduced to 'the wife', only serving to add stakes to the plot and get a knife held to her pregnant belly - though, she does get a couple of good kicks at her captor. Leo is back in a bigger role than last time. Thankfully, though he is annoying (as designed), he gets a heartfelt scene that really rounds out his character. Chris Rock does a decent job as an eager young detective, even if his more improvisational style doesn't always mesh with the otherwise more 'written' stuff, and Jet Li serves the film well as its often-silent antagonist, bringing his martial arts expertise to the often brutal action. That action is as good as ever. The set-pieces are inventive and exciting, a good mix of fisticuffs, shoot-outs and car chases that are all sure to get your blood pumping. It's unusual for a director to remain on board for an entire series, but it's difficult to imagine 'Lethal Weapon' without Richard Donner. Aside from a couple of dodgy edits, he delivers yet another enjoyable action-comedy. The movie does have some flaws, including a fairly lacklustre plot and quite a lot of unfortunate Asian stereotyping, but (for now) it satisfyingly closes the book on its brilliant franchise. 7/10