Coming from somebody who really enjoyed the first 'Lethal Weapon', while not considering it quite perfect, this is quite high praise. Although there are sequels that are as good as their predecessors is nearly better ('Godfather Part II', 'Terminator 2', 'Aliens') there are many others that don't measure up and some even disgracing them.'Lethal Weapon 2', thank goodness, is not one of those films. But saying that it is almost as good as the first 'Lethal Weapon' is genuinely meant, even if it is not in the same league as the three sequels listed above that are almost as good and nearly better. 'Lethal Weapon 2' has its faults but the good things are many and very obvious to spot.It is let down a little by a script that's at times inconsistent, with the tone sometimes forced and confused and like it's trying to do too much. While the action is mostly great, the helicopter scene is somewhat implausible, more so than most of the script in the first film.Most of the performances are spot on, but two didn't really do it for me. One was Patsy Kensit, who is attractive but looks lost. The other is Joss Ackland's hammy villain who looks like he belongs in another film entirely. Not things that everybody is going to share but just personal opinion.However, like 'Lethal Weapon', the way 'Lethal Weapon 2' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish while Richard Donner once again directs with an assured hand. The score is atmospheric and groovy.Despite not finding all the script working, a lot of it does with some cracking, sometimes hilarious humour, tension and dark pathos. The story is tightly structured and plotted, with some great tension and always being fun. Loved the bathroom scene, one of the best and most unique on film.Once again, the action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, apart from one that suffers from excessive implausibility. It is very easy to see why the chalk and cheese chemistry of the polar opposite characters of Riggs and Murtaugh became so popular, very rarely in a buddy-cop film has this kind of chemistry been so entertaining and perfectly pitched.Mel Gibson continues to excel in a performance as witty and intense has before. Danny Glover gives Murtaugh the right amount of spirit, subtlety and no-nonsense attitude. They are matched well by Joe Pesci, who is a motormouth delight, and Derrick O'Connor who gives much more of a sinister edge than Ackland (have noticed that in both films that the henchman has always been the more memorable and better played than the lead villain).In summary, very well done and just as good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

It has been a long time since I watched "Lethal Weapon 4" then "Lethal Weapon." This week, wandering through the movie shelves of my local library I came upon this one on BluRay. Anticipating good video and audio I settled in on a cold Saturday and watched it.As these Lethal Weapon movies go it is a lot of slapstick comedy superimposed on a serious theme. Here a South African diplomat in Los Angeles appears to be involved in drugs and gold, plus money laundering, but uses his diplomatic immunity to keep the cops at arm's length.Mel Gibson is Martin Riggs and his partner is Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh. Given a $hit assignment they are to guard Joe Pesci as Leo Getz, a sly money-launderer who is in witness protection. The S. Africans want to eliminate him but Riggs and Murtaugh, as haphazard as they may be, are difficult to defeat.The boss of the bad guys is Joss Ackland as S. African diplomat Arjen Rudd. The love interest for Riggs is pretty British actress Patsy Kensit as Dutch Rika Van Den Haas who works for Rudd but is not a crook.Of course none of this is plausible but if you keep reminding yourself that it is just a movie then you will be entertained by watching how the cops eventually bring the S. African crooks to justice.

Lethal Weapon was just the beginning. It sets up the relationship between Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Well) well, with a strong story to boot. The second has the cops in a tight knit, their banter brushing off each other with satisfying effects. Murtaugh is still angry, and Riggs is still crazy, just less suicidal. They're the cop duo others try to replicate. LW2 carries over LW's best bits, while adding extra bonuses for all to revel in. Newcomer Joe Pesci ('I'm Leo Getz, and whatever you want, Leo gets.') is great but does grate, repeating 'ok' so many times I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The only drawback to LW2 is too much time and effort's spent on character development, as the South African criminals they face have no personalities. This is made up for by a shocking twist involving a key character's past.

Continuing my plan to watch every Mel Gibson movie in order, I come to Lethal Weapon 2Plot In A Paragraph: The boys are back in town as L.A.P.D. officers, Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) who must protect an federal witness (A brilliant Joe Pesci), while taking on a gang of South African drug dealers hiding behind their diplomatic immunity.It's easy to forget how big this movie actually was in 1989. Batman was the big movie of the year, and there was loads of sequels, Indiana Jones 3, Back To The Future 2, Ghostbusters 2, Star Trek V and a Bond movie. I don't think many people expected it to do as well as it did. But by toning down the violence and upping the fun, it ended up the third highest grossing movie of 1989. I'm probably in the minority, but I think this is better the the first movie, and is the highlight of the series.I love the chemistry between Gibson and Glover, they seem to have a real affection for each other. And they both look like they enjoy playing off Joe Pesci, who is a welcome addition to the cast, at times it's like watching the three stooges (that's a compliment) Patsy Kensit looks absolutely gorgeous. The surprise to me is how menacing Joss Ackland was as Arjen Rudd the villain of the movie, he is superb.It has a few problems, continuity errors and poor stunt doubles, but it's well directed, well acted with great pacing, and the perfect balance of big action and big laughs. Although I'm not sure how I feel about the "happier ending" than what Shane Black wrote (with Riggs dying) but without it, there would be no Lethal Weapon 3 or 4.With a domestic gross of $147 million Lethal Weapon 2 (only Batman and Indian Jones out grossed it) was by far the highest hit of Gibson's career.