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Lethal Weapon 4

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Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

July. 10,1998
|
6.6
|
R
| Adventure Action Comedy Thriller
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Officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh of the Los Angeles Police Department must stop a dangerous crime lord from China from getting his brother out of jail.

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Micitype
1998/07/10

Pretty Good

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Smartorhypo
1998/07/11

Highly Overrated But Still Good

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Rio Hayward
1998/07/12

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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Roxie
1998/07/13

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

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merelyaninnuendo
1998/07/14

Lethal Weapon 41 And A Half Out Of 5Lethal Weapon 4 is another advancement on the partner-in-crime's chapter, that neither helps evolve the characters nor the makers from its rigid bubble. The rudimentary process and the urge to leave the scene or cut to next scene with either a bang or a punch line that defies logic and practicality, pretty much gives it away within its first few minutes where the feature may lie. The franchise still hasn't solved its antagonist problem, for it never oozes threat as it should nor does it projects the stake at risk; it's all possible, it's all easy with a tougher sacrificial routine. It is again low on its technical aspects like choreography, sound department and editing. The screenplay by Channing Gibson is actually a mixology of all the spicy ingredients extracted from the commercially successful feature, adding it up and waiting for the outcome which too in here isn't handled well by Richard Donner; the director, as usual is short on executing the script addition to that it also failed to project the brotherhood that was present in the previous installments. The performance by Mel Gibson seems a bit derailed whilst Donald Glover seems to be focused with a humorous supporting cast like Joe Pesci and Chris Rock. Lethal Weapon 4 is every bit of a misguided mishap as its predecessor and more for it sucks out the soul from it.

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TheLittleSongbird
1998/07/15

Talking about the other films for a minute, while not perfect, the first film is very good and one of the best buddy-cop films there is (important to the development of them too). 'Lethal Weapon 2' was almost as good, and while 'Lethal Weapon 3' was a little disappointing it was still fun.Which is pretty much the same personal opinion for 'Lethal Weapon 4', though a slight improvement over the third. Like the third film, its weak link is the story, except it's even messier than that and sometimes has a going through the motions, tame feel, especially when one can't help comparing to the first two. It also could have done with having less going on and less characters, it did feel over-stuffed and muddled.'Lethal Weapon 4's' script is also the weakest in this component of the series. Not awful, as some of it is very funny and still intrigues, but there seemed to be too much of an emphasis on sentimentality and especially humour. The humour works better, because there are actually some funny moments like the dentist scene and the fried rice line but there were other parts where it was overdone. The sentimentality really doesn't work, am aware it's for character development but it was done in a very mawkish and under-cooked way and felt really odds and tacked on with the rest of the film.Was mixed on Chris Rock. Was expecting him to be a disaster and be completely out of place. The good news is that he is a little better than expected, there are times where he is amusing and has some good lines and moments with the rest of the cast. Not so good is that he featured in the film too heavily and some of Rock's shtick is overdone and annoying, when you already have Joe Pesci as a motor-mouth it feels overkill.However, the way 'Lethal Weapon 4' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish while Richard Donner once again directs with an assured hand. The score is atmospheric and groovy.Parts of the script doe entertain hugely and crackle in wit and tension, especially the aforementioned moments.Once again, the action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, with terrific stunts and the sheer scale of them being worthy of huge admiration. The freeway scene and Jet Li's final fight are two of the series' best action sequences 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.Joe Pesci, despite the character being a thrown-in plot device, is closer to the funny character he was in the second and not the irritating one in the third. Rene Russo's role is not as fresh and fairly side-lined but she is a lovely presence. While underused, Jet Li is a calmly sinister villain with some truly indestructibly awesome fighting skills, for me the second best overall villain of the series after Gary Busey in the original.In summary, fun if not blowing the mind. Doesn't see the series going out with a bang, but a long way from a whimper despite a few sizeable flaws threatening to make it so. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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bkoganbing
1998/07/16

After several years and an offer of some considerable cash I'm sure, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were lured back to yet another Lethal Weapon movie. This one however is a concession to old age and a hint there won't be any more with them.I remember Clint Eastwood being asked rather stupidly by someone who wanted to know whether there were any more Dirty Harry films on the boards. He replied something to the affect of the next one would be done from a nursing home with a walker. The next one for Riggs and Murtaugh will be done from there.This episode has Glover's daughter pregnant by young detective Chris Rock but the marriage is still being rather stupidly being kept a secret because Glover has forbidden here to date cops. Rene Russo the internal affairs officer from the third Lethal Weapon has moved in with Gibson and is now pregnant, but Gibson is reluctant to go to the altar again.At the same time all of them are dealing with Chinese triads and both counterfeiting, illegal immigration, and sweat shops. Martial arts actor Jet Li squares off against Gibson and he concedes he's getting old. The climax is a close run thing and it takes more than Mel to bring the main bad guy down.The series itself is getting tired as well. It was a good thing to stop it right here.

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slightlymad22
1998/07/17

Riggs and Murtaugh are back in "Lethal Weapon 4, which thankfully gets the franchise back on track after the misfire of "lethal weapon 3"Plot In A Paragraph: With old age creeping up on them, Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) face personal problems whilst they do battle with some Chinese triads.I'll get what I don't like out the way first. There is an awful use of stunt doubles which are glaringly obvious when watching this on Blu-ray. Chris Rock, whilst OK. Seemed to be just doing his stand u routine through most of his time on screen. And Murtaugh saying "please let him be black" when referencing his grandchilds father, bothers me a lot more than it probably should have. I've never been a fan of that type of humour!! It's OK for Glover to say it cos he's Black, but if Gibson had have said "Please let him be white" all hell would have broken loose over racism!! Especially after what followed!! But hey ho!! That's just me, and it probably doesn't bother many other people. Now onto the good. It is always good to see Gibson and Glover together on screen as Riggs and Murtaugh, as they have a real chemistry together. I wonder how their friendship is now, I don't recall Glover speaking publicly about "those tapes" and think it would be a shame if they no longer got on. It is nice to see Rene Russo back and after his awful role in 3, I loved Joe Pesci's turn here, especially the scene at the cemetery at the end of the movie. Jet Li is brilliant and is the deadliest and best villain of the franchise in my opinion, he is a definite step up from Travis in Lethal Weapon 3.One of my favourite things about the Lethal Weapon franchise is the cast. It has not changed throughout the four movies. Aside from Gibson and Glover as Riggs, Darlene Love plays Murtaugh's wife, Traci Wolfe, Damon Hines, and Ebonie Smith are Murtaugh's kids, Steve Kahan (who I forgot to mention was also in Conspiracy Theory) is Captain Murphy, and Mary Ellen Trainor is the police psychiatrist. This is the final film in which composer Michael Kamen composed the music for producer Joel Silver. Kamen would pass away from multiple sclerosis in 2003.Lethal Weapon 4, ended things on a high with $130 million grossed at the domestic box office to end the year the 11th highest grossing movie of 1998.

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