Blyss's Movie Review for:

Main Cast of Characters:

Mel Gibson...........Martin Riggs

Danny Glover........Roger Murtaugh

Gary Busey..........Mr. Joshua

Tom Atkins.........Michael Hunsaker

Darlene Love..........Trish Murtaugh

Traci Wolfe...............Rianne Murtaugh

Damon Hines...............Nick Murtaugh

Ebonie Smith...............Carrie Murtaugh

Jackie Swanson...............Amanda Hunsaker

Lycia Naff.............Dixie

Mary Ellen Trainor.............Dr. Stephanie Woods

Steve Kahan.............Captain Ed Murphy

1987. Rated: R Genre: Action/Drama 112 minutes

A certified lethal weapon.....

The film begins with a young blond woman falling to her death. It then switches to Roger Murtaugh. It is his 50th birthday. An old friend of his, Michael Hunsacker calls him while he is gone. He recalls that they were in Vietnam together. He does not call him then because he gets called away to a crime scene where he learns Michael's daughter Amanda has fallen to her death from a building. It then switches again to an officer, Martin Riggs, who is conducting a drug bust. When he reveals that he is a cop, the guys start shooting and then grab him and hold him hostage as if they are going to shoot him. He screams for them to shoot him or for his guys to shoot the bad guy. Finally he hits the bad guy and they catch him. Riggs goes home and we learn that he has lost his wife Vicky and he is ready to kill himself because he misses her so much. But he cannot go through with it. The next day Murtaugh learns that Riggs is his new partner and neither are happy about the new partnership. The film then introduces us to the bad guys. A Mr. Mendez is introduced to Mr. Joshua, a mercenary, by a drug dealer and he can see how deranged Mr. Joshua is. Then we go back to Roger Murtaugh who is giving the bad news about Amanda's death to her father. She had been taking barbituates laced with drain cleaner. Someone was trying to kill Amanda and it was not a suicide. Michael feels like Roger owes him one because he took a blow for him in the military. He asks Roger to kill the ones that poisoned his daughter. Murtaugh and Riggs leave on a jumper call. Riggs talks Murtaugh into letting him go up and handle it. Roger reluctantly agrees. Riggs goes up and manages to get the jumper to let him get on the ledge with him and then tricks him into handcuffing him and jumps over the side together with him. It is when they land that Roger finds out just how suicidal Riggs is. But they have a case to solve. Who killed Amanda Hunsacker? What does that have to do with mercenary named Mr. Joshua? How do the pieces fit together? And can Roger keep Riggs alive long enough to find out?

I have always thought that this Lethal Weapon was one of the best. It has everything for the beginning of a series of movies! Drama, comedy, action! Mel Gibson gave not only a comedic performance but an outstanding dramatic performance as a suicidal cop who lost his wife and wishes he had went with her. One of my favorite parts in this movie is when Riggs and the jumper are on the roof. Riggs acts like he understands what thejumper is feeling (he probably really does) and then he handcuffs him. He says he is going to jump anyway and Riggs grabs him and says, "Do you wanna jump? Do you wanna? Cause I do. Let's do it!" and they jump into a police air mattress below. I loved it! I also love it when they are practicing at the shooting range and Riggs comes up with his theory on a hooker named Dixie who may have been involved in Amanda's murder. Mel Gibson is so funny in that part!

An all around great movie but not an all around family movie because of the nudity and language. If you haven't seen this yet, where have you been? Go rent it now!

I rate this: 10

Blyss