Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Writers: Shane Black (characters), Jonathan Lemkin (story), Alfred Gough (story) Miles Millar (story), Channing Gibson (screenplay)
Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li, Steve Kahan, Kim Chan, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Eddy Ko, Mary Ellen Trainor
Synopsis:
After blowing up a city block in process of stopping a maniac with a flamethrower, Detectives Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) are promoted to Captain because the LAPD will lose its insurance carrier if they're kept on the street. Things have also changed in their personal lives as Riggs and Lorna (Russo) are expecting their first child, while Murtaugh is about to be a grandfather for the first time. The pair become embroiled in a case involving a Chinese human trafficking ring and enlist the help of the irascible Leo Getz (Pesci), who is now a PI, and the young Detective Lee Butters (Rock) to investigate local Chinese gangster Uncle Benny (Chan). Unfortunately, their efforts draw the attention of Wah Sing Ku, a Triad enforcer who is using the trafficking ring as a means to free a group of four Triad leaders imprisoned in China. Violence ensues.
First Impressions:
I was 22 when this film was released and I was initially excited to see it as it would be the first in the series that I would be able to catch in the theaters. There was also the addition of Jet Li to the franchise which heightened my excitement even more. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the film on first viewing. I'm not sure if it was that I had hyped it up too much in my mind or perhaps I had just outgrown that type of movie. At the time I thought it couldn't be the movie itself. I mean, this was Richard Donner and Mel Gibson, a combination that was almost a sure thing back in the 90s. Make no mistake, there were some things that I enjoyed about the film, the action sequences being among them, but there was something missing that made it lesser than its three prequels. As a result, it's not a film I go back to often and the only reason I own it on DVD is because it came with the other three in a boxed set. In fact, I think this was the first time I actually even opened that particular DVD case. I guess it's time to see whether the film is as bad as I remember, so let's just tear the band-aid off.
Story/Direction:
"I'm not too old for this shit."
As it it turns out, yes this film is as bad as I remember, which is a real shame because there was the potential for a really interesting film here. So, let's start with the things that I liked about it. first of all, as I've mentioned in my previous reviews of the series (found here, here and here) that I appreciate the efforts Donner and company go to to maintain consistency in casting. Even smaller parts like Capt. Murphy (Kahan) or the LAPD's in-house psychologist (Trainor) have been played by the same actors since the beginning of the series. It seem like such a small thing but it really helps immersion in the story, at least for me it did. Of course the chemistry between Gibson and Glover is the real drawing point to this series and it's still in this installment but the material their using is just not up to snuff. The action scenes are also well done but I'll save talking about them for a later section.
Now onto the bad. One of the hallmarks of the Lethal Weapon series is its ability to blend comedy and action with a bit of an edge. This was on full display in the first film, but over the years, that edge softened until this final entry. As a result, Lethal Weapon 4, seems really more like a full blown comedy with action elements, rather than an action-comedy. To make matters worse, they missed a couple of good story opportunities that would've made for a much better film. These opportunities center around the character of Riggs, who's already gone through quite the character arc as the series has gone on. In this film, Riggs struggles with the fact that he's getting older in a profession that favors the young. The movie touches upon a bit, but it would have been nice if they focused on it a bit more. The concept even has the opportunity for good comedy as Murtaugh could take some pleasure out of seeing his younger partner go through the same things he did a few years ago. Riggs is also gong through many changes in his personal life as he's in a serious relationship for the first time since his wife dies and he's expecting a child. Again, the film touches on this, but it missed out on expanding on this by perhaps making Riggs less reckless because he actually has something to live for now.
Lastly, I want to talk about the comedy aspects of the film. There are certainly some funny bits, such as the constant pranking of Murtaugh and the scene at the dentists office when Riggs, Murtaugh and company accidentally get high on laughing gas. However, most of the comedy involved everybody yelling and talking over each other. In the original film, the Shane Black script was full of clever and witty dialogue. By the fourth installment, that wit was replaced with angry ranting about whatever is bugging the characters at that given moment. I think this was done partly to take advantage of Chris Rock's stand-up style, but I think it didn't really mesh well with the comedy that the series was known for.
Acting/Characters:
Now, Riggs and Murtaugh are always going to be the focal point of the series and being that this is the fourth film in the franchise, I think I've said all I can about Gibson and Glover's portrayals of the characters. So, if you're interested in my thoughts on that check out my other reviews in the series. Instead, in this section, I'll start by focusing on the movie's primary antagonist, Wah Sing Ku played by Jet Li. As far as I know, this was Li's first go at a western movie and he was one of the high-points in the film. The character said very little and had a sinister air about him. It's a very effective performance, especially from an actor that made his name as a hero.
Then there's Chris Rock. Now, I enjoy his stand-up material alright but his inclusion in the film was really just the filmmakers trying to take advantage of his popularity at the time. Like most comics that get into acting, they start out pretty rough and have to learn the craft and, over the years, Rock has. But here in this film, he's really just doing bits of his stand-up, which just seemed out of place. The film and the story would have been better served by casting the roll of Butters with a younger actor, rather than a comedian. What made it worse was the decision to have Rock and Joe Pesci play off each other in increasingly irritating concurrent rants, which just devolved into two people talking over each other, which isn't good.
Visuals/Action:
As I mentioned above, despite the movie's flaws, the action is still solid and there are a number of really cool set pieces. There's the gunfight aboard a cargo ship to open the film, as well as a fight on a freeway inside a mobile home that's pretty exhilarating. The shootout at the end of the film is also well done. Of course, with the inclusion of Jet Li in the cast, there also has to be some pretty good fight scenes in the film and there are. I've heard that Li was so fast in his movements that Donner had to ask him to slow down because the camera wasn't picking it up. Of course, this wouldn't be a Lethal Weapon film without a massive explosion and there are a couple of big ones to satisfy the pyro in all of us.
Score/Soundtrack:
Another one of the highpoints of the series is the score and the themes for Riggs and Murtaugh (composed by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton) return, which is great because these musical cues are as much a part of the characters as the actors. Like the other installments in the series, the score still works well and elevates the action on screen rather than distracts from it.
Final Verdict:
Nope. I still don't like this film. It's not very good. I'd steer clear unless you're a want to see the whole franchise from beginning to end. That being said, with news of a fifth installment on the horizon, I expect my opinions of this film may soften somewhat. But as of right now, I think this is a crummy film. View at your own peril.
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