One of the all-time success stories in on-screen chemistry. Gibson and Glover are amazing together, so much so that they were able to get away with "The Magic Is Back!" as the tagline on the poster for LETHAL WEAPON 2 and nobody batted an eye or questioned it. Everybody knew what the magic was: Gibson & Glover together. Casting directors don't often get shoutouts, but shoutout to the legendary Marion Dougherty, who not only paired Gibson and Glover but also Newman and Redford in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID *and* Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Unreal.
When Gibson and Glover first see each other in Maverick, they give each other a funny look as though they somehow already know each other in a way that they themselves don't understand. That was humorous for the audience, because most of the audience was acquainted with the Lethal Weapon movies. Since in that movie they're not only playing different characters but are in an earlier century, it's not as simple as a reincarnation joke. Unless you take it as a sign that these two entities meet each other in every incarnation they experience through all time. I don't think the Maverick director was trying for anything that deep. Probably just told them to give each other the funny look, for fun.
@@DougRayPhillips The Maverick director IS the Lethal Weapon director, it’s Richard Donner again. It was absolutely just played for laughs to have Glover cameo in Maverick and give the audience a fun in-joke callback to the trio’s other films they made together.
Something I've just realized after 30 years of watching this movie: Murtaugh's musical cues are the sax, and Riggs' are the electric guitar. They sound very different separately but can also sound very good together. Awesome detail!
This is The case in a lot of movies where they have a sort of low key theam on every main character. Specially in T2 when sarah goes hunting down dyson they mixed sarah and The terminator theme
A golden standard of the buddy cop genre. All 4 films were directed by the late, great Richard Donner (Superman The Movie). This first installment was from the screenwriter and co-star of Predator, Shane Black. Both films (Predator & LW) were released the same year, 2 months apart. The tv series ran for 3 seasons. But it went on a much different path than the movies. Part 5 was in pre-production as R. Donner had just turned age 90 and ready to direct it. He asked Mel Gibson if he would takeover as director, just in case his health got worse. Mel said yes and even after Donner's passing with speculation of it never happening, it was confirmed that LW5 would be made.
Did you know that he also wrote the 2nd movie but they canned his version because he decided to kill off Riggs (Gibson). Based on how bad the second one was, I think they should have stuck with him.
@@Jindorek i knew that Riggs was suppose to die. Don't know how i would react to LW2 ending like that. But here's something else. Rika (Patsy Kensit) in LW2 was killed off Instead of Riggs. Even after the original ending was filmed with her surviving.
during the scene where Huntsacker got shot, he mentioned the C.I.A. front "Air America". well, there is also a movie called Air America starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. its also a good 80's flick that was overlooked
If you enjoyed this one, Jen, the sequel is even wilder. Joe Pesci joins the team and "Lethal Weapon 2" becomes a bit like a Three Stooges comedy with Mel, Danny, and Joe.
It was brilliant. Mel & Danny such good chemistry in the first, but to add Joe and their crazy chemistry. Plus the bad guys are better and Pasty Kensit OMG.
Another fun fact: shortly after the jumper scene, Danny Glover (Murtaugh) & Mel Gibson (Riggs) walk past a movie theater marquee advertising that 'The Lost Boys' is playing. Director Richard Donner was the executive producer on 'The Lost Boys'....
This is the movie that shot a very young (25ish) Shane Black to stardom, which is unusual because he was the writer. He earned $250,000 for this, his first script, and eventually was paid a record $4 million for The Long Kiss Goodnight in the mid 90s. The majority of movies he's written or directed since have been similar in style, content, humour and being-set-at-Christmas as Lethal Weapon, and most of them are pretty great - The Nice Guys, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang are all especially good.
He also wrote Last Action Hero with Dave Arnott, (based on a story by two other authors) but the suits kept messing with the script, handing it off to a number of writers for re-writes including William Goldman (he wrote the princess bride) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). It eventually got released far too late at the wrong time and bombed quite badly. Personally i think Arnie wasnt the best choice and the kid was just too annoying to be likeable.
This soundtrack is very 80s. The music was composed by the late Michael Kamen, who did the music for several 80s action and horror movies like The Dead Zone, Lifeforce, Highlander, Die Hard, Road House, Licence to Kill, and Lethal Weapon 2. Eric Clapton also collaborated with Kamen on the Lethal Weapon score, performing the guitar parts.
One of the best franchises in cinematic history. The second and third really define the Buddy-Cop / Action-Comedy genre. The fourth is solid too and now I hear we're getting a fifth...
Jen's reactions are always amazing and very entertaining. You will learn more about riggs backstory as the movies go on. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are my favorite buddy cop duo of all time. Jen is definitely a beacon of light during these dark and trying times. 🙏❤
You mentioned the music in the movie. The saxophone was played by the amazing jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, and the guitar was played by the guitar god, the legendary Eric "Slowhand" Clapton. The overall score by the late, great Michael Kamen uses these instruments as cues. With Sanborn's sax, the focus is on Roger Murtagh,. with Clapton's bluesy guitar riffs the focus is on Martin Riggs. When both instruments sound it's the buddies, Riggs and Murtagh, their individual moments become second to the overall story. This is done with all four films, Clapton and Sanborn sharing in the scores. The second expands the family of characters with Joe Pesci, and the third does so again with Rene Russo. The chemistry not just with Gibson and Glover, but the whole cast under Richard Donner's direction creates a really amazing franchise. There is a bit of opinion as to how good each film is...I feel LW & LW2 are equally good, there is a slight overall quality dip in LW3, and more of one in LW4...but even so, all four movies are awesome, and I love them all. The chemistry of the actors, the character development, the storylines, the spectacle of action sequences, the overall direction, and the music...all worked amazingly well IMHO. I hope you do all of them!
I was waiting for the Sanborn & Clapton comment. Among the best musicians to do movie soundtracks free flow like this with little or no rehearsal. Two musical geniuses for their time and genres.
7:30 “That guy” is Gary Busey. There are those who’d say he isn’t really acting when he’s “the crazy guy” in a movie, and I’m not sure I’ll argue the point. But he was also nominated for Best Actor for “The Buddy Holly Story.” The soundtrack for the whole series is great, with the exception of the title song in the first movie. Score written by Michael Kamen, with David Sanborn and Eric Clapton playing with him. Second movie has songs by The Beach Boys and George Harrison, the third has Elton John and Sting.
My wife was killed in a car accident 7 years ago. And that suicide scene hits way too damn hard. Especially around Thanksgiving. Dude who killed her ended up switching himself off at the scene... When you don't really have an outlet for the anger, alcohol or drugs or worse takes its place.
Roger Murtaugh: [discussing a theory] That's pretty fucking thin. Martin Riggs: That's very thin. Roger Murtaugh: What the hell, thin's my middle name. Martin Riggs: Your wife's cooking, I'm not surprised. [fires his gun several more times] Roger Murtaugh: What? What? Martin Riggs: Nothin'. Roger Murtaugh: Remarks like that will not get you invited to Christmas dinner. Martin Riggs: My luck's changing for the better every day Automic like for me The best buddy cop franchise ever With every sequel the Family expands. Lethal weapon is not just an action movie. It's dark at some times. Funny at other times.
Darlene Love plays Glover’s wife- she’s a legendary singer and I highly recommend the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom which explores her story as a background singer.
Hello Jen and folks in the comment section! What I enjoy most about your reactions is that you truly immerse yourself in the narrative and feel for the characters. Totally agree with you about the 80s music btw. The best to you and yours.
I use Lethal Weapon as an example of a movie that takes place at Christmas but isn't really a Christmas movie, in relation to Die Hard. Christmas is part of the plot of Die Hard, you have to rewrite it if it's not Christmas for multiple reasons. Not as much with Lethal Weapon, you can take Christmas out and it has no effect on the plot. They both have "finding/getting to family" themes, though.
The first one is the most serious of the series. After this it goes full-on buddy cop action movie, with lots of humor. They're all loads of fun. Definitely watch them all.
Brian Dennehy, Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood, and Jack Nicholson were considered for Roger Murtaugh. Patrick Swayze, William Hurt, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Lambert, Lamb bear, Jeff Bridges, Richard Gere, Christopher Reeve, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Douglas, and Val Kilmer were considered for Martin Riggs. David Bowie, Christopher Walken, Scott Glenn, James Woods, and John Saxon were considered for Joshua. Peter Boyle, Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Lee Marvin, Bruce Dern and Richard Jordan were considered for General McAllister.
Yes, this is definitely a Christmas movie. Highly recommend watching all 4 movies. Each one, while different, displays a wonderful progression of both Riggs and Murtaugh, as well as their relationship. This 4 movie set is one of the best overall multi-movie stories ever told. New characters are added, and backstories for the main characters are told. They get fleshed out, very well. I hear a 5th one is in the works, but I honestly don't know how well it will fit into the established story. Part 4 really wraps everything up so well. The action is really good, the pacing works SO well, and yeah, I'm talking about all 4 movies. Also, I recommend watching the "Director's Cut" for this movie. There are some things added that help flesh things out from the start (Especially Riggs)... but they do change the pacing a little. So I understand why they were cut from the theatrical release.
At the beginning of Dirty Harry, when Harry is walking into the cafe at the beginning of the movie, you can see "Play Misty For Me" on the marquee next to the cafe
I'm excited! This one's a wonderful surprise. All 4 are great. If you do 'em, I'll be here. So much fun energy; so much great chemistry. Thanks. See you in a bit!
Yes this is a Christmas movie one of my favorite Christmas movies. This was the role that I was completely blown away by Mel Gibson he brings so much emotion and heart to his character.
The 80's movies were great. No PC stuff getting in the way, loads of violence, cool one-liners and lots and lots of explosions! I mean, everything exploded at the drop of a hat... for no reason... even dropped hats 💥 Another highly enjoyable reaction Jen, thx for sharing with us :)
Joshua was played by Gary Busey, who's done some wonderful work (including The Buddy Holly and Under Siege) and some less wonderful work. He suffered brain damage during a motorcycle accident in 1988 that has rendered him in some ways like many of the eccentric characters he often plays and now often takes on the role of a self-parodying cultural icon.
From 1980-85 Mel made 8 movies and became an international superstar! The first to be name sexist man alive. But by 1985 he was burnt out and took 2 years off to get to his heath back. Lethal Weapon was a come back. Mel Aussie accent was still thick and in Lethal Weapon he's making his voice deeper to hold it back.
Such a great reaction, Jen. It's well worth doing the complete series of the 'Lethal Weapon' films all four of them, they're all good, great 'Bromances', too. Another great film similar to this is, 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' with Samuel L Jackson and Geena Davis.
Cool reaction Jen. You might want to check out the rest of the franchise--same cast, different bad guys, and an absolutely comedic Joe Pesci. Your insights make me suspect that you have some experience as a police officer (You're building quite a resume--secret agent, bank robber, cop, and with "I'm a vanilla girl" maybe a hip-hop singer). I'm a little concerned about your enthusiasm with snipers. You look harmless enough, but... Please keep reacting to movies and I'll keep watching.
The chemistry between Gibson and Glover is second-to-none. Even as the plots of the sequels weaken, they stay amazingly strong. I say go for all of them.
The scene with Mel Gibson battling with himself over committing 'self-homocide' is so *very* powerful! It was *seriously* hard for me to watch; I was literally quivering in my seat in the theater, and an actual whimper was squeezed out of me (I had lost a *very* good friend to 'self-homocide' [YT has a 'thing' about '$e|f-h@®m' mentions] three years earlier) ... and that scene really 'dredges it up' for me (yes, even all these years later!) - *that's* how piercing/powerful that scene is! Oh yeah, really good reaction - and I'm glad you enjoyed the movie!
" I'm too old for this sh*t" I seem to say that more and more often...could it be I am getting old? Noooo! tell me it is not true (denial can be fun) 😆
Lethal re-watch. 💜 Awesome reaction, Jen. I loved how into this franchise you were. 5:00 Yes, seeing the red dot (next to the hammer) on the weapon means the safety is off. [Edit] 10:23 Your face when he jumps. 😂🤗 Shout out for Mel in *Maverick* (1994), action-comedy dir by Richard Donner. Card sharks and hustlers congregate for a big poker game in late 19th Century Mississippi. You'll *love* it. As did worldwide audiences and critics. Looking forward lots to Mad Max (1979) on Patreon (possibly) this week and soon here on RUclips. 😃
Limo v Helicopter - I could be wrong (I'm not an expert), but I don't think the chopper could have stopped the limo if she hadn't panicked and lost control. Helicopters are not the easiest aircraft to fly. If the pilot were to actually land fully on the car, he risked the skid breaking the window and getting caught in the car's frame, which would be a disaster for him. A small chopper like that isn't strong enough to lift a car, so the car would act like an anchor, very likely causing him to lose control and crash. On the other hand, one of the henchmen probably could have shot at the car from the back of the chopper. There's a deleted scene that introduces Mel's character in a different way. Riggs is driving when he hears a call about a sniper at a school. He shows up and after a little hesitation, he goes up the steps and walks right out onto the playground to call to the sniper. The sniper pops up and fires several shots, missing him. Riggs takes aim at the window, then taunts the sniper. When he pops up again, Riggs empties his gun into him, than casually walks away.
On the fridge in the house was a sticker that said something like End Apartheid, Free South Africa. That couldn't possibly be foreshadowing, could it? hmmmm I don't know.
When you picked the soundtrack as your MVP, I thought you where going to pick up on the character themes ... The Saxophone for Roger and guitar riff for Riggs... At the start of the movie both themes are played separately - but as the movie progresses the themes mesh together and become a melody just like the characters on screen...Also I see you've already seen "Die Hard" did you not see the resemblance in the final shooting ... Al shooting the hanged man in Die Hard for the final jump scare of the movie - and Joshua grabbing the officers gun while being arrested? Great reaction...
Jenn: He's gunna get sniped or something. .... He's gunna get sniped right now?!? LOL! Jenn is like me. She has a way of reading where a movie is going. Good instincts.
Great reaction. This was Mel Gibson's breakout action genre role to wide American audiences His self-contained tension was awesome and enough can't be said about Danny Glover's understated performance as the job weary veteran. The two personality extremes played off each other perfectly.
By the time Leathal Weapon came out in 1987, Mel Gibson was already a worldwide star (just not as big in America yet) due to the first 3 Mad Max films (Mad Max 1979, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 1982 & Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 1985)... 😁✌️
I love the fist fight on the lawn at the end. 1, the terrorist is a cop killer so the LAPD are happy to watch Riggs beat him to a pulp. And 2, they're both Vietnam vets so there's that respect in the air.
You know Jen, the way you really love all these 80's movies and James Bond movies... I think you were born a couple decades late. Sounds like you should have been born in the 70's!
"Probably has another gun." Damn, you're getting good ;P This is my favourite of the 80s action movies, and there's a whole lot of good ones to choose from. The pairing of Gibson and Glover is inspired, and I love the Murtaugh family! The sequels are all good, and entertaining too. If you like the buddy cop genre, Midnight Run is a lesser known gem. Not quite buddy 'cop' but De Niro and Grodin are a great unlikely pairing
Jet Li is in LW4 as the lead henchman... speaking of which, Li lead two Luc Besson action films, Kiss of the Dragon(2001) and Unleashed{2005), that are worth a watch. (He did a lot of other movies too, but these are Luc Besson action films. You know what I saying? They're both kinda bonkers.)
![[4K] Watch SpaceX Catch A Starship Rocket From Space!!! #IFT5](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pIKI7y3DTXk/mqdefault.jpg)
Lethal Weapon Playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLQHhQlj8i5drIlwrH9yKm0mHdTbgf7aSo
Christmas Playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLQHhQlj8i5dr_-y1rBcRf8JdB98JlfbdR
@@donaldmcauliffe3120 Donald, just for You...I am now "Praying" for The Blob! 😇
@@donaldmcauliffe3120 I didn't, but that is so Cool!
They are all worth watching once, but the first one is the best 🤓
Yes please.
Awesome movie
The contemplating suicide scene is Mel Gibson's greatest scene ever IMO. Such a sad and powerful scene.
Absolutely!
Been there but haven't felt that particular pain.
He had some great emotional scenes in The Patriot too
His scene in Ransom is up there, too. You know the scene.
One of the all-time success stories in on-screen chemistry. Gibson and Glover are amazing together, so much so that they were able to get away with "The Magic Is Back!" as the tagline on the poster for LETHAL WEAPON 2 and nobody batted an eye or questioned it. Everybody knew what the magic was: Gibson & Glover together. Casting directors don't often get shoutouts, but shoutout to the legendary Marion Dougherty, who not only paired Gibson and Glover but also Newman and Redford in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID *and* Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Unreal.
When Gibson and Glover first see each other in Maverick, they give each other a funny look as though they somehow already know each other in a way that they themselves don't understand. That was humorous for the audience, because most of the audience was acquainted with the Lethal Weapon movies. Since in that movie they're not only playing different characters but are in an earlier century, it's not as simple as a reincarnation joke. Unless you take it as a sign that these two entities meet each other in every incarnation they experience through all time. I don't think the Maverick director was trying for anything that deep. Probably just told them to give each other the funny look, for fun.
@@DougRayPhillips The Maverick director IS the Lethal Weapon director, it’s Richard Donner again. It was absolutely just played for laughs to have Glover cameo in Maverick and give the audience a fun in-joke callback to the trio’s other films they made together.
Something I've just realized after 30 years of watching this movie: Murtaugh's musical cues are the sax, and Riggs' are the electric guitar. They sound very different separately but can also sound very good together. Awesome detail!
One of the greatest soundtracks in movie history
This is The case in a lot of movies where they have a sort of low key theam on every main character.
Specially in T2 when sarah goes hunting down dyson they mixed sarah and The terminator theme
I’ve always felt that their themes are separate but start to blend as they become closer as partners.
A golden standard of the buddy cop genre.
All 4 films were directed by the late, great Richard Donner (Superman The Movie).
This first installment was from the screenwriter and co-star of Predator, Shane Black.
Both films (Predator & LW) were released the same year, 2 months apart.
The tv series ran for 3 seasons.
But it went on a much different path than the movies.
Part 5 was in pre-production as R. Donner had just turned age 90 and ready to direct it.
He asked Mel Gibson if he would takeover as director, just in case his health got worse.
Mel said yes and even after Donner's passing with speculation of it never happening, it was confirmed that LW5 would be made.
Did you know that he also wrote the 2nd movie but they canned his version because he decided to kill off Riggs (Gibson). Based on how bad the second one was, I think they should have stuck with him.
@@Jindorek i knew that Riggs was suppose to die.
Don't know how i would react to LW2 ending like that.
But here's something else.
Rika (Patsy Kensit) in LW2 was killed off Instead of Riggs.
Even after the original ending was filmed with her surviving.
"I don't think that would happen nowadays."
Oh you sweet summer child
All four movies are great!
I'm never too old for THIS shit! 😊👍
"Point Break" is a good one too. The actor who played Joshua (Gary Busey) is on the right side of the law in that one, along w/Keanu Reeves.
And the awesome Patrick Swayze (RIP)
during the scene where Huntsacker got shot, he mentioned the C.I.A. front "Air America". well, there is also a movie called Air America starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. its also a good 80's flick that was overlooked
'Air America' is more of a black comedy with some action elements. Very entertaining though. 😎👍
5:21 "I love Bugs Bunny." Every time you tells us something about your tastes, you become more perfect.
My favorite (from this one) was when she said: "I'm a Vanilla Girl!" I still haven't stopped smiling / laughing since yesterday!
My husband and I watch Lethal Weapon and Die Hard every Christmas.
If you enjoyed this one, Jen, the sequel is even wilder. Joe Pesci joins the team and "Lethal Weapon 2" becomes a bit like a Three Stooges comedy with Mel, Danny, and Joe.
It was brilliant. Mel & Danny such good chemistry in the first, but to add Joe and their crazy chemistry. Plus the bad guys are better and Pasty Kensit OMG.
@@reesebn38 I hope you mean "Patsy."
This is one of the few franchises I can think of where the movies get steadily better as it goes along
@@dansdiscourse4957 meh, arguably 4 was on par with 3, but not better. Jet Li made 4 good.
@@pleutron Jet Li was good, but 4 seemed a little too mean spirited to me.
We really did have a few great action movies back on the 80s… kinda miss it ❤
Fun Fact: The “jumper” Riggs tried to talk to is actually Mel’s stunt double.
If you look closely, their cuffs actually break, so they grab hands!
Another fun fact: shortly after the jumper scene, Danny Glover (Murtaugh) & Mel Gibson (Riggs) walk past a movie theater marquee advertising that 'The Lost Boys' is playing. Director Richard Donner was the executive producer on 'The Lost Boys'....
19:00 - “I also like ice cream”. Vanilla is so underrated. All the new, fancy flavors. But you can’t beat a classic.
18:05
the plane's vibration
set off the
mercury weighted switch
This is the movie that shot a very young (25ish) Shane Black to stardom, which is unusual because he was the writer. He earned $250,000 for this, his first script, and eventually was paid a record $4 million for The Long Kiss Goodnight in the mid 90s. The majority of movies he's written or directed since have been similar in style, content, humour and being-set-at-Christmas as Lethal Weapon, and most of them are pretty great - The Nice Guys, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang are all especially good.
He was also funny in "Predator"... but I love bad jokes.
He also had a turn in the MCU. Just think to yourself, which MCU movie is around Christmas, and you'll find it.
(it's Iron Man 3)
He also co-wrote another 80s gem 'The Monster Squad' 😉
He also wrote Last Action Hero with Dave Arnott, (based on a story by two other authors) but the suits kept messing with the script, handing it off to a number of writers for re-writes including William Goldman (he wrote the princess bride) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). It eventually got released far too late at the wrong time and bombed quite badly. Personally i think Arnie wasnt the best choice and the kid was just too annoying to be likeable.
I love how the characters develop and grow throughout this series.
This soundtrack is very 80s. The music was composed by the late Michael Kamen, who did the music for several 80s action and horror movies like The Dead Zone, Lifeforce, Highlander, Die Hard, Road House, Licence to Kill, and Lethal Weapon 2. Eric Clapton also collaborated with Kamen on the Lethal Weapon score, performing the guitar parts.
Your instinct is awesome Jenny Penny.
One of the best franchises in cinematic history. The second and third really define the Buddy-Cop / Action-Comedy genre. The fourth is solid too and now I hear we're getting a fifth...
Jen's reactions are always amazing and very entertaining. You will learn more about riggs backstory as the movies go on. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are my favorite buddy cop duo of all time. Jen is definitely a beacon of light during these dark and trying times. 🙏❤
@@Straun30 no doubt.
You mentioned the music in the movie. The saxophone was played by the amazing jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, and the guitar was played by the guitar god, the legendary Eric "Slowhand" Clapton. The overall score by the late, great Michael Kamen uses these instruments as cues. With Sanborn's sax, the focus is on Roger Murtagh,. with Clapton's bluesy guitar riffs the focus is on Martin Riggs. When both instruments sound it's the buddies, Riggs and Murtagh, their individual moments become second to the overall story. This is done with all four films, Clapton and Sanborn sharing in the scores.
The second expands the family of characters with Joe Pesci, and the third does so again with Rene Russo. The chemistry not just with Gibson and Glover, but the whole cast under Richard Donner's direction creates a really amazing franchise. There is a bit of opinion as to how good each film is...I feel LW & LW2 are equally good, there is a slight overall quality dip in LW3, and more of one in LW4...but even so, all four movies are awesome, and I love them all. The chemistry of the actors, the character development, the storylines, the spectacle of action sequences, the overall direction, and the music...all worked amazingly well IMHO. I hope you do all of them!
I was waiting for the Sanborn & Clapton comment. Among the best musicians to do movie soundtracks free flow like this with little or no rehearsal. Two musical geniuses for their time and genres.
7:30 “That guy” is Gary Busey. There are those who’d say he isn’t really acting when he’s “the crazy guy” in a movie, and I’m not sure I’ll argue the point. But he was also nominated for Best Actor for “The Buddy Holly Story.”
The soundtrack for the whole series is great, with the exception of the title song in the first movie. Score written by Michael Kamen, with David Sanborn and Eric Clapton playing with him. Second movie has songs by The Beach Boys and George Harrison, the third has Elton John and Sting.
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had a great buddy cop chemistry in all 4 movies, this also threw influence to Rush Hour.
I'll second that Christopher, Jen would definitely love Chan & Tucker in "Rush Hour" too!!!
@@tomhoffman4330 yes indeed
My wife was killed in a car accident 7 years ago.
And that suicide scene hits way too damn hard.
Especially around Thanksgiving.
Dude who killed her ended up switching himself off at the scene...
When you don't really have an outlet for the anger, alcohol or drugs or worse takes its place.
Man, this movie & its immediate sequel were a huge part of my early teens. Saw them both in the cinema 🙂
“If he offs himself, than we’ll know I’m wrong.” Welcome to the 80’s.
Roger Murtaugh: [discussing a theory] That's pretty fucking thin.
Martin Riggs: That's very thin.
Roger Murtaugh: What the hell, thin's my middle name.
Martin Riggs: Your wife's cooking, I'm not surprised.
[fires his gun several more times]
Roger Murtaugh: What? What?
Martin Riggs: Nothin'.
Roger Murtaugh: Remarks like that will not get you invited to Christmas dinner.
Martin Riggs: My luck's changing for the better every day
Automic like for me
The best buddy cop franchise ever
With every sequel the Family expands.
Lethal weapon is not just an action movie. It's dark at some times. Funny at other times.
Gary Busey is about 44 when this was filmed but yeah, we'll go along with the idea he looks like a teenager. 😂
I love this movie.
A rare occurrence in Hollywood franchises, one where all four Lethal Weapon movies are good. Enjoy.
I remember being 18 & watching 4 at the movie theater. I of course saw the first 3 but was to young to watch those in theaters
I did get to see a special screening of the first one a couple years ago. If they ever do 2 or 3 I would be there
Darlene Love plays Glover’s wife- she’s a legendary singer and I highly recommend the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom which explores her story as a background singer.
Hello Jen and folks in the comment section! What I enjoy most about your reactions is that you truly immerse yourself in the narrative and feel for the characters. Totally agree with you about the 80s music btw. The best to you and yours.
I use Lethal Weapon as an example of a movie that takes place at Christmas but isn't really a Christmas movie, in relation to Die Hard. Christmas is part of the plot of Die Hard, you have to rewrite it if it's not Christmas for multiple reasons. Not as much with Lethal Weapon, you can take Christmas out and it has no effect on the plot.
They both have "finding/getting to family" themes, though.
The first one is the most serious of the series. After this it goes full-on buddy cop action movie, with lots of humor. They're all loads of fun. Definitely watch them all.
Brian Dennehy, Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood, and Jack Nicholson were considered for Roger Murtaugh.
Patrick Swayze, William Hurt, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Lambert, Lamb bear, Jeff Bridges, Richard Gere, Christopher Reeve, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Douglas, and Val Kilmer were considered for Martin Riggs.
David Bowie, Christopher Walken, Scott Glenn, James Woods, and John Saxon were considered for Joshua.
Peter Boyle, Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Lee Marvin, Bruce Dern and Richard Jordan were considered for General McAllister.
Yes, this is definitely a Christmas movie.
Highly recommend watching all 4 movies. Each one, while different, displays a wonderful progression of both Riggs and Murtaugh, as well as their relationship. This 4 movie set is one of the best overall multi-movie stories ever told. New characters are added, and backstories for the main characters are told. They get fleshed out, very well. I hear a 5th one is in the works, but I honestly don't know how well it will fit into the established story. Part 4 really wraps everything up so well. The action is really good, the pacing works SO well, and yeah, I'm talking about all 4 movies.
Also, I recommend watching the "Director's Cut" for this movie. There are some things added that help flesh things out from the start (Especially Riggs)... but they do change the pacing a little. So I understand why they were cut from the theatrical release.
Yeah 4 ended so perfectly I have mix feelings for part 5. But I will be there to watch it
I laughed out loud when she said that after the years of internet debate.
A great reaction from Jen to this classic copy buddy movie. She does have the best action movie instincts!
9:09 In the background, the movie showing at the theatre is The Lost Boys, and movie Richard Donner was Executive Producer on.
At the beginning of Dirty Harry, when Harry is walking into the cafe at the beginning of the movie, you can see "Play Misty For Me" on the marquee next to the cafe
I’m imagining all your reactors named Joshua gently weeping while listening to you ridiculing the villain strength of that name.
The guy in the opening scene who runs the Christmas tree stand is Anthony Keidis father, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I'm excited! This one's a wonderful surprise. All 4 are great. If you do 'em, I'll be here. So much fun energy; so much great chemistry. Thanks. See you in a bit!
Couldn't have said that better myself. 👍
Yes this is a Christmas movie one of my favorite Christmas movies. This was the role that I was completely blown away by Mel Gibson he brings so much emotion and heart to his character.
This and Die Hard are the best Christmas movies.
@@Ladco77 Facts!
Unquestionably the best 'buddy cop' movie ever made, and one of the best action flics of all time. And your reaction was SPOT ON, as usual!
When I go to the shooting range, I put smiley faces on my targets as well. (What do you do...sleep with that thing)
"He would if He slept." 😉 Good Afternoon, My Friend.
@@tomhoffman4330 mournin sunshine 🌞
@@e.d.2096 That's cute. (LOL)
Well done, Eric. 🙂
The 80's movies were great. No PC stuff getting in the way, loads of violence, cool one-liners and lots and lots of explosions! I mean, everything exploded at the drop of a hat... for no reason... even dropped hats 💥
Another highly enjoyable reaction Jen, thx for sharing with us :)
That jump scene and the gun in his mouth scene. This is a classic. Can forget the school shooter just hit dirt. I'm still here
Joshua was played by Gary Busey, who's done some wonderful work (including The Buddy Holly and Under Siege) and some less wonderful work. He suffered brain damage during a motorcycle accident in 1988 that has rendered him in some ways like many of the eccentric characters he often plays and now often takes on the role of a self-parodying cultural icon.
Fun fact. The drug dealer at the Christmas tree place in the red plaid jacket is Anthony Kiedes(The red hot chili pepers) father.
The entire run of these movies is great with persistent character development
I spent 15 months in 2006-2007 working on a house on the point in the top-right at 19:36.
Great reaction, please watch the second! Leo just adds even more to this duo!
#2 coming next week 👍
@@jenmurrayxo Jen darling all the Lethal weapons are excellent I think 2 is the best but they're all good Mel looks gorgeous, new you'd like it.
25:05 "He had to wait and say a sassy quip?" OMG You're so cute Jen - Mike the Ginger
As a Joshua, I am pleased to know that I don’t have a villainous name. 😏
From 1980-85 Mel made 8 movies and became an international superstar! The first to be name sexist man alive. But by 1985 he was burnt out and took 2 years off to get to his heath back. Lethal Weapon was a come back. Mel Aussie accent was still thick and in Lethal Weapon he's making his voice deeper to hold it back.
Mel worked hard to get his New York accent back. He was actually born in the U.S. and moved to Australia as a kid.
Such a great reaction, Jen. It's well worth doing the complete series of the 'Lethal Weapon' films all four of them, they're all good, great 'Bromances', too. Another great film similar to this is, 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' with Samuel L Jackson and Geena Davis.
The (original) Boys Are Back in Town!!
Cool reaction Jen. You might want to check out the rest of the franchise--same cast, different bad guys, and an absolutely comedic Joe Pesci. Your insights make me suspect that you have some experience as a police officer (You're building quite a resume--secret agent, bank robber, cop, and with "I'm a vanilla girl" maybe a hip-hop singer). I'm a little concerned about your enthusiasm with snipers. You look harmless enough, but... Please keep reacting to movies and I'll keep watching.
20:48 Yes do.
I am constantly amazed at how often you see something coming and get it right.
The chemistry between Gibson and Glover is second-to-none. Even as the plots of the sequels weaken, they stay amazingly strong. I say go for all of them.
I recommend adding 48 hrs(1982) to your list of 80's buddy cop movies to watch.
There was a time when Mel Gibson’s name was rumored to play Wolverine.
All 4 Lethal Weapons are worth the watch
The scene with Mel Gibson battling with himself over committing 'self-homocide' is so *very* powerful! It was *seriously* hard for me to watch; I was literally quivering in my seat in the theater, and an actual whimper was squeezed out of me (I had lost a *very* good friend to 'self-homocide' [YT has a 'thing' about '$e|f-h@®m' mentions] three years earlier) ... and that scene really 'dredges it up' for me (yes, even all these years later!) - *that's* how piercing/powerful that scene is!
Oh yeah, really good reaction - and I'm glad you enjoyed the movie!
The funny thing about the jumper scene is the fake cuffs broke. So they were holding hands as they jumped. Lol
Definitely watch more
JEN: “I like it when a movie just gives me exactly what I want”. Well it had the explosions - all it needed next was a countdown! 😃
Merry Christmas!!!
the text thing was so funny, "killer on the way", your so funny, jajajjjajajjajjaja
" I'm too old for this sh*t" I seem to say that more and more often...could it be I am getting old? Noooo! tell me it is not true (denial can be fun) 😆
Besides Glover and Bussey together again in Predator 2 - I get a kick out of Glover's 'boss' in LW also being his subordinate in P2.
Ruhe in Frieden Michael Kamen (Komponist)😢😢
Lethal re-watch. 💜 Awesome reaction, Jen. I loved how into this franchise you were.
5:00 Yes, seeing the red dot (next to the hammer) on the weapon means the safety is off.
[Edit] 10:23 Your face when he jumps. 😂🤗
Shout out for Mel in *Maverick* (1994), action-comedy dir by Richard Donner. Card sharks and hustlers congregate for a big poker game in late 19th Century Mississippi. You'll *love* it. As did worldwide audiences and critics.
Looking forward lots to Mad Max (1979) on Patreon (possibly) this week and soon here on RUclips. 😃
17:46
🙂
I'm sure someone else has already said this, but you should definitely se the whole series. Love watching your reactions.
Thanks Bryan! #2 coming next week 👍
Limo v Helicopter - I could be wrong (I'm not an expert), but I don't think the chopper could have stopped the limo if she hadn't panicked and lost control. Helicopters are not the easiest aircraft to fly. If the pilot were to actually land fully on the car, he risked the skid breaking the window and getting caught in the car's frame, which would be a disaster for him. A small chopper like that isn't strong enough to lift a car, so the car would act like an anchor, very likely causing him to lose control and crash. On the other hand, one of the henchmen probably could have shot at the car from the back of the chopper.
There's a deleted scene that introduces Mel's character in a different way. Riggs is driving when he hears a call about a sniper at a school. He shows up and after a little hesitation, he goes up the steps and walks right out onto the playground to call to the sniper. The sniper pops up and fires several shots, missing him. Riggs takes aim at the window, then taunts the sniper. When he pops up again, Riggs empties his gun into him, than casually walks away.
On the fridge in the house was a sticker that said something like End Apartheid, Free South Africa. That couldn't possibly be foreshadowing, could it? hmmmm I don't know.
Never noticed that sticker before.
Not too many notice that one.
When you picked the soundtrack as your MVP, I thought you where going to pick up on the character themes ... The Saxophone for Roger and guitar riff for Riggs... At the start of the movie both themes are played separately - but as the movie progresses the themes mesh together and become a melody just like the characters on screen...Also I see you've already seen "Die Hard" did you not see the resemblance in the final shooting ... Al shooting the hanged man in Die Hard for the final jump scare of the movie - and Joshua grabbing the officers gun while being arrested?
Great reaction...
It's still hard for me to not think of "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard", and "Rob Roy" as Christmas movies because of when I saw them.
Jenn: He's gunna get sniped or something. .... He's gunna get sniped right now?!?
LOL!
Jenn is like me. She has a way of reading where a movie is going. Good instincts.
Great reaction. This was Mel Gibson's breakout action genre role to wide American audiences
His self-contained tension was awesome and enough can't be said about Danny Glover's understated performance as the job weary veteran. The two personality extremes played off each other perfectly.
By the time Leathal Weapon came out in 1987, Mel Gibson was already a worldwide star (just not as big in America yet) due to the first 3 Mad Max films (Mad Max 1979, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 1982 & Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 1985)... 😁✌️
This film arguably launched the buddy-buddy cop film genre.
Agree though 48 hours gets the credit
20:45 Jen: "I have the BEST action movie instincts!" 😁
No argument on that one from me. Nicely called! 👍
Great reaction!!! Each sequel gets better and better! Hope you do them all. Lethal Weapon 5 is coming!
4:30 understatement😆
Gibson and Glover have amazing chemistry together
This is a really fun Mel Movie and super cool reaction. Way to go Jen.
The whole franchise is great. 😁
One of the best buddy cops movies ever the chemistry between the two leads amazing 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fun fact, the big fight scene at the end is likely some of the first MMA style fighting in a major film.
Classic. You can't beat the Riggs and Murtaugh chemistry. So good.
Most of Mels movie plats revolve around motivation by grief. Every once I a while you can hear a little Aussie in his voice.
I love the fist fight on the lawn at the end. 1, the terrorist is a cop killer so the LAPD are happy to watch Riggs beat him to a pulp. And 2, they're both Vietnam vets so there's that respect in the air.
Wow, Jen! You do have the best action movie instincts! You predict the next scene before it happens! Lol very accurate future vision!!!! 👍😃😀
You know Jen, the way you really love all these 80's movies and James Bond movies... I think you were born a couple decades late. Sounds like you should have been born in the 70's!
IMHO, the best on-screen bro-mance ever ❤!
The sax is pretty much Rogers theme music
"Probably has another gun." Damn, you're getting good ;P
This is my favourite of the 80s action movies, and there's a whole lot of good ones to choose from. The pairing of Gibson and Glover is inspired, and I love the Murtaugh family!
The sequels are all good, and entertaining too. If you like the buddy cop genre, Midnight Run is a lesser known gem. Not quite buddy 'cop' but De Niro and Grodin are a great unlikely pairing
love love love this movie!!! Awesome reaction too Jen!! Would love more Lethal Weapon, there are 3 more in the series
Jet Li is in LW4 as the lead henchman... speaking of which, Li lead two Luc Besson action films, Kiss of the Dragon(2001) and Unleashed{2005), that are worth a watch. (He did a lot of other movies too, but these are Luc Besson action films. You know what I saying? They're both kinda bonkers.)