Monday, 11 February 2013

Lethal Weapon 3 (Director’s Cut) (1992/1997, Dir. Richard Donner, USA) (Cert: 15) ***


 

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo

 

Roger Murtaugh (Glover) is nearing the impending day of retirement from the police force and spends that time between high-risk adventures with his partner, Martin Riggs (Gibson) and low-key duties as a street officer. However, the tranquillity is shattered when an apprehended criminal (Mark Pellegrino) is shot dead by his employer (Stuart Wilson), an ex-cop with a dangerous agenda.

 

The third film in the Lethal Weapon series, by the time of Lethal Weapon 3, the formula has begun to run a little thin. The jokes come across as a little forced and the story isn’t very engaging. Meanwhile, Stuart Wilson’s villain of Jack Traviss disappears for a large part of the film’s runtime, killing any chance of the audience really getting invested in him getting his comeuppance. However, Lethal Weapon 3 isn’t a total dud. That chemistry between Gibson and Glover in the first two films is still present and the relationship between Gibson and Russo is actually the most engaging romance in the series to this point. Also, the action sequences are, as always, a sight to behold. If the first two films don’t grab you, this certainly won’t. However, fans shouldn’t find much to object to, either.

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