Lethal Weapon 4
1998 · Directed by Richard Donner
Original language: English
- action
- crime
- thriller
The story
With personal crises and age weighing in on them, LAPD officers Riggs and Murtaugh must contend with a deadly Chinese crime lord trying to get his brother out of prison.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-washed Los Angeles daylight gives way to sodium-orange night streets, warehouse gloom and smoky interiors, with the handheld-leaning, punchy camerawork of a late-90s studio action picture. The palette is saturated and warm, the frame busy with traffic, crowds and cramped rooms, and the fight staging is loud and kinetic, with bursts of gunfire, car chases and brawls that cut quickly. The score is big, brassy and percussive, filled with bustling synth-and-orchestra swells that keep the energy up. Vibe: loud, jokey, buddy-movie bravado with a streak of gritty Los Angeles menace. Pacing is brisk and episodic, built around banter between two aging partners who bicker, rib each other and eventually protect one another. Emotional register stays mostly light, with comic beats and warm affection undercutting the danger. Violence is frequent and fairly graphic in gunfights and martial-arts fights, with some injuries and a house-fire sequence; sexual content is mild and comedic, and cruelty is present but not lingered on. Best for viewers who want a noisy, funny action comedy on a Friday night, and for fans of buddy-cop chemistry rather than quiet drama.
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