I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Lethal Weapon 2 finds the LAPD's most reckless cops Mel Gibson and Danny Glover going after some drug dealers and finding they are covered by diplomatic immunity.This was really a bit much to swallow. Back then in its last days before it finally fell, South Africa's white supremacist government was desperately trying to hold on to friends. I doubt very much that it would employ a Joss Ackland as a consul who uses their diplomatic immunity with impunity to allow him to run rackets. In fact right up to the end they were involved in a propaganda publicity offensive and this drug dealing would have truly counteracted that.This film also introduces Joe Pesci to the Lethal Weapon regulars. He's a wire puller and fixer who's been skimming some loose change from his money laundering for the South Africans and has defected for his own health which gets seriously put in jeopardy. Patsy Kensit plays a secretary at the consulate who gets something going with Gibson that proves fatal.Ackland because of the attention decides to declare war on the LAPD figuring they can't respond. Let's just say he pulls the diplomatic immunity card once too often.Fans of the series should be happy.

This didn't live up to the awesomeness of the first film for me but it was still a hell of a ride. Unfortunately there's so many big action scenes here that it loses a bit of its charm, heading into over-the-top territory. Joe Pesci's character didn't help either, and I found his interaction, as the third wheel with Riggs and Murtaugh extremely annoying. Thankfully the plot moves along at a supercharged rate and he gets overshadowed.Still this is better than a lot of sequels, as LA detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) reprise their roles and chemistry this time battling a vicious South African drug cartel.I also enjoyed the quieter side here and seeing how Martin's relationship (and mental status) had progressed, in particular in his scenes with Rogers wife and family. Sadly he has bad luck in love again and a sore shoulder. 07.13

Continuing my plan to watch every Mel Gibson movie in order, I come to Lethal Weapon 2Plot In A Paragraph: The boys are back in town as L.A.P.D. officers, Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) who must protect an federal witness (A brilliant Joe Pesci), while taking on a gang of South African drug dealers hiding behind their diplomatic immunity.It's easy to forget how big this movie actually was in 1989. Batman was the big movie of the year, and there was loads of sequels, Indiana Jones 3, Back To The Future 2, Ghostbusters 2, Star Trek V and a Bond movie. I don't think many people expected it to do as well as it did. But by toning down the violence and upping the fun, it ended up the third highest grossing movie of 1989. I'm probably in the minority, but I think this is better the the first movie, and is the highlight of the series.I love the chemistry between Gibson and Glover, they seem to have a real affection for each other. And they both look like they enjoy playing off Joe Pesci, who is a welcome addition to the cast, at times it's like watching the three stooges (that's a compliment) Patsy Kensit looks absolutely gorgeous. The surprise to me is how menacing Joss Ackland was as Arjen Rudd the villain of the movie, he is superb.It has a few problems, continuity errors and poor stunt doubles, but it's well directed, well acted with great pacing, and the perfect balance of big action and big laughs. Although I'm not sure how I feel about the "happier ending" than what Shane Black wrote (with Riggs dying) but without it, there would be no Lethal Weapon 3 or 4.With a domestic gross of $147 million Lethal Weapon 2 (only Batman and Indian Jones out grossed it) was by far the highest hit of Gibson's career.

Soon after finding one million dollars of South African currency in a crashed BMW, Riggs and Murtaugh are assigned to keep an eye on Leo Getz, who is scheduled to testify in a case. But Arjen Rudd, the minister of diplomatic affairs for South Africa, doesn't want Leo to testify. Rudd turns out to be the man that Riggs and Murtaugh were after in the case they were working on before Leo was placed in their custody, which doesn't look very promising when Leo is kidnapped by Rudd's men. In a confrontation with Rudd's right hand man, Riggs is told the true circumstances behind the death of his wife, and this sends Riggs over the edge once more.......The essence of Lethal 2 is more of the same, but bigger, louder, and more comic book. And seeing that this took the biggest film of 1989 off the top of the U.S. box office, it's clear that Silver and co. were on to a winner.As with the first film, this relies on rich dialogue and wonderful set pieces to win over the audience, rather than narrative.It starts as it means to go on, with a brilliant and funny opener, and after a wonderful break from the action, featuring Murtaugh's daughter in a commercial, the film goes a little darker in tone, and the writers add a wonderful dimension to Riggs with the revelation concerning his wife's demise.It's a rollicking action movie, nothing more and outside of the Murtaugh extended network, the rest of the characters are just your action movie stereotypes.But it still has the best bathroom scene ever...