The Problem with Lethal Weapon 2
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Lethal Weapon 2
TMC-4 — 9 years ago(October 13, 2016 10:29 AM)
https://dejareviewer.com/2016/10/11/the-problem-with-lethal-weapon-2/
In addition to its overall sense of been there, done that, here are a few other things that keep Lethal Weapon 2 from being a great film in my eyes.
Riggs Revenge
The coincidence of Martin Riggs wife being killed by a South African bad guy is acceptable in the context of this films plot because it gives Riggs a reason to really hate the guy and want to seek revenge on him in particular. But I find it detrimental to Riggs growth as a character in the first film. It was much more interesting for Riggs to find solace through his friendship with Roger Murtaugh than resorting to the tired trope of killing his wifes murderer to achieve catharsis. I thought he had already moved on from his wifes murder. This sequel didnt need to dig up the past to try to make its climax more emotional. They had already done that masterfully in the first one.
Also, Id just like to say that Riggs acting crazy in this film never comes across as genuine the way it did in the first film. I know, hes moved past his suicidal tendencies and its great to see him being more confident in the direction hes chosen for his life. Plus, the Eeny, meeny, miny. Hey, Moe! line is a stroke of genius. But overall, the halfhearted attempts to remind us that Riggs is still potentially crazy fall flat. Again, I thought he had moved past that phase.
Anticlimactic Chases
The big chase scenes at the start and in the middle of the film seem like they should be more exciting than they actually are. They come across as run-of-the-mill rather than edge-of-your-seat. Each time I watch them I keep waiting for something really thrilling to happen, but they just kind of unfold in a pretty mundane fashion. And they end so abruptly that they dont have time to build to a natural climax.
RoboCop Did It Better
Lethal Weapon 2 has a famous ending where Murtaugh shoots the South African ambassador, claiming that his diplomatic immunity has just been revoked. But that doesnt really make for a satisfying conclusion to this problem. Sure, the bad guy is dead, but at what cost? Its still going to be an international incident. I thought the whole point of his diplomatic immunity trump card was that it was far too politically damaging to risk killing him. To solve it by simply shooting him and offering a funny quip feels cheap.
To see this kind of thing done masterfully, look no further than 1987s RoboCop. Dick Jones has been lording the whole Directive 4 thing over RoboCops head since the two first met. RoboCop cant kill Jones because hes a leader of OCP. His programming forbids it, and he cant just override it or ignore it. Thankfully, the film doesnt cheat its way out of this dilemma, but finds a creative and satisfying solution to it that not only lets RoboCop kill the bad guy, but also strips Jones of his pride and authority just before sending him out the window of a high-rise building.
A Decent Sequel, But Nothing Moe
The problem is that Lethal Weapon 2 has all the trappings of a great 80s action film without actually being one. Its heroes are relatable, its villains are totally hate-able, but its appeal is unfortunately debatable. Maybe its the fact that it feels like a watered-down version of other better action films that is its biggest detriment. Each time I watch this film I find it has less to offer while, as Riggs might say, I just want Moe! -
— 2 years ago(March 23, 2024 12:36 AM)Arjen
was a
CONSUL GENERAL
,
NOT
an
AMBASSADOR
!
Ambassadors
would be in
Washington DC
or at the
UN
in
New York
.
Embassies
are ONLY in
DC
(NOT sure about
NY
??, because of the
UN
). In other cities, they are called
consulates
.
“Call a SPADE, a SPADE; and a TRANNY, a TRANNY, or an IT!!!”.
"THAT'S SOME BAD
SHIT
,
HARRY
!".