Lethal Weapon Collection - Director's cut

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Trailer



Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Trailer



Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Trailer



Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Trailer

Spent the whole weekend bingeing all four movies and just had to start a thread 😁 (one a bit shorter than my usual ramblings...) to see where everyone stands on the franchise. Pro tip: if you haven't seen the Director's cuts, fix that immediately... the films feel much fuller now, even if the core stays the same, and some of those weird scenes actually make sense for once. You can really feel the extra footage in the first one—that whole new opening with the sniper in the schoolyard and Riggs' cool classic shootout with the Beretta adds a whole new layer to that "suicidal loose cannon" vibe he's got going on 🤣 If you’re already deep into the series, you'll spot the added bits easily enough

The series itself is basically essential viewing for any action fan, right up there with the Die Hard series, though it didn't exactly start out with franchise ambitions. The original script by a then young and relatively unknown Shane Black—who eventually ended up in that loop of high-paid Hollywood screenwriters—wasn't meant to be a saga. It was just a standalone flick following that predictable buddy-cop formula about two partners who couldn't stand each other to put it mildly (some people even say Riggs was supposed to die at the end). Even though they brought in a veteran director like Richard Donner, whose resume already includes a cult horror classic like The Omen and arguably the best comic book movie ever, Superman, the movie was just another summer actioner on paper. But everything changed once it became a massive hit. Mel Gibson's career was kind of stalling back then, and dealing with the booze, the fame, and his own temperament alongside this title—which many believe kicked off the second half of his big run (since Mad Max was the first, obviously)—really helped cement things. It also gave us the other half of the duo, Danny Glover, in a totally different, more laid-back light compared to his role in Spielberg's Purple color

Even though the quality dips with every sequel—shifting from a gritty story about a suicidal cop dancing with the devil into a collage of explosions, gunfights, and snappy dialogue, almost turning into pure comedy when they brought in Joe Pesci—you can't deny the series has this effortless charm. It’s just... fun, which is something a lot of later movies trying to copy the formula failed to capture. The proof is in the pudding: the series spanned nearly three decades 🤣) So, even though they’ve officially pulled the plug on any new installments, there’s always some rumor floating around that gets fans all worked up—personally, I was 😲😱 when that rumor dropped about how Riggs might actually die and leave Murtaugh to fly solo. Plus, you get that classic director-actor synergy popping up again since Donner and Gibson are teaming up for two other flicks (*Conspiracy Theory* and *Maverick*) which are hitting that same sweet spot of fun and commercial success. Whether we ever see another entry from this high-octane duo (or the whole crew, judging by the cast in "four"🤔) remains to be seen... but honestly, even if they don't, the legacy alone makes it worth a rewatch.

A few little extras for you...

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 1

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 2

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 3

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 4

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 5

Richard Donner - Archive Interview Excerpt Part 6

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Weapon - A Diane Sawyer Interview

And, it would be a crime not to mention the soundtrack that defined the whole series—especially those bits featuring Eric Clapton and David Sanborn. Just a few clips and songs that popped up in the movies.

Sting & Eric Clapton- Its Probably me

(Knockin on Heavens Door) - Eric Clapton From Lethal Weapon 2

Elton John & Eric Clapton - Runaway Train (Lethal Weapon 3)

George Harrison - Cheer Down (Lethal Weapon 2 Soundtrack)

Lethal Weapon 4 end Credits - No clue who's singing this one, but it's pretty cool seeing a retrospective of the whole franchise through what looks like private photo albums.

Aside from the Die Hard series, this is my absolute favorite action franchise; you just don't see movies made like this anymore—they're actually great, they're fun, and honestly, I could probably watch them on a loop forever.

If I had to pick, I’d go with the first one, especially that final scene🙏)

Dennis Sullivan46 said:Aside from Die Hard, my absolute favorite action franchise has to be this one. They just don't make 'em like this anymore—so much fun, totally awesome, and honestly? I could binge them forever.

For me, it’s gotta be the first movie (especially that final scene🙏)

Seriously, one of the most intense action flicks ever made...🙏

I honestly can't make up my mind, so I think I’ll just sit this one out... to me, they all kind of blend together into one giant movie 😁 I'm too old for this shit 🧐

After giving it some serious thought... I had to go with the second one. There’s just so much going on—from that opening chase scene, all that back-and-forth arguing about counting to three, the random bits of slapstick, even that drive in his wife's station wagon 🤣 the toilet-bowl bombs, the "ficus-in-the-pants" thing... honestly, it's a riot that's hard to beat.

I just picked up a DVD box set recently. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

I’ll go with the first one, though honestly, all four of them are solid—easily one of the best action series out there. 👍

Good grief, am I actually seeing this right? Lethal Weapon So, I guess we're starting a poll...

🙂

Not even one of the best—for me, it’s hands down the greatest film franchise ever made. How am I supposed to vote? briskhound2, are you out of your mind? You're seriously asking me to renounce my own three children here. The first one, obviously. No, actually, let's go with the fourth... El, look at what you're doing to people. Why specifically the fourth one? Honestly, I don't know; maybe it's because that cemetery scene with Leo Getz had me reaching for the tissues, or maybe it was that phenomenal Jet Li sequence, or that final montage during the credits that had even my grandmother—who is basically a human crocodile when she cries—sobbing her eyes out. Or perhaps it's just this massive weight in my heart knowing we'll never get them back. 😢 Anyway, I think I already covered all my bases on this topic in one of my more "intellectual" posts:

Christian Taylor3 said:I can't help myself, but for me, this is THE definitive film series. I always seem to find something so wonderfully ridiculous, naive, and just plain good about it.



Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4



Scripts/downloads



I'm looking for a way to grab a PDF download for LETHAL WEAPON 4.

P.S. Ugh, I am actually fuming right now... So, Mel recently responded to some reporter's question:

What about doing another Lethal Weapon film?

... replied:

Mel Gibson basically said he has zero interest in revisiting that world. He’s finished with it. Honestly, we’ve already milked that franchise dry.

😢

It’s probably that Russian girlfriend of his; she clearly scrambled his brains, because now the guy has walked out on his wife and twenty kids just to spend his days filming some deranged movies starring stuffed squirrels. 😁 Do you really think I'm joking?



Who's laughing now? Honestly, it doesn't even matter—everything is forgiven, all because of Martin Riggs, obviously.

That's All Folks

What are you guys even up to?

No, we're just gonna DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Lethal Weapon 4 end Credits



Dammit, I’m actually going to miss these movies, I really am... especially Leo Getz.

p.s. briskhound2, sorry, I can't vote, you know what I mean...

Christian Taylor3 said:Not even close to being one of the best—for me, it’s hands down the greatest franchise ever. How am I supposed to vote? briskhound2, are you out of your mind? You're asking me to choose between a poll and my own kids...

🤣

p.s. briskhound2, sorry, I just can't bring myself to vote, you know what I mean...

Crystal clear 👍 THANKS for digging up the script. Just downloaded it—definitely gonna dive into it once I have a free second...

To be honest, I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of them, but I’d have to say the fourth one is my favorite.

Since the voting opened up, I went ahead and cast my vote for the second one... mostly because I’ve lost count of how many times I've watched it, and it just hits different. It’s got that special place in my heart. But honestly? The whole Weapon series is top-tier. Every single movie holds its own when it comes to quality and pure entertainment value. I’ve seen them all countless times, and I swear, I could sit through them over and over again and still get a huge kick out of them. Seriously, the greatest duo in cinema history. 😁

briskhound2 said:Thanks for digging up the script. I just downloaded it and I'll definitely give it a read once I actually find a free moment.

No worries at all. Anyway, that top link should have the PDF for the fourth one, but here's the one for the second installment:

Lethal Weapon 2.pdf

I can't seem to track down the script for the third one anywhere online, but I'm pretty sure it's sitting on my hard drive somewhere—I'll dig it up later. 🙂

Christian Taylor3 said:I can't find that trio's script anywhere online... though I'm pretty sure I've got a copy tucked away on my hard drive somewhere—later... 🙂

Sold. Thanks again...😉

So, I was reading up on some industry news, and it looks like Richard Donner is basically saying that Lethal Weapon 5 is dead in the water... which, honestly, doesn't surprise me one bit. After everything we've seen lately, the idea of another installment feels pretty thin. It's kind of a bummer if you're a fan of the original vibe, but at this point, it just seems like they're chasing ghosts... turns out the magic might actually be gone.

Lethal Weapon 5 is looking more and more unlikely... honestly, at this point, it feels like the whole thing might just be dead in the water. It’s getting harder to imagine them actually pulling another one together after everything that's happened.

Honestly, looks like the Lethal Weapon series is dead in the water... just feels like the magic is gone at this point.

Since I’ve been getting pretty curious about what's actually going on with the rumors surrounding a fifth installment, I had to do a bit of digging online—and man, I was honestly blindsided by how much junk has already piled up out there (dropping links to three older articles just so you can see how much of a rabbit hole this whole thing turned into)... and just, man, how messy it all is... 😵😵😵

So, after fans went absolutely wild thinking they’d get the original writer, Shane Black, back in the driver's seat, things hit a massive wall during "intense" negotiations with the lead actors—who, for what it's worth, were actually down to return... but then the drama started. Apparently, Richard Donner, the guy who directed the first four films, gets canned by producer Joel Silver—and honestly, nobody seems to know exactly why that happened. Once he was out, Gibson decided he wasn't interested in doing a movie without him, which Donner basically confirmed—there's even a bit in the article suggesting they just need to reach out to Donner if they want Gibson back on board. But Silver isn't having it; he's insisting the movie is happening regardless, arguing that Shane Black should just take over directing duties (which, let's be real, was met with a pretty lukewarm reception)... and because of all that, Gibson is officially passing on the series. But wait, Donner is throwing a curveball again. He's saying the real issue is that there are two different scripts floating around. He’d be willing to come back to the director's chair, but only if they ditch Black's script and use the other one—the one written by Channing Gibson (who did the fourth one). Of course, Black and Silver aren't having any part of that, and in a move of pure loyalty to Donner, Gibson is siding with him... Still, since there are some loose agreements in place with Donner for an unrelated project next year, there's always that slim chance the Weapon series could make a comeback... but right now? This whole thing has turned into a total game of political ping-pong. It feels more like a media circus of people trading insults than anyone actually getting any real work done...

As for the movie itself... Black's script basically sets things up with Murtaugh finally heading toward retirement—about time—while Riggs is right on the edge of hanging it up himself. They end up teaming up one last time to crack a massive final case, this time bringing Murtaugh's son into the mix, who—surprise, surprise—is a cop. On paper... it sounds pretty solid. It’s just a shame we don't have any more details on the actual plot (this little summary was just pulled from some article) or the fact that they're apparently cutting Chris Rock from the main cast—supposedly because people weren't feeling his vibe in the fourth one—in an attempt to get back to those original roots...

After spending a few scattered hours digging through all that... honestly, it might be better if they just don't make another one. Better to let the series stay exactly how it is...

briskhound2 said:Sold! Thanks again, everyone.😉

So, I just heard the news, and man, it’s a total bummer! Richard Donner is basically saying that Lethal Weapon 5 is dead in the water. Seriously, what a gut punch! I was really holding out hope that we'd see more of that classic chemistry, but it sounds like the dream is officially over. Honestly, it feels like the whole Lethal Weapon series is just moving on. Such a shame!

Honestly, at this point, Lethal Weapon 5 is dead in the water. It’s looking more and more unlikely that we'll ever see it happen. Every time you think there's a spark of hope, the momentum just vanishes. It feels like the whole idea is basically stalled out.

Honestly, guys, I think the Lethal Weapon series is dead in the water. It just doesn't feel like it's happening anymore.

Since I've been getting pretty curious about what's actually going on with the rumors regarding a fifth installment, I had to go down a total rabbit hole online. Honestly? I’m kind of blown away by how much noise there already is out there. I even dug up a few older articles just to see how this whole mess started, and man... it's turned into such a massive, complicated headache! 😵😵😵

So, here’s the deal: fans were absolutely losing their minds because word got out that Shane Black might be returning to write the next installment. Everyone was hyped! Things seemed to be moving along with "intense" negotiations with the main stars, who—in theory—were totally down to come back. But then, things hit a massive wall. Out of nowhere, Richard Donner, the guy who directed the first four movies, gets canned by producer Joel Silver. No real explanation given, which is just classic Hollywood, right? After that, Mel Gibson pulls his name from the list because he refuses to do a movie without Donner. Donner even chimed in, basically saying if they want Gibson back, they need to talk to him first. But Silver isn't backing down; he’s insisting the movie is happening regardless, suggesting Shane Black should step up to direct instead (which, honestly, wasn't exactly a huge hit with everyone). Naturally, Gibson shuts the whole series down after that. Then Donner flips the script again! He says the real issue is that there are actually two different scripts floating around. He claims he’d be willing to jump back into the director's chair, but *only* if they ditch Black’s script and go with the other one written by Channing Gibson (the guy behind the fourth one). Of course, Black and Silver aren't having any of that. And since Channing Gibson is loyal to Donner, he’s sided with him. Now, since there are some loose agreements between Donner and the studio for a separate project next year, there’s always a tiny chance the Weapon series could crawl back into existence. Right now, though? This whole thing has turned into a total game of political ping-pong. It’s less about actual filmmaking and more about just throwing shade at each other in the media. Total mess!

So, looking at the movie itself... Black's script basically sets things up where Murtaugh is finally heading toward retirement (thank God!), while Riggs is right on the edge of hanging it up himself. They end up teaming up one last time to tackle a massive final case, and—get this—they’re joined by Murtaugh's son, who is, you guessed it, a cop. On paper? Honestly, sounds pretty solid! It's such a bummer that we don't have any more juicy details about the actual plot (this little summary is just what I pulled from an article), and even more frustrating that they’re reportedly dropping Chris Rock from the main cast. Apparently, people weren't exactly feeling his vibe in the fourth one, so now they're trying to pivot back to those classic roots.

After spending a few scattered hours digging through all that info... honestly, I think it’s better if they just don't make another one. Let the series stay exactly how it is!

So his son is this modern cop using all those high-tech, fancy new-age methods, right? And then, out of nowhere, for some massive case, they have to drag these two old geezers out of retirement just to show him how things were actually done back in the day!👍
Look, you already know how the plot goes!🙂

Jeffrey Martinez2 said:So you've got this cop who's all about those modern-day tactics, and then—just when some massive case hits the fan—they drag these two old fossils out of retirement to show him how things were actually done in the old days!!!!👍
You already know the plot at this point...🙂

🤣 Funny. Honestly, I wouldn't even mind seeing that happen.

Jeffrey Martinez2 said:His son is some modern cop using all these fancy new methods, and then for one massive case, he has to drag these two old relics out of retirement just to show him how things were done back in the day!👍
You already know the plot.🙂

Basically, the guy who played Chris Rock in that quartet would just swap out for Murtaugh's son...

Anthony Smith3 said:Basically.. they’d just swap out the guy who played Chris Rock in the fourth one with Murtaugh's son...

And honestly, they wouldn't be making a huge mistake—to me, Rock was easily the weakest link in the whole cast. That scene where he’s "arguing" with Leo Getz about making phone calls... man, he gets eaten alive in seconds. Rock's performance feels a bit too much like he's performing on some comedy stage (look, I love his stand-up, but movie comedy is a completely different beast) and it gets pretty grating... especially when he starts "shouting" just to make a point.

briskhound2 said:They wouldn't be wrong, because personally, Rock was the weakest link in the cast. That scene where he's "arguing" with Leo about the phone call... man, he gets eaten alive in seconds. Rock's performance feels like he's stuck on some comedy stage—respect to his stand-up career, but movie comedy is a different beast—and he’s just plain irritating, especially when he starts "shouting" to make a point.

Doesn't change much for me. If the actor was less annoying, sure... but if the character stays the same, then it's basically like Rock is still there.🤷

Anthony Smith3 said:I mean, I don't really see how any of this changes anything... honestly, if the actor was just a little less grating, maybe I'd feel differently... but if he’s sticking to that same exact persona... then it feels like nothing has actually shifted, kind of like how Rock stayed exactly the same...🤷

If we’re actually looking at the movies themselves—and I mean really digging into the characters—Riggs and Murtaugh have such a specific vibe that bringing in someone like Chris Rock just felt... off. In the third installment, Nick was portrayed as a much calmer kid, which would’ve provided that perfect contrast to the two chaotic legends we know and love. The issue with Rock was that his energy was basically identical to theirs; you had three high-octane personalities clashing all at once, and it felt way too crowded. There was zero chemistry with Glover and Gibson, and honestly, a lot of those scenes felt forced—like he was trying too hard to jump into the fray—which just killed the whole mood. Adding another comedian to the mix would've been overkill... a more grounded, chill character would've been a total breath of fresh air and could've actually given us some clever room for banter. But hey, if we're all playing movie critics here...😁

briskhound2 said:If we’re looking strictly at the movies themselves, Riggs was always portrayed as the calmer one, especially back in Lethal Weapon 3, so having him there would’ve provided such a killer contrast to those two absolute wildcards. The real issue with Chris Rock was that he felt exactly like the other two in terms of personality—it just felt way too crowded on screen. There was zero chemistry between him and the duo of Glover and Gibson, and honestly, half the scenes felt forced, which totally killed the vibe. Adding another loud comedian would've been overkill; a more low-key character would have been a total breath of fresh air and actually gave them some room to play off of. But hey, if we're all playing movie critics here...😁

Just imagine Riggs walking up to a group of young kids with that absolute psycho look in his eyes—you know, the one he basically carried over straight from Mad Max!🙏
And then all hell breaks loose...