Veteran buttoned-down LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh is partnered with unhinged cop Martin Riggs, who — distraught after his wife’s death — has a death wish and takes unnecessary risks with criminals at every turn. The odd couple embark on their first homicide investigation as partners, involving a young woman known to Murtaugh with ties to a drug and prostitution ring.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Martin Riggs: Mel Gibson
- Roger Murtaugh: Danny Glover
- Mr. Joshua: Gary Busey
- General Peter McAllister: Mitchell Ryan
- Michael Hunsaker: Tom Atkins
- Trish Murtaugh: Darlene Love
- Rianne Murtaugh: Traci Wolfe
- Amanda Hunsaker: Jackie Swanson
- Nick Murtaugh: Damon Hines
- Carrie Murtaugh: Ebonie Smith
- Beat Cop: Bill Kalmenson
- Dixie: Lycia Naff
- Cop #1: Patrick Cameron
- Cop #2: Don Gordon
- Drug Dealer #1: Jimmie F. Skaggs
- Drug Dealer #2: Jason Ronard
- Drug Dealer #3: Blackie Dammett
- Cop: Gail Bowman
- Cop: Robert Fol
- Policewoman: Selma Archerd
- Police Officer: Richard B. Whitaker
- Psychologist: Mary Ellen Trainor
- Captain Ed Murphy: Steve Kahan
- Sergeant McCaskey: Jack Thibeau
- Boyette: Grand L. Bush
- Mendez: Ed O’Ross
- Gustaf: Gustav Vintas
- Mercenary: Paul Tuerpe
- Mercenary: Chad Hayes
- Mercenary: Chris D.
- Mercenary (as Sven Thorsen): Sven-Ole Thorsen
- Mercenary: Peter DuPont
- Mercenary: Gilles Kohler
- Mercenary: Cedric Adams
- Mercenary: Jim J. Poslof
- Endo: Al Leong
- McCleary: Michael Shaner
- Patrol Cop: Natalie Zimmerman
- Blonde on Bike: Deborah Dismukes
- Girl in Shower #1: Cheryl Baker
- Girl in Shower #2: Terri Lynn Doss
- Girl in Shower #3: Sharon K. Brecke
- Alfred: Donald Gooden
- Alfred’s Friend #1: Alphonse Mouzon
- Alfred’s Friend #2: Shaun Hunter
- Alfred’s Friend #3: Everitt Wayne Collins Jr.
- Patrol Cop: Lenny Juliano
- Plainclothes Cop: Henry Brown
- Family Friend: Brian Strohm
- Hooker: Teresa Kadotani
- Beat Cop: Frank Reinhard
- Police Officer in Car #1: John O’Neill
- Police Officer in Car #2: Tom Noga
- Burbank the Cat: Burbank the Cat
- Policeman (uncredited): Larry Clardy
- Underage Hooker (uncredited): Renée Estevez
- Priest (uncredited): Bob Harks
- Mrs. Dilber (archive footage) (uncredited): Kathleen Harrison
- Crime Scene Officer (uncredited): Conrad Hurtt
- Bus Driver (uncredited): Mic Rodgers
- Girl in Black Playsuit (uncredited): Joan Severance
- Ebeneezer Scrooge (archive footage) (uncredited): Alastair Sim
- Fire Rescue Attendant (uncredited): Chris Tashima
- Bartender (uncredited): Norman D. Wilson
Film Crew:
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Rick Alexander
- Sound Editor: Gordon Davidson
- Sound Editor: David M. Horton
- Producer: Joel Silver
- Screenplay: Shane Black
- Editor: Stuart Baird
- Original Music Composer: Eric Clapton
- Casting: Marion Dougherty
- Unit Production Manager: Steve Perry
- Stunts: David R. Ellis
- Director of Photography: Stephen Goldblatt
- Producer: Richard Donner
- Set Decoration: Marvin March
- Production Design: J. Michael Riva
- Original Music Composer: Michael Kamen
- Stunts: Jophery C. Brown
- Costume Supervisor: Barry Francis Delaney
- Costume Design: Mary Malin
- Associate Producer: Jennie Lew Tugend
- Stunts: Jimmy Nickerson
- Stunts: Freddie Hice
- Stunt Coordinator: Bobby Bass
- Stunts: Mic Rodgers
- Stunts: Jeffrey J. Dashnaw
- Assistant Art Director: Virginia L. Randolph
- Still Photographer: John R. Shannon
- Second Assistant Director: Terry Miller
- Location Manager: John Panzarella
- Stunts: Glenn R. Wilder
- ADR Editor: Juno J. Ellis
- Construction Coordinator: George Stokes
- Dolly Grip: Kirk Bales
- Key Grip: Charles Saldana
- Stunts: Monty Cox
- Camera Operator: Richard Walden
- Stunts: Ronnie Rondell Jr.
- Stunts: Jeff Imada
- Stunts: Dar Robinson
- First Assistant Camera: Geary McLeod
- Second Assistant Camera: Bess Wiley
- Stunts: Donna Evans
- Hairstylist: Paul Abascal
- Location Manager: David Israel
- Production Sound Mixer: Bill Nelson
- Makeup Artist: Scott H. Eddo
- Boom Operator: Jules Strasser
- Script Supervisor: Marion Tumen
- Supervising Sound Editor: Alan Robert Murray
- Sound Editor: Milton C. Burrow
- Stunts: Chad Randall
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Les Fresholtz
- Property Master: Erik L. Nelson
- Supervising Sound Editor: Robert G. Henderson
- Aerial Director of Photography: Frank M. Holgate
- Construction Foreman: James F. Orendorff
- Stunts: Gregory J. Barnett
- Transportation Coordinator: Myra Hill
- First Assistant Director: Benjamin Rosenberg
- Special Effects Coordinator: Chuck Gaspar
- Dialogue Coach: Julie Adams
- Music Editor: Christopher Brooks
- Sound Editor: Neil Burrow
- Stunts: Shane Dixon
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Vern Poore
- Sound Editor: Bruce Lacey
- Stunts: Richard M. Ellis
- First Assistant Camera: Calmar Roberts
- Stunts: Bennie Moore
- Costumer: Dallas D. Dornan
- Cableman: Mychal Smith
- Stunts: Diane Hetfield
- Supervising ADR Editor: Jay Engel
- Production Secretary: Laura Hoffman
- Sound Editor: Richard Oswald
- Leadman: Jack Eberhart
- Unit Publicist: Katherine Ann Moore
- Production Accountant: Jan Garner
- Assistant Editor: William J. Meshover
- Stunts: Dana Mackey
- Best Boy Grip: Ron Peebles
- Gaffer: Michael Strong
- Stunts: John Alden
- Stunts: Keith Tellez
- Stunts: Billy Hank Hooker
- Stunts: Randell Dennis Widner
- Stunts: Mary Peters
- Assistant Art Director: Eva Anna Andry
- Stunts: Mike De Luna
- Stunts: Mark Lonsdale
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Willie E. Simmons, Jr.
- Stunts: Steve DeFrance
- Stunts: Cisco Valderrama
- Stunts: Kelly C. Collins
- Second Assistant Camera: Rick Whitesman
- Best Boy Electric: Bill King
- Rigging Gaffer: Tim McArdle
- Assistant Costume Designer: Paki Wolfe
- Location Manager: Paula Shaw
Movie Reviews:
- John Chard: We got the edge Cochise.
Close to retirement, Detective Sergeant Roger Murtaugh is a bit disturbed to find he’s breaking in a new partner. Even more so when it turns out to be fellow Detective Martin Riggs, who since the death of his wife has scant regard for life, his own or those around him.
Light on plot and character development, Lethal Weapon none the less shines bright as a beacon of how a buddy buddy action film should be done. Roughly an hour and forty five minutes of quips, action, villainy, heroics and cross generational/cultural divides. All what else is needed is a star duo with buoyant chemistry – thankfully Richard Donner’s movie has it by the clip load.
Mel Gibson is Riggs, a trigger happy suspected loony on the ragged edge, wonderfully playing off of Danny Glover’s (superb) “too old for this nonsense” sage old copper. Riggs is a hard dude who quickly became a cinematic hero to many, an unstoppable force with a quip on the tongue and a glint in his eye, to which Gibson is terrific and perfectly cast.
Gary Busey’s “psycho’s are us” henchman flits in and out the picture with gleeful nastiness and Shane Black’s script crackles as the super stunt work starts to take a hold. Chief villain Mitchell Ryan as The General is almost a bystander though, and there’s the odd piece of careless editing, but really Lethal Weapon has a winning formula that the box office punters promptly lapped up.
Three sequels, all of which are of differing quality, would follow it, but this is a template movie for the genre and worthy of nostalgic revisits any time of day. 8/10
- JPV852: One of the best action movies of all-time in my book, and right there with Die Hard, Lethal Weapon still holds up so well thanks to the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Even with the over-the-top staged fight scene at the end, this is just an all around entertaining flick.
(Reason I decided to watch it again today was saw it was on A&E and rather than watch a crappy edited version, why not watch the real deal in 1080p HD?)