Lethal Weapon 4
Is it just me, or are action films becoming less and less successful at the box office? Why, just a few years back, these kind of films raked in the money. Unfortunately, one film released in 1997 raised the stakes, and all of a sudden, action films with no plot and quirky one-liners have become less successful. In 1998, action films have already come and gone... mostly unsuccessfully. But here is LETHAL WEAPON 4, and lets just hope that this one lives up to its predecessors' success.
And from the reaction of audience I saw the movie with, it will be. Richard Donner has directed all four of the Lethal Weapon series, and all four have similar tones and styles. Each one ups the action and decreases the plot. However, my personal favorite is the third entry which was the only one I saw in theaters. It was a completely entertaining film, and I had to see the first two right away. And now comes the fourth, and I can say that it more than lives up to its predecessors' entertainment value. As a whole, I would say it's the most entertaining entry. As a part of the series, it's not quite up to par.
LETHAL WEAPON 4 begins quickly, but does something that really gnaws at me for the entire film. It occurs frequently with action films... perhaps you have seen one that does it: the obligatory action sequence which establishes the heroes as the people we root for. You know these scenes, they have been done hundreds of times. But here, it's especially annoying. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are trying to apprehend a psycho with a flamethrower. The result? Many explosions and high-tech wizardry. Then, the film jumps ahead nine and a half months. In essence, all the opening scene is useful for is for us to learn that Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) and Murtaugh's dauther are both pregnant. The film flashes forward just about nine months and starts its actual paper-thin plot.
Murtaugh, Riggs, and Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) are fishing on Murtaugh's brand new boat. After stopping an illegal immigrant scheme, Riggs and Murtaugh are promoted to captains because the police department can't afford the insurance. But do you really think that will stop them? If anything, it makes them more motivated to try harder. The plot mostly revolves around Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li), a Chinese whatever (we never really know who he is) who is hoping to get immigrants to work for his money laundering business. As these films go, the villains usually have alterior motives, and Ku's motives are to raise enough counterfeit money to pay for the four fathers, which also includes his brother (I'm not exactly sure on this, but that's what I thought). Did I tell you it was a paper-thin plot?
This Lethal Weapon entry isn't about plot whatsoever. It's about funny dialogue and incredible action strung together in sequences. And yet, it's incredibly absorbing to sit through. Let me just say, I was completely involved in this film. Every action scene had me cheering and biting my nails. I mean, this is the fourth film of the series, so anything goes. The writers could just kill off the heroes. You never know with sequels (look at Alien³... then again, look how much that worked). The action in LETHAL WEAPON 4 tops anything we've seen in any of the first three films. It's heart pounding and intense. What's most impressive is the amount of comedy that is worked in. This film is probably funnier than most comedies you will see this year. So I can safely assume that this movie will be a box office hit.
Director Richard Donner knows exactly how to pull strings. His intelligent casting ensures that we root for the good guys and hope the bad guy gets it in the end. With Jet Li, the famous Chinese martial artist/actor, Donner finds his most effective villain to date. Li's performance is the best of the film because it makes you hate him so much. I mean, some people will argue that he is merely doing normal villain stuff, but Li's somber appearance gives him an edge over others. He underplays most of his scenes, and he almost blends into the background. Li is the biggest reason to see this movie. Channing Gibson writes his first screenplay with confidence and assuredness. Given, the plot is ridiculous and the scenes involving the Chinese villains are underwritten. But Gibson has a great sense for creating hilarious dialogue and funny situations. Unfortunately, the drama in the film is cheap at best, and sometimes downright insulting. The film approaches the "cheese" marker one too many times (luckily, it never crosses over). For all its shortcomings, it stands proud at the end.
And now, the most important part: the action. From the opening moments to the final fight, every action sequence contains enough energy to power another two action films. Donner's ability to make all of this crazy action make sense puts him in the top five action directors working today. Albeit, he's not as effective as Renny Harlin or James Cameron, but his Lethal Weapon series will make sure he's in that list. Out of all the action scenes, two stick in my mind. One involves a long chase over highways, through buildings, and a fight in a wide-load trailer. This is the most impressive display of continuous action seen for a long time. The final seconds of this scene are surprising and funny. The other is the final showdown when Li, Gibson, and Glover duke it out. Li's martial arts make him a superior fighter, but in the end, we all know that our heroes must prevail. Or will they? Sequels make us ask these questions because the creators could easily end it all by killing the heroes off. I won't ruin the surprise for anyone, but I will say that it's a little preposterous. The action scenes do exactly what they are supposed to do. My reactions to most of the scenes were of full-body engrossment. By the end of the film, I was physically exhausted. My friends who saw it with me aren't exactly fans of the action genre, and they were less enthusiastic.
Mel Gibson has a natural comic ability and these films prove that. If you know my reviews, I am not exactly a Gibson fanatic. I didn't like him in Braveheart or Conspiracy Theory and I thought he was quite effective in Ransom. But these are his best films because they allow him to have more chemistry with co-stars than any of his other movies. Danny Glover is usually a very reliable actor, and here he proves no different. His chemistry with Gibson makes these films extremely entertaining. These two have so much fun on screen together that it makes you want to cry at the end of the film. Of course, that's what draws repeat viewings. Rene Russo isn't nearly as effective, and she has been much better in other films, but here she suffices. Chris Rock is good, but his character is obligatory, like most of the other stuff in this film. And Joe Pesci has had better days. But it is Jet Li who steals the films from the rest. His energetic and eerie performance give the film more intensity than any of the first three.
LETHAL WEAPON 4 is rated R for intense action, strong language and violence. Richard Donner has another explosive hit on his hands which is likely to show impressive box office results. The Lethal Weapon series has been a top-notch action/comedy series, and it continues to impress. While it may not be the best of the series, it's certainly the most entertaining. With the meanest villain, the best action scenes, the comedic chemistry between the leads, and one of the most inventive credit sequences, LETHAL WEAPON 4 makes it a very good choice for summer entertainment. In fact, this may become the highest grossing film of the year. Only time will tell.