Lethal Weapon is a 1987 crime thriller about a veteran policeman partnered with a younger, suicidal officer, Riggs who must learn to work with one another to stop a gang of drug smugglers.
While many credit Walter Hill‘s 1982 action comedy 48 hrs. with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte as the first real buddy cop film, few would deny that it wasn’t until Richard Donner put together the kinetic energy of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon did it really hit the ground running. This funny and violent film took the formula of Hill’s movie and tweaked the recipe, setting a new standard that nearly every film in the genre that followed took after. With a razor sharp script by legendary screenwriter Shane Black, the film follows the dynamic duo as they tackle a huge drug smuggling ring, all the while somehow bonding over seemingly impossible odds. It’s a classic action comedy that incredibly still feels fresh and reminds us how right it can feel with the good story, a good director, and perfect casting.
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