Time: 114 Minutes
Age Rating: M – contains violence, offensive language & sex scenes
Cast:
Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs
Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh
Joe Pesci as Leo Getz
Joss Ackland as Arjen Rudd
Derrick O’Connor as Pieter Vorstedt
Patsy Kensit as Rika van den Haas
Director: Richard Donner

I decided to revisit the Lethal Weapon movies. I remember the sequel being good, around the level of the first movie and rewatching it, it is definitely a great sequel.

With the central dynamic established in the last movie, it can go larger in the sequel. It has a good balance of comedy and action, though it definitely leans more into the humour and less so the grit and darkness present in the first. Occasionally it does lean on the cartoonish side, especially with the inclusion of Joe Pesci’s character. That said, it really picks up in the third act. It gets darker, more violent and means spirited, and the stakes are higher.

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are great as usual. They’ve not lost any of the chemistry or witty banter, and their dynamic relationship feels even more natural here. Joe Pesci is added in as a comedic relief and predictably handles the humour well, even if he is a little annoying at points.

Richard Donner returns to direct and again does a good job, very energetic and balances action and comedy well. It definitely feels like a larger movie, particularly with the great action sequences, and set pieces are even bigger.

Lethal Weapon 2 is a fun and entertaining sequel that’s about as good as the first movie.