Sadly Over-hyped

Nice effects though.

Excellent but underrated film

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.This is not as "classic" as the original, and lacks that Christmas element, but we have some new fun. Joe Pesci is here, though not used to his fullest. The "diplomatic immunity" idea is great, and there still remains debate to this day (2016) if such a thing could be used to facilitate crime. Allegedly, the Chicago mob used this method in Panama.But the key scene that makes this film memorable is the "toilet bomb" scene. If nothing else, that one scene will make this go down in history as one of the essential buddy cop movies.

Lethal Weapon was just the beginning. It sets up the relationship between Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Well) well, with a strong story to boot. The second has the cops in a tight knit, their banter brushing off each other with satisfying effects. Murtaugh is still angry, and Riggs is still crazy, just less suicidal. They're the cop duo others try to replicate. LW2 carries over LW's best bits, while adding extra bonuses for all to revel in. Newcomer Joe Pesci ('I'm Leo Getz, and whatever you want, Leo gets.') is great but does grate, repeating 'ok' so many times I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The only drawback to LW2 is too much time and effort's spent on character development, as the South African criminals they face have no personalities. This is made up for by a shocking twist involving a key character's past.

Detectives Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh Danny Glover) are back in this action packed sequel, beginning the movie with a car chase through the streets of Las Angeles. They discover illegal gold coins being transported and stumble into a money laundering scheme by a South African diplomat. Along the way they meet Leo Goetz (Joe Pesci), a former mob moneyman who helps them crack the case.This movie is funny, mainly for the addition of Pesci who delivers some very quotable lines ("They f*** you in the drive-thru!"). Riggs and Murtaugh have changed as well, having adjusted to each other and gained a close friendship and changing the mood from the first movie to a more comedic one, in spite of some horrible events.The action is good and the script was halfway decently written. However, the movement from comedy to action to tragedy all seems jumbled together, like the writers couldn't decide what mood to go for. Mainly, I blame this lack of consistency on the inclusion of Goetz. His character is just made to be laughed at, in spite of murders and bombings happening every which way.In all, it's above average for its time and genre, but not great. The real treat here is the acting. Everyone seems natural in their roles. The good pacing and flow help make the movie watchable and suspend disbelief in spite of the writing.

This didn't live up to the awesomeness of the first film for me but it was still a hell of a ride. Unfortunately there's so many big action scenes here that it loses a bit of its charm, heading into over-the-top territory. Joe Pesci's character didn't help either, and I found his interaction, as the third wheel with Riggs and Murtaugh extremely annoying. Thankfully the plot moves along at a supercharged rate and he gets overshadowed.Still this is better than a lot of sequels, as LA detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) reprise their roles and chemistry this time battling a vicious South African drug cartel.I also enjoyed the quieter side here and seeing how Martin's relationship (and mental status) had progressed, in particular in his scenes with Rogers wife and family. Sadly he has bad luck in love again and a sore shoulder. 07.13