Lethal Weapon 4

Lethal Weapon 4 was shot to pieces by the daily press. Not only was it called a bad film. It was also an unnecessary addition to a well-rounded trilogy. I am not especially fond of serialisation in films either, but it can at least be noted that audiences have not had enough of the hard-hitting partners Riggs and Murtaugh. Ergo, the film is not totally unnecessary. Nor is it a bad film. The plot was as usual exciting, with the special blend of action and family drama/comedy that also characterises the other films in the series. Moreover, I enjoyed myself just as much as with the first, second and third. So, far too much sulking on the critics' part.

Lethal Weapon 4 begins with a detached action sequence that has little to do with the main plot. The only thing of relevance is that Riggs gets to tell Murtaugh that he is going to be a grandfather, and that Murtaugh gets to tell Riggs that he is going to be a father. The film plays on the fact that now not just Murtaugh but Riggs too is getting on in years. The film contradicts itself, though, for Riggs runs just as fast and hits just as hard as ever, but then you would have to look long and hard for realism in Donner's quadrilogy. This time Riggs and Murtaugh are up against the Chinese mafia, who smuggle people into the USA and then make them work off their debt under slave-like conditions. The mafia, and not least the newly arrived mafia boss Wah Sing Ku, have far more on their conscience, however. But they do not stand a real chance against Riggs and Murtaugh.

Jet Li is an extremely charismatic villain, but one senses a whiff of racism in the way many of the film's other Chinese roles are treated. Another drawback was the excessive violence. Oriental martial arts can certainly be fascinating to watch, and there can be no doubt about Jet Li's abilities in that area, but I could have done without most of the final fight to the death between him and our two heroes. Here was something that actually was superfluous.