Lethal Weapon - PG-13

Mismatched cops spar in violent '80s action hit.

Rating: PG-13 for Restricted Studio: Warner Bros. Directed By: Richard Donner Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover Running Time: 110 minutes Release Date: 03/06/1987 Genre: Action/adventure

Common Sense Note

Parents should know that this film contains graphic violence. Though the tone of this movie is mostly serious, it treats the deaths of villains and innocent civilians in a very casual manner, as if killing bad guys is simply part of the job of being a cop. The only violence that seems to have a psychic toll is the harm done to young, attractive women. Sex is portrayed only in the context of prostitution and murder.

Families who watch this film may want to discuss the violence here. Do you think there is a message here amongst the carnage -- or is this simply an action film and not meant to be taken seriously? Another topic to explore is the film brought the archetypal "buddy picture" to the forefront of Hollywood cinema. Families may want to compare and contrast the ways in which this theme is presented in more recent films such as Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, and Men in Black. How do these films use race as a comedic device?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Elliot Panek

LETHAL WEAPON is an unsubtle action movie that trades intrigue for visceral emotion. Upon turning 50, L.A. detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) has been assigned a new partner, the suicidal loose cannon Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson). Murtaugh, a family man, and Riggs, a widower, form the obligatory cop/buddy odd couple, bickering at first, and then gradually rubbing off on one another.

They are assigned to investigate the death of a prostitute who happens to be the daughter of Murtaugh's old army buddy. The men behind the crime are part of the Shadow Company, a clique of drug-dealing Vietnam veterans. After the bad guys kidnap Murtaugh's teen daughter, things get personal, and the cops are forced to play rough.

Angst hangs over much of the film's proceedings. This world is populated with vengeance-crazed murderers and lonely suicides. Writer Shane Black peppers the movie with gallows humor, and veteran action director Richard Donner keeps things lean and mean, refusing to complicate the simple drug-running plot with so much as a twist. The film caters to the audience's bloodlust, allowing us to relish Riggs' ruthless retribution by making him pay for his sins with his sanity. The violence is justified only in the sense that the bad guys are drug-running murderers, and therefore deserve to die.

Gibson excels at playing the dispenser of righteous violence (as he does in the Mad Max series), twitching his way through the role of the tragically flawed action hero. Lethal Weapon is suspenseful, but never quite a achieves the fever pitch of a Die Hard film. It is more interested in justifying violence than making the audience think.

Families who enjoy this film may want to check out its sequels Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, Lethal Weapon 4.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Female nudity, talk of prostitution.
Violence On-screen shootings, suicide, torture.
Language Plenty of cursing.
Message
	Social Behavior Brute force always wins out here.
	Commercialism This is part of a series. Also, the movie features TV programs – Family Feud, Warner Brothers cartoons, The 3 Stooges.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, reference to marijuana, all portrayed in a negative light.