Lethal Weapon 3 (R, 1992)

LETHAL WEAPON 3 returns to the tried-and-true formula of guns, jokes, and male bonding. After a botched attempt to diffuse a bomb, detectives Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are bussed down to the position of patrol officer. While Murtaugh contemplates retirement, Riggs finds himself smitten with no-nonsense internal affairs agent Lorna Cole (Renee Russo). Riggs, Murtaugh and Cole team up to stop former cop Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson) from supplying guns to gang members. The mission turns deadly when a young cop dies and Lorna is shot, and once again, a revenge-fueled Riggs goes after the culprits.

As most series do, the Lethal Weapon series gets sillier and more self-referential as it progresses. However, this film also features the beginnings of a social messages: The plot follows the path of illegally sold guns, from the runners to the kid on the street. The film deals briefly and indirectly with the issue of race, particularly the chronic involvement of young black men in gang warfare.

This installment focuses more on Murtaugh's problems than Riggs'. As in all films in the series, there's an abrupt shift in mood from humor to violent death about halfway through. The fate of Lorna leaves a slightly less bleak resolution, in which Riggs may not keep having to avenge the deaths of the women he loves. Overall, there isn't anything remarkable about this film, but it manages to deliver all the elements that fans of the series have come to expect.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Mel Gibson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 118 minutes
Theatrical release: May 15, 1992
DVD release: December 15, 1998
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: violence and language