FAQ

Veteran LAPD Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is paired with Detective Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), who has become so reckless, violent, and suicidal since the death of his wife three years earlier that he is considered to be a "lethal weapon". They are assigned to the mysterious murder of Amanda Hunsaker (Jackie Swanson), daughter of Roger's old friend and former army buddy Michael Hunsaker (Tom Atkins). Together, the mismatched investigators undercover a ring of heroin smugglers employing a group of former Vietnam War special forces troops known as the Shadow Company, masterminded by a ruthless retired General, Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan), and his chief enforcer, Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey). As Riggs and Murtaugh discover more about Shadow Company's network, they must learn to trust each other when the criminal organization turns on them.

Lethal Weapon is based on a screenplay by American screenwriter and film-maker Shane Black. It was followed by three sequels, L'Arme fatale 2 (1989), L'Arme fatale 3 (1992), and L'Arme fatale 4 (1998).

Riggs is using the Heckler & Koch PSG-1. This was the first appearance of that legendary weapon in a non-documentary film. Since the end of its US civilian importation and later discontinuation, the PSG-1 has been one of the most expensive of all tactical rifles (priced well over 10,000 USD). Due to this fact, it is quite rare for the genuine article to be seen in movies.

In the Lethal Weapon Director's Cut, over 7 minutes of new material can be found, which mainly show Riggs's self-destructive and desperate ways more explicitly, but also feature Roger's problems with aging. The whole sniper shooting at kids scene is part of the new material.

No, Danny Glover was born July 22, 1946. So he would have only been around 40 during filming and the release of the movie.