Arma letale 2

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

The first half hour of this movie is such an empty mixture of very fast chase scenes and some dull talking between supposed bad guys you might not get to the final hour which is fun and funny and as good (in a way) as the first Lethal Weapon from two years earlier. Same cast, same crew, same assets.

The problem at first is partly that we don't know who the bad guys are. We have no reason to fear or hate them. We just know that Mel and Danny have to be in on some new awful crime situation. That requires faith, so okay, we keep watching. The opening chase is highly kinetic and violent and spectacular, if you like that kind of thing. It is also a heads up for a couple scenes later that are also really spectacular —a ridiculous machine gun festival from a helicopter (if they have helicopters that have rocket grenades and boom, that's that), and a really ridiculous yanking down of a spectacular building with a GMC pickup truck (an amazing highlight of the movie).

Yeah, it's a wonderful mixed bag. By the end I was loving it the way you love things like this—not as film studies, but as a lowbrow good time. There are some classic scenes, also ridiculous—like the great toilet one—and some filler, of course, but it clicks along and is a worthy sequel. If you liked the first, you'll like the second.

However, it's worth saying the first one has an elegance at times that makes it not just more artful (who cares?) but more compelling. Just the way the first scene is handled (in the first movie) makes you want to know what's happening, and you worry about the next few scenes because of the first one. Here, it's more a continuation of affection—which means you might have to see the first one before this, in case you haven't!

A terrific sequel to one of the first action duo films that worked well. Adding Joe Pesci to the cast, what a great choice! He was so funny, together, Mel, Danny, and Joe are the three stooges of Lethal Weapon. They work together so well. This movie has everything that you could want: action, romance, comedy, and drama.

Again, like in my last Lethal Weapon comment, must we go on for ten sentences? I mean, is it just me or isn't that a little silly? I think so. It's like, you can't just put down you liked the movie or hated it? I miss the old IMDb! *sob!*

8/10

PS: Ask me questions about the movie if you have doubts about me witnessing it's glory.

The first point I found interesting is that it was evident they used real South Africans as extras in the film. In one scene one of the extras called out "Jou Moer" to our intrepid heroes.

"Jou Moer" translates into English, quite unmistakenly, as "You C*nt". As this was still in it, years later, when I just saw it for the second time, I feel that nobody in America check unidentified words for their true meaning.

This has given many South Africans high amusement over the years and they may not be well disposed towards me for spilling the beans.

Another thing was that Patsy Kensit played the part of an Afrikaaner (A Dutch descent South African and, whilst an English descent South African might say she (or he) hates his country, an Afrikaaner would never say that. He or she might say they hate the government but they would NEVER say they hate their country.

But apart from that, a good film, and it gave me so much amusement to see they hadn't cut out the offending word.

From an English rooinek.

Andrew

With the possible exception of Martin Rigg's mullet, which actually looks like it's been given a bit of a trim, everything about Lethal Weapon 2 is bigger than the first movie: the explosions are more explosive, the shoot-outs more shooty, the car crashes more crashy, the widdly guitar more widdly, and the warbling sax more warbly. As 80s action flicks go, this is definitely one of the best for spectacular vehicular chaos, ballistic mayhem, random acts of death and destruction, and tuneless music.

Jeffrey Boam's script delivers on all counts, matching Shane Black's original in terms of wit, pathos, and excitement, and although it does introduce what would become one of the most irritating characters in cinematic history—fast talking money launderer Leo Getz (Joe Pesci)—at least Boam has the good sense to inflict a lot of pain and suffering on the guy in the process, Leo getting more than a few bruises as the story progresses.

Seasoned Hollywood director Richard Donner handles proceedings well, balancing the light-hearted moments and the gritty action just right (a trick he seems to have forgotten come part 3), and with the benefit of a bigger budget than before, he gets to pull off some truly impressive action scenes, including the amazing destruction of an entire house on stilts.

Part 2 also benefits immensely from a pair of memorable villains—South African diplomat Arjen Rudd, played by Joss Ackland, and his truly wicked henchman/assassin Pieter (Derrick O'Connor), and the welcome presence of the wooden but still very lovely Patsy Kensit, who very kindly strips off for a sex scene (the price we must pay for that pleasure is yet another Mel Gibson ass shot, but at least it's only a side view— not a full on crack shot like in the first film!).

Riggs and Murtaugh now face a bunch of south African criminals hiding behind their diplomatic immunity. The duo have to fight for their right to fight back, as the criminals declare war on the cops, and arouse the lethal weapon in Riggs.

The introdction of Joe Pesci's character is a little annoying at first but it soon grows on you and he adds a focus for the comedy element.

Richard Donner again directs the cop duo and again we have a movie well worth watching.

Plenty of action, a few more laughs and a lethal weapon that is still just as sharp, all combine to deliver another great outing for Riggs and Murtaugh.

8/10