All 4 Lethal Weapon Movies Ranked

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The buddy cop movie can be divided into two distinct eras: everything before "Lethal Weapon," and everything after. Released in 1987, the film launched the screenwriting career of Shane Black, who defined himself as the master of pulp stories centered on mismatched pairs investigating complex crimes filled with car chases, witty one-liners, and Christmas lights in L.A. It was a huge hit for director Richard Donner, who proved he could mix action and comedy with the best of them. Most of all, it provided Mel Gibson and Danny Glover with the defining roles of their careers as the highly unpredictable Sergeant Martin Riggs (Gibson_ and his partner, Roger Murtaugh (Glover), who by his own admission is "getting too old for this s**t."

Murtaugh might've been too old for this s**t, but that didn't stop Gibson, Glover, and Donner from returning to the "Lethal Weapon" franchise three more times. The franchise has remained dormant since 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4," although Gibson has said he'd direct a fifth entry following Donner's death in 2021. It's understandable why he'd want to revive the series, considering the first two films are among the best Mel Gibson movies, and the last two have their charms. Regardless of quality, all four "Lethal Weapon" films have been mainstays on cable for the last three decades, a sign of their re-watchability.

• Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo
• Director: Richard Donner
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

After being "too old for this s**t" for years, Sergeant Roger Murtaugh, is excited to finally retire from the LAPD in a week. After failing to defuse a bomb, Murtaugh and his partner, Sergeant Martin Riggs, are demoted to uniform duties. While on street patrol, they stop an armored car robbery carried out by men working for Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson), a former police lieutenant now in charge of a local arms smuggling ring. To take Travis down, the boys join forces with internal affairs Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), who falls in love with Riggs. They also get some help from their old pal, police informant Leo Getz (Joe Pesci).

By the time "Lethal Weapon 3" released in 1992, the formula was pretty much set in stone, and as such, there isn't much new to be found in this installment. Fresh air comes by way of Rene Russo, who turns out to be a worthy sparring partner for wild card Mel Gibson. The scene where Cole and Riggs show off their scars before hopping into bed is charged with the same kind of electricity that animated the first film. It's in that moment, along with the various shootouts and chase scenes, that "Lethal Weapon 3" really comes alive.

• Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci
• Director: Richard Donner 
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

While Riggs and Cole are expecting their first child, Murtaugh is preparing to become a grandfather for the first time, although his daughter, Rianne (Traci Wolf), won't tell him who the father is. The dad-to-be is Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock), which Rianne keeps secret because she knows her dad wouldn't want her to marry another cop. Ruggs, Murtaugh, and Butters have to set the drama aside when Getz stumbles upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring. Their investigation leads them to a crime syndicate led by gangster Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li), who targets the detectives' families as they get closer to uncovering the truth.

Although a fifth "Lethal Weapon" has long been in development, 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4" remains the final entry thus far. Though not a sequel so bad it ended a franchise, the series didn't exactly go off on a high note. That's not to say there isn't good to be found here, especially Jet Li in his English-language movie debut. If anything, "Lethal Weapon 4" suffers from being too overstuffed, with the banter between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover competing with Chris Rock's standup riffs, the romance with Rene Russo, and the wisecracks from Joe Pesci.

• Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joss Ackland
• Director: Richard Donner
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

While pursuing a gang of drug traffickers, Riggs and Murtaugh stumble upon an illegal shipment of gold from the Apartheid South African government. They try to take the smugglers down, but consul-general Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland) is protected by diplomatic immunity, and retaliates by planting a bomb under Murtaugh's toilet (which goes off the first time poor Murtaugh uses the bathroom in peace). Desperate to ease international tensions, the LAPD reassign Riggs and Murtaugh to protecting a federal witness: obnoxious motormouth Leo Getz. Turns out Getz has laundered some funds for the South African smugglers, giving Riggs and Murtaugh a way back into their investigation.

"Lethal Weapon" was such a huge hit that a sequel was fast-tracked two years later. While "Lethal Weapon 2" squeezes some more juice out of the first film's mix of action and one-liners, its most brilliant masterstroke is the addition of Joe Pesci, in one of his best movie roles. The perennial third wheel, Getz livens up the dynamic between Riggs and Murtaugh, giving them someone to bounce off of as their friendship evolves. An Oscar-nominee for best sound effect editing, "Lethal Weapon 2" became the third highest grossing film of 1989.

• Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey
• Director: Richard Donner
  
• Rating: R
  
• Runtime: 112 minutes
  
• Where to watch: Apple TV
  

LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs has become suicidal following the death of his wife. He's partnered with veteran cop Roger Murtaugh, a family man who immediately clashes with his erratic behavior. Murtaugh is in the midst of investigating the suicide death of a young prostitute (Jackie Swanson). After learning she was poisoned with tainted drugs, Murtaugh and Riggs stumble upon a smuggling ring with ties to a shadowy CIA paramilitary unit led by retired General Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan). Riggs and Murtaugh put their difference aside to take down the criminals, growing closer as their investigation becomes increasingly dangerous.

Among 1987's highest-grossing movies, "Lethal Weapon" redefined the buddy cop genre forever. Shane Black's script inject screwball comedy-level quips into high-octane action set pieces, all against the backdrop of Christmas in sunny Los Angeles. Its labyrinthine plot is made coherent by director Richard Donner, who balances the many tonal shifts with skill and precision. Yet what really makes this one of the best cop movies of all time is the odd couple partnering of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and it wouldn't be the last time audiences saw them shine together.