Overview
Two mismatched cops take on the criminal underworld while forming an unexpected bond.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- irreverent
- visceral
- action movie night
- 1980s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an energetic, influential buddy-cop action film elevated by its vivid set pieces and the chemistry between its leads.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh begin as sharply opposed LAPD partners, with Riggs's recklessness colliding against Murtaugh's caution and domestic responsibilities.
Riggs and Murtaugh trade jokes and insults amid shootouts, investigations, and escalating confrontations, creating the film's defining tonal mixture.
Riggs's suicidal tendencies and self-destructive behavior shape his policing, relationships, and gradual investment in partnership and life.
LAPD investigations and the drug-smuggling operation move through Los Angeles locations that support both procedural encounters and large-scale action.
Films like Lethal Weapon, and why
48 Hrs.
shares the buddy cop formula, irreverent humor, escalating criminal conspiracy, and high-energy action set pieces
Die Hard
shares Los Angeles police protagonists, explosive action, wisecracking partnership, and an intense hostage-driven crime thriller structure
Tango & Cash
shares a mismatched police partnership, drug-trafficking plot, comic friction, and muscular 1980s action filmmaking
To Live and Die in L.A.
shares gritty urban crime, volatile heroism, hard-edged violence, and a propulsive 1980s action-thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Donner
- Release Date
- 1987-03-06
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (5229)
Cast
- Mel Gibson
- Danny Glover
- Gary Busey
- Mitchell Ryan
- Tom Atkins
- Darlene Love
- Traci Wolfe
- Jackie Swanson
- Damon Hines
- Ebonie Smith
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lethal Weapon about?
- A self-destructive Los Angeles detective and a veteran family man become an explosive police partnership while dismantling a drug-smuggling operation.
- What is Lethal Weapon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lethal Weapon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Lethal Weapon violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Lethal Weapon as brutal.
- What did critics think of Lethal Weapon?
- Critics broadly regard it as an energetic, influential buddy-cop action film elevated by its vivid set pieces and the chemistry between its leads.
- Which films are like Lethal Weapon?
- Films with a similar feel include 48 Hrs., Die Hard, Tango & Cash, and To Live and Die in L.A..
- How long is Lethal Weapon?
- Lethal Weapon runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lethal Weapon?
- In United States, Lethal Weapon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
