Lethal Weapon (1987) | Canadians First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Commentary

[@kurtl8425]

“Why are they fighting?” It’s an 80’s action movie.

[@vaportrails7943]

Well, to be fair - the actual reason is that they’re cops, which means they had to arrest him and not kill him. But after what had happened, Riggs was pissed off enough that he wanted to beat the s-- out of him. Which is also why Murtaugh held the others back to let it happen.

[@Koujujutsu]

Exaaaaaactly. 😁

[@Xfactor444-x4n]

@goofyguy4ever560 I'm confused by your comment to this.

[@kraljevo8]

Because this *IS* the 80's, Pat!

[@damianstarks3338]

Thanks for this answer

[@donotevenbegintocare]

Remember in Predator the guy with the glasses who kept telling terrible dirty jokes trying to make Billy laugh? That guy wrote Lethal weapon. That same year.

[@riveraharper8166]

Yes. I can't understand how can he screw The Predator 2018...

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

I think Shane Black got the role because he was also helping to polish the Predator script while he was on set, but I'm not sure on that. I wish more people would see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - he wrote and directed that and it has such a ludicrous energy to it.

[@popeye697]

@@riveraharper8166 studio interference most likely

[@SadPeterPan1977]

@@riveraharper8166 Well he only polished the script for Predator, he didn't write it. He probably added some of the jokes in. He's not even credited as a writer on IMDB. He's great at writing 'buddy' action comedy movies movies but he's more hit and miss when it's any other genre like scifi. His hit ratio with 'buddy' movies though is excellent. The Lethal Weapon films, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, that's a damn good list of movies right there. His next movie, Play Dirty, sounds like it's another one in this vein.

[@riveraharper8166]

​@@SadPeterPan1977 Good to know thx. Predator/Alien is special to me I guess but they prolly wanted to make for the younger gen it seems.

[@retropyro]

"I'm too old for this shit" 100% became a thing because of this movie. While the character is 50, Danny Glover was 42 when they shot the movie.

[@RustyDust101]

Definitely!

[@markant9534]

Steve McQueen said that line in the Hunter in 1980 and he actually was 50 at the time, however the Hunter was a flop.

[@PotatusFrye]

Warren Oates said the the line in Stripes, maybe if he had kept repeating it

[@tibetcorporation7462]

Danny was 40 when they shot the movie :)

[@bruceleeds7988]

Yeah, when they said "He Looks GREAT for 50" 🤣🤣🤣 Damien Wayans was 58 when he did the TV show and looked like he was 45

[@bdbnsn1471]

"Mel Gibson`s hair is very fluffy, and i`ve decided that i like it" is an hilarious and iconic Simone comment.

[@shakarussanders9911]

That was funny 😄

[@valashar5313]

The sponges attached to the jumper cables when Riggs was being tortured is to diffuse the electricity so that it hits more surface area of the skin and greatly reduces the chance of killing the subject being tortured. In short it makes it less lethal but far more painful. Torture 101.

[@thormelsted]

The “brush” at the end of the cable when shocking Riggs is a sponge, which is used to enhance connectivity by making the contact area bigger.

[@serhatkucukberksun3523]

also preventing the burns to the skin.

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

It was a Natural Sponge too, instead of the rectangular factory made ones.

[@haddow777]

actually, sponges are there to hold water. The water connects the contact to the skin better, this allowing the current to travel more easily. Check out The Green Mile to see why.

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

@@paulobrien9572 "I didn't know the sponge was suppose to be wet..." ~Percy Whitmoore.

[@Escapee5931]

​@@Jay-ate-a-bug So much better for the complexion!

[@uosdwiSrdewoH]

The bit in the shop where Roger pulls out his gun flew right over my head when I saw this as a kid because I didn't know why he says "OWW!". Of course as an adult I realized it's because Riggs pulled the trigger and Roger's hand was the only thing that stopped the bullet being fired. That tiny moment hangs over the rest of the movie and reframes every moment we have with Riggs and Murtagh.

[@NathanJasper]

Speaking of Gary Busey, check out the original Point Break with Keanu!

[@jculver1674]

I'm pretty sure it's already on their list to react to in the future, since they were worried about seeing spoilers for it in Hot Fuzz.

[@phj223]

Also Under Siege, with Stephen Seagal (his one good film lol) and with Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey as the antagonists.

[@Deepthoughtsabound]

Black Sheep with Chris Farley and David Spade. He's great in that too

[@andystewart581]

48 hours with Eddie Murphy

[@Khay-77]

100% Pure Adrenaline!

[@zmarko]

The scene where Riggs is contemplating is such a great scene. So much pain in him and his struggle to deal with it. So powerful.

[@mj6866]

I agree. That is what separates this movie from other cop buddy movies.

[@breaker6683]

That scene got Mel Gibson cast as Hamlet.

[@FancyPrimate]

That scene deeply affected me as a kid. Sometimes movies makes death seem trivial but that scene was super heavyyy

[@MrGBH]

Police don't have to read you the Miranda rights at the point of arrest, as long as you're informed of them before you're questioned.

[@chrisleebowers]

But it's a good idea to read them their rights ASAP because anything they might say before they're questioned may be inadmissible.

[@jakecleveland1051]

Thank you, I was just about to comment the same thing

[@FearOgre]

Yet recently the Supreme Court limits ability to enforce Miranda rights

[@worsel555]

@@FearOgre That is not something new with Miranda rights.

[@FearOgre]

@@worsel555 June 23, 2022 is not new, interesting.

[@japython]

I really hope you guys do the sequels, the character development throughout the series is great!

[@Valeria-hy1ey]

oh yes, I hope so too!!!!

[@goatbrother8718]

Totally agree.

[@slimbrady6691]

Yea the toilet scene in the sequel might be my favorite in the entire series. It really highlights how close they've become.

[@jimbass5825]

@@slimbrady6691 Absolutely agree. The relationship between these two guys is cemented in that scene. And the beauty of it is that they say everything without saying anything.

[@DominusLuna]

Especially Joe Pesci. \m/

[@RussellCHall]

Concerning the fight, In the beginning of the movie, Riggs is surrounded by other cops who convince him not to kill an unarmed suspect. After the end fight he is once again surrounded by cops but he has freedom to kill a much badder suspect and chooses not to, even though Joshua has just killed two cops and no one in the LAPD would have batted an eye, and he absolutely intended to kill him, it is when Murtaugh kneels down in the mud and says,"break his f***ing neck" that Riggs stops and says the same thing the cops in the beginning said to him, "... Not worth it", it's not that Riggs suddenly has qualms about killing (especially Joshua) it that he sees Murtaugh's (very understandable) bloodlust and the bloodlust of the other cops (for the death of this cop killer) and knows where this leads, in Riggs mind he/himself is a killer who doesn't follow the rules "we are gonna have to get bloody on this one...." But the law itself and (more specifically) Roger Murtaugh is not, he admires Murtaugh and the way he lives his life and seeing Roger get down into the mud (literally) and say to kill an unarmed suspect makes him stop since Riggs knows where that has led for himself and does not want that for Roger. By the end of the movie Murtaugh has become what Riggs was at the beginning, (a killer who doesn't follow the rules) and Riggs does not want that for either of them, he did the fight to prove himself to be a better man then Joshua, but he didn't kill Joshua because he saw an actual better man descending to his level and didn't want to take him there.

[@LacoSinfonia]

Holy shit. I’ve been watching this for years and never thought about that. Pretty lazy watching on my part lol

[@PsychoPomp81]

Fantastic observation!!

[@BigBoss-zi5ss]

I think Riggs just wanted to beat the piss out of him for the electric shock treatment..it fit his character also especially that they were both in the service and he wanted to basically see what Joshua had ( martial arts wise)

[@jp3813]

I don't think Riggs was looking to kill the guy at the beginning. He was just fired up from his death wish.

[@BrandonBlume]

100% this.

[@anthonydean1743]

A little fun fact, Gary Busy's son is in the Starship Trooper movie. He plays Ace you might recognize the family resemblance.

[@neil2444]

I'm convinced Gary Busey can only play crazy guys. Change my mind.

[@lemmypop1300]

@@neil2444 OK, he was nominated for an Oscar playing Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story in 1978. It was 10 years before his motorcycle accident which permanently damaged his brain, which is why he behaves so erratically. Well, that and huge amounts of cocaine he consumed since.

[@TheCrazyCanuck420]

Just watched an interview with Gary and Jake. Apparently Jake taught his old man all the usual things when he was a teen in high school after the motorcycle accident like speaking, eating, etc.... That's a good son right there since that could have been handled by an assistant.

[@kylestoddart]

No way that dude is Busey's kid? I do see the resemblance NOW

[@stvdagger8074]

@@neil2444 He played the title role in the 1978 film "The Buddy Holly Story"

[@laylaw1507]

The oldest daughter Rianne. Her name is Traci Wolfe. She was 27 when she played her role. I was shocked when I found out years later.

[@toodlescae]

Mel Gibson can rip your heart out one minute and have you rolling with laughter the next. He's a phenomenal actor and director. Gibson was in a movie called Air America.

[@GlassJAw413]

Air America is definitely worth checking out.

[@jakecleveland1051]

Fun fact about that scene, Gibson wasn't sure when he would be in the right emotional state for that scene, so they carried that set in a truck for weeks until he felt he was ready

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

He is definitely a great actor and director. Too bad he's a fscking lunatic ass also.

[@richardrobbins8067]

@@PredatoryQQmber By definition, A Christmas Movie! 🎄 Will probably watch it every year alongside "Die Hard" and "Elf"

[@maximillianosaben]

Such a good franchise. The sequel introduces one of the best and most surprising actors you would expect.

[@ApesAmongUs]

OKOKOKOKOK

[@kevinexline5392]

@@ApesAmongUs 😂 I read that in his voice too

[@wolf99000]

There is some amazing buddy cops movies that came from these also bad boys rush hour but your right Lethal weapon is classic all 4

[@Yora21]

thinking.... thinking... thinking... Oh yes!!! :D

[@BarbaOlof]

Oh, now I really need to think. I’ve seen the first two movies so many times, but still don’t know what you’re referring to…

[@peppyd]

Murtaugh's wife Trish is played by Darlene Love who is a music legend. She sang the Christmas classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". She's featured in a great documentary worth watching called "20 Feet From Stardom"

[@creinicke1000]

The movies actually get more humorous as they go along.. the family always is a main part of the storyline.

[@zmarko]

Fun Fact,: Hunsacker mentions an outfit called Air America (used during the war), with his conversation with Murtaugh at the cliff house. Mel Gibson stars in a movie about this outfit in 1990 with Robert Downey Jr.

[@zmarko]

Yeah. I was just pointing out that a movie was made about it that also starred Gibson a fewbyears later. :)

[@Hexon66]

They also mentioned Phoenix, which the filmmakers probably unwittingly, or ignorantly, considered a CIA program against military targets. I doubt they would have connected Riggs to the true program which murdered 80,000+ Vietnamese civilians (nearly half again as many as there were US military casualties). War criminal and terrorist is not a good look for one of the buddies in a buddy cop movie.

[@doctornick0]

Yes, this was THE movie where the "too old for this" started. It was a massive series in the 80s and 90s and it was a recurring line throughout. This and the Die Hard series became famous for having sequels as good as if not better than the original (the third was probably the best in both series). Lethal Weapon 4 with Chris Rock is probably one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

[@CoffeeMatt10]

LW4 may be the funniest, but it’s also the worst for me. Not that I don’t like it, it’s just my least favourite. But yes, with both franchises the first and third are the best, with a very strong second and a likeable fourth. It’s probably for the best that they both stopped at 4 😉 not sure a fifth would do either franchise any good… My god, why did they do Die Hard 5?!

[@jdnaz1288]

I agree that the first & third were the best for the Die Hard series, but I'd say the first & second were the best for this franchise(I think the 2nd was the best Lethal Weapon).

[@chrisleebowers]

"Is this a Christmas movie?" It's (writer) Shane Black. Christmas action movies are kinda his thing. It's pretty much his whole career. See also: "The Last Boy Scout" "The Long Kiss Goodnight" "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" "The Nice Guys" and "Iron Man 3" Christmas is not just incidental to his stories - they take place at Christmas because they're always about trauma and isolation and depression which is always worse around the holidays. Lethal Weapon opens with a suicide, the main character is suicidal and then their first job is stopping a jumper who "walked out of a Christmas party" Weirdly, Shane Black had nothing to do with THE iconic Christmas action movie, "Die Hard" although Die Hard producer Joel Silver also produced Lethal Weapon and Black worked with Die Hard director John McTiernan as an *actor in "Predator"

[@michaelriddick7116]

The Last Boy Scout is such an underrated movie!!! FANTASTIC!! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@PurushaDesa]

_The Last Boy Scout_ is the best thing Shane Black has ever written. It is violent and hysterical from start to finish.

[@peteturner3928]

Nice Guys is utterly brilliant, were enjoyed Russel Crow and Ryan Gosling so much, they are a great reluctant partnership in the film!

[@YouHaventSeenMeRight]

I'll add Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Such great chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer!

[@weepingscorpion8739]

@@stanleydavidlepretre4241 Me too. I wish somebody would react to it soon.

[@RoninUK-e3u]

Rigg's entrance after the "There are no heroes" line is a nice homage to Errol Flynn in Robin Hood where Flynn enters the Sheriff of Nottingham's castle with a stag carcass draped across his shoulders. BTW the fight moves in the final confrontation were allegedly based on a prison fighting style called jailhouse rock plus Tae Kwon Do and a few others . it is also credited as one of the first screen appearances of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

[@shainewhite2781]

Shane Black wrote the script to this movie while he was working on PREDATOR. He even wrote the script to Lethal Weapon 2, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and The Predator.

[@Brian-qn7fn]

He did not write the script that was used for Lethal Weapon 2. He did write a draft of a script for Lethal Weapon 2, but it was rejected.

[@wolf99000]

Last Boy Scout very under rated movie loved that film

[@Outland9000]

@@wolf99000 _"Gunna dance a jig"_

[@luigimitrotti5957]

All the lethal weapon movies are so good. Its a nice balance of very deep and dark moments with some light hearted humour and one liners to make you feel better.

[@GruffyddFO4]

"I thought it was going to be fun buddy cop." That's the rest of the series. Which I do recommend you watch, they're loads of fun. While still dealing with some fairly grim topics at times.

[@ILDomer17]

Great reaction as always. I love some Mel Gibson's nuanced acting. The scene after the jumper, he ends with "I'm gonna get something to eat", but the intensity inhis eyes drops on the word "eat", almost as if it was his first thought after being in a manic state.

[@Hexon66]

Nuanced is not exactly the word I'd use for Gibson's acting. I'm not saying bad, but definitely hammy.

[@KuniiMatsu]

In the torture scene, it was a sponge attached to jumper cables. The wet sponge conducts electricity over a larger area.

[@orgasmatronrickpsych]

i.e. the green mile

[@Billinois78]

2:48 "Yeah. All the kids are looking at his junk" 🤣🤣 I'd never noticed that before. This is another one of those older movies that originated a lot of the cliche movie tropes: One cop who is "too old for this shit", the 'loose-cannon' who lives on the edge with a tragic past, angry yelling police chief concerned that the mayor's gonna have his ass, the partners arguing over who drives, etc. Everything had to start somewhere. "But Chief, I work alone. You know that" trope comes from Dirty Harry. The comedy "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1" is largely a parody of Lethal Weapon. The duo was played by Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson. It was right before Jackson's star-making role in Pulp Fiction.

[@Shadowfax-1980]

Having watched Die Hard, Big Trouble in Little China, and now this, you might notice how many movies Al Leong had a role in. He pretty much always is a henchman who gets killed.

[@Madbandit77]

He should have gotten his own Machete-type film. Fight me on this. 😎

[@LeviBoldock]

Even the documentary about him is called Henchman.

[@jldog134]

He played Genghis Khan in the first Bill and Ted Film

[@ticklishhoneybee]

While most people know Tai Chi as the slow graceful moves, it is a complete martial art, the slow forms are for practicing and improving strength & mobility, but there are also fast forms, and weapons forms, typically only practiced by those who've mastered the slow forms.

[@bryanfolsom2350]

Yes

[@dnllrnt]

I made the mistake of watching this on TV one day and my Mom walks in on the line "Put it in your mouff!" They don't bring up Riggs' wedding ring until part 2, but it has a fantastic payoff.

[@prollins6443]

Simone, you are correct about the Christmas list. This movie checks enough boxes to fulfill the requirements to be called a Christmas movie!

[@CoffeeMatt10]

Except for the one key criteria - the plot absolutely requires it to be Christmas to qualify as a Christmas movie. Lethal Weapon doesn’t. The events in Lethal Weapon can happen at anytime of the year. Switch Christmas dinner for Roger’s birthday party (as it’s also his birthday the same week as Christmas), and the bullet as a present at the end as a birthday present instead of a Christmas present, and it’s still the same movie. It being Christmas or not doesn’t impact the plot in LW, unlike how it does in Die Hard.

[@stang5755]

@@CoffeeMatt10 The setting is what makes it a Christmas movie, it doesn't have to factor into the plot directly. Indeed in many 'Christmas' movies, it doesn't. Including Die Hard; They could have done their big business deal at Nakatomi and had the subsequent party and McClane could be going to stay with his family and Hans and co could do their dastardly deeds - all of that - can be done literally any time in the year.. And it wouldn't impact the plot of the movie one bit either because the film isn't about a holiday, it's about a hero cop foiling a heist. It just happens to take place during Christmas. Again the setting alone qualifies it, because again, honestly, that's really the only reason many 'Christmas' movies are considered so in the first place. I'm sorry Lethal Weapon beat Die Hard to the punch, but it's no less a Christmas movie.

[@PabloRichardFernandez]

Totally a Christmas movie! It's sad, but episodes of depression and suicides go up significantly during this time of year and, for so many people, these dark lows is what characterizes the holidays. This movie does a fantastic job making us aware that, for a lot of people, Christmas can be a pretty dark time. So, thematically, this is more of a Christmas movie than Die Hard, as any work party, not just a Christmas one, would've had the same effect of bringing everyone together in that movie. Also, you need to watch the next one!

[@logandarklighter]

The bit with Murtaugh and Riggs waiting for the next call next to the Christmas Tree and Riggs saying "We're gonna get bloody on this one Roger." That tree wasn't initially lit entirely with red like that. But using the tree as an EXCUSE to cast the lighting all in red - that was GENIUS. Now THAT is excellent cinematography and lighting at work! The tension, the mood. You know the stakes have just skyrocketed through the roof. And it helps set the tone and the mood to PERFECTION.

[@Cypher77]

I read somewhere the definition of Christmas movie: "If you take Christmas away the movie plot won't work!" So there are Christmas movies and movies which take place in Christmas!

[@SPEEDPAINTER1]

19:31 That firing range is an indoor range in Arcadia, California (no longer there). My father use to take me shooting there. That happy face target sheet was in a glass frame at the entrance of the store. Wow, this place brings back memories.

[@jh5131]

That's cool!

[@samovarsa2640]

18:28 one thing that you can never unsee when you notice it, Riggs blinks very distinctly every time he pull the trigger. Really highlights Robert Patrick in Terminator 2 did a great job not doing so.

You compare a guy who plays a human (and humans blink) with a guy who plays a machine (and thus had reason to force himself / learn not to blink)?

[@samovarsa2640]

@ more that you would expect a cop with military experience to keep their eyes open as they shoot, is all.

[@garretthorsch8143]

@@samovarsa2640 thats just not how it works. I fire a lot and it gets better but never totally gone

[@MAdams853]

@11:14 when they jump off the building you can see the "handcuff" seperate between the two of them. Loving the nostalgia!

[@woeshaling6421]

mid 80’s had a lot of weird trends. 2 things inserted in this were martial arts (after karate kid’s succes) and helicopters for no good reason. there were at least 2 helicopter based shows: blue thunder and airwolf. Magnum p.i. and miami vice featured helicopters often as well

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

I don't remember ever seeing blue thunder but I've seen that movie Fire Birds (1990) with Tommy Lee Jones and Nick Cage.

[@matthewvade6553]

And don't forget "Riptide," another 80's TV show where a helicopter came into it quite a bit.

[@mrtim5363]

I don't know why but you are correct 😂 You would have a difficult time finding a James Bond movie without a helicopter in it.

[@paulpost5543]

The helicopter was there for a reason. It allowed the mercenaries to make sure it wasn't more of a trap than it was. In the book they used thermal sensors to detect Riggs.

[@rayne795]

Oh yessss. Yall have picked a good one this time. 2 3 and 4 are just as awesome!

[@jp3813]

8:43 Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, & Yuen Woo-ping made a movie called Tai Chi Master (1993). The characters were pretty deadly.

[@nathantheophilus4856]

Thats the only way it can be. In movies!

[@jp3813]

@@nathantheophilus4856 Tell that to George since he laughed at this movie for mentioning it.

[@goosefukulardeath7300]

The scene where Riggs wakes up roger with a coffee and demanding he get up and “catch bad guys” is similar to how a puppy wakes up their owner for a “walk” I think this is because Roger took Riggs suicidal fantasies seriously enough to push him that close. This act of boldness on rogers part earned respect in Riggs heart. Therefore, Riggs , the loose cannon , entrusts Roger with being the leader. Roger even brings him home like a stray dog. Hence the coffee scene .. “give me that cup…AND GET OUTTA HERE!” Then Riggs unquestionably GETS OUT on command.

[@galerios1]

Tai Chi is actually a serious martial art. The slowed down movements are used meditatively but when sped up they can incapacitate and even be deadly if need be. So no Tai Chi is not an "old people exercise" The idea is that performing the motions slowly not only helps with form and muscle memory but with building up your chi, or ki. I don't understand it all but I have done a couple sessions on a whim. There are videos that show you the movements in both slow and fast form and explain what each movement is meant to do in a combat situation.

[@joshuahenry1791]

In regards to your question about the sponge on the cables when they were torturing Riggs. It would spread the electrical shocks over a greater area. Causing more pain and damage.

[@dennisbay3035]

Gary Busy also did the Buddy Holly Story for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor.

[@bjrn-charlestorvik7824]

Notice how Murtaugh saved Riggses life, by putting his tumb on the hammer. 12:00

[@anthonymiele4320]

There are basically 2 kinds of Tai Chi, old people yoga and a martial art dedicated to redirecting the enemies aggression against them. The martial art level is basically the same thing as the old people yoga but it is taken more seriously and with the intent to use it as a self defense. It is extremely defense focused without many real strikes.

[@Tonoborus]

was going to say the same thing. i only studied it for a bit but i remember lots of nasty applications. lots of eye strikes, attacking weaker bones (collar bone, wrists, etc.), and throwing the opponent around.

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

Yeah I was too. My old dojo had different things taught on different nights. One of the instructors taught Tai Chi on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, after our Kobudo class. He asked us to stay one time and most of us did. We all liked the relaxation aspect and the focus of it. Some of the guys didn’t see a practical use of it, so the Sifu demonstrated a technique and threw me across the room! We were instantly impressed to say the least!

[@Col_Fragg]

Yeah, there's literally dozens, if not hundreds, of Hong Kong martial arts films where the hero is a Tai Chi Master (e.g. Jet Li's "Tai Chi Master"). It even shows up in American martial arts action films like "Man of Tai Chi" starring Keannu Reeves.

[@anthonymiele4320]

@@Col_Fragg True, Landlord from Kung Fu Hustle uses it too.

[@danniandersen5858]

I like that you can see the handcuffs break apart when they jump off of the building. If not that could have done some major damage to their wrists :)

[@weepingscorpion8739]

You know, I have watched this movie for over 30 years and this time is the first time I noticed the cuffs breaking and the actors grabbing each other's hands after that.

[@GreyGunstar]

Gibson and Glover have some of the best onscreen chemistry in all of cinema.

[@peppyd]

When the film was released, Danny Glover was 41 years old playing 50, and Traci Wolfe who played his daughter Rianne was 27 years old playing a teenager lol

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

I think my favourite bit of trivia in this Mrs Murtaugh is played by Darlene Love. This is not a Christmas film, but she does have one of the most famous Christmas songs!

[@whovianhistorybuff]

Is it the one that goes 🎵Christmas🎵 🎵the snow's coming down🎵 🎵Christmas🎵 🎵I'm watching it fall🎵 🎵Christmas🎵 🎵lots of people around🎵 🎵Christmas🎵 🎵baby please come home🎵

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

@@whovianhistorybuff Yep kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqS4YWuvbtWYkMk

[@williammatthews693]

That scene where Riggs nearly offs himself is so intense. Gibson did a great job at conveying the kind of pain someone has to be in to be driven to that.

[@TheRealRodent]

87 was a good year for movies :D I think you guys watched the cut version though, there's a scene at the start of the movie where Riggs takes on an armed suspect who was shooting children in a playpark... Riggs just stands out in the open and lets the guy fire at him and doesn't even flinch. Definitely watch the sequels... they did something unheard of and kept the same cast throughout... and there's a running joke throughout the 4 films with Roger's car and house constantly getting damaged.

[@LacoSinfonia]

I didn’t realize there were two versions when I was younger. We even had it on dvd and I always wondered if I just imagined the scene where Riggs picks up the prostitute to watch tv with him

[@michaelriddick7116]

Like how you picked out the "END apartheid" bumper sticker. The second movie really leans into the politics of South Africa at the time.

[@CoffeeMatt10]

“Because… because… you’re blick”

[@minkleymcmoo5248]

@@CoffeeMatt10 They fk you at the drivethrough!! :)

[@finkelmana]

Im surprised someone from China doesnt know Tai Chi is a legitimate martial art form that has been around since the 12th century.. It focuses more on defense than offense. However, it does have offense and the use of weapons. The "old people" part is simply performing the kata slowly, focusing on stretching and controlled movement.

[@Madbandit77]

Maybe George wasn't born in China.

[@finkelmana]

@@Madbandit77 I wouldn't have said he was born in China, if he wasn't born in China.

[@smackyay]

@@Madbandit77 He looks like he is born in Chyna

[@William_Sk]

I've noticed that George does this a lot. He assumes that he knows something and calls out the movie for being wrong about something throughout the movie instead of just dropping it. ALSO, the line about Tai Chi could just be Murtaugh spitting out the first martial art he could name, as far as I recall, nobody else actually says that Riggs knows Tai Chi. Roger might as well have said Kung Fu, but I guess George would have a similar reaction.

[@calhig3794]

And maybe Murtaugh has no clue about martial arts in general and just chooses the only name he's heard.

[@waterbeauty85]

When I saw this in the theater, I was disappointed when it looked like Joshua was going to exit without a man to man match up against Riggs, but when Riggs asked him"Would you like a shot at the title?" it was exactly what I needed. That fact that they didn't even try to make some bullshit rationalization for it made it even better. From the Yautja taking off his plasma cannon to fight Dutch in "Predator" to Batman fighting the leader of the Mutants in Frank Miller's "The Knight Returns," to John Wayne fighting Bruce Dern in "The Cowboys," it's a primal need among alphas.

[@sodem2810]

Nice Guys by Shane Black is an underrated classic. If you’ve not seen it you really should. Ryan Gosling and Russel Crowe shine in this film.

[@Shiny7054]

The little girl rapping at the dinner table might be in my top ten of 80s movies moments

[@Gavrev]

It almost is Die Hard, but with a lot of raw pain in it too.. A well appreciated action movie and yet also one of Donner's greatly underappreciated movies perhaps because of the casual gloss which the movie's reputation and expectation carries. As an aside a probably unintended irony is Tom Atkin's mention of the outfit Air America, which just happens to be another movie with a young Robert Downey Jr and Mel Gibson.

[@Madbandit77]

Atkins got this film because he was in "Night Of The Creeps", which was written by directed by Fred Dekker, Black's classmate from UCLA.

[@Gavrev]

@@Madbandit77 I always tend to forget he's in this, knowing him best as Nick in The Fog.

[@tonyfred123]

The neighborhood used is the same one used in Wandavision. The cop car comes crashing through the same window as the one Wanda threw Agatha through with a car. It's also the same house used in Christmas Vacation.

[@Ootlander]

This whole series is great, hope you react to them all.

[@helifanodobezanozi7689]

Good reaction as usual guys. A few of points though. Tai Chi began as a martial art, that became a meditative exercise. Some styles of Tai Chi, like Chen Style, still maintain their combative application. Also, Lethal Weapon is totally a Christmas movie. Riggs' feelings of suicide are the result not only of the recent death of his wife, but also because it's his first Christmas alone. In fact, the screenwriter of the film in an interview admitted that he was partially inspired after learning that there is an uptick in suicides during Christmas. Mel Gibson's character even calls it "the silly season!" Lastly, not only are there multiple Christmas songs in the soundtrack, but also there is a shootout in a Christmas tree lot, cops singing Christmas carols in the background, Christmas decorations in most of the houses, decorations at police station, decorations on Hollywood Blvd, and a man literally killed drinking eggnog!!!! You can't be more of a Christmast themed action movie!!!! (What may be throwing you two off is that snow is EXTREMELY rare at that elevation in Southern California.)

[@firstpower100]

The drug bust scene where Riggs manhandles the guy holding him hostage is lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Andy Keidis's father.

[@SJ-ty5rw]

His father is a good character actor .. he was also in another 48rs , and Wishmaster

[@christopherbrown6049]

I just realise ya beat me to it✌

[@andrewjacksonbr]

“Casting By” is an all time great documentary. I’m so glad it got a shout out! Good on you Ms Simone 👌

[@SebastianBeckerPhoto]

Yes, this is the movie that started "I'm too old for this shit"

[@Col_Fragg]

FYI: The Murtaugh house was also the home of the Partridge family and was also Major Nelson's residence in "I Dream of Jeannie." In the first shot of the Murtaugh home, you can see the Stephens' home from "Bewitched" in the right side of the frame. The glory of the Warner Brothers backlot.

[@The_RedVIII]

Funnily enough, this is a movie series where I actually like the 4th movie the most. That ending fight with Jet Li in the rain. Awesome.

[@jculver1674]

And the humor in it is great. The dentist chair scene leaves me in stitches every time.

[@1938superman]

10:44 Not caring about people's mental health. Unfortunatley, that was just the 80s ... and the 90s ... and at least the early 2000s. Yeah, pretty much any time before the last 10-15 years were not real conmforting times for people dealing with depression, anxiety, or any type of suicidal tendencies.

[@JamesASharp]

The Lethal Weapon franchise is one of the greatest franchises in the history of Hollywood. Great reaction! 👍🏿 Please react to the sequels. You can't go wrong. 😎

[@davevannatta985]

The films director was Richard Donner who also directed The Omen, Superman the Movie,The Goonies,Ladyhawke,amongst many other great movies

[@mikepope9503]

The rest of the series are also really good, in an unusual twist on normal Hollywood sequels. Looking forward to your reactions :)

[@earthien]

30:20 "I hope [Murtaugh] has good [homeowner's] insurance!" Oh, PLEASE watch the other three movies!

[@DouglasJohnson.]

I used to watch "Die Hard" "Lethal Weapon" and "Gremlins" every Christmas. To me, they are among my favorite holiday films!

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Whenever I hear Jingle Bell Rock played around Christmas, I refer to it as "Theme From Lethal Weapon".

[@richardhague801]

26:00 ...ish. Helicopters were pretty iconic in the 80's - Miami Vice, The A-Team, Magnum P.I. ....then you have the helicopter in Die Hard ...not sure it ever had to make sense

[@luckyent1299]

Y’all play off each other so well! Keep going with this series! This is my favorite buddy cop series ever!

[@tomswift3482]

One more Christmas tie-in. The actress playing Murtagh's wife, Darlene Love, is famous for the song Christmas(Baby, Please Come Home). A well known Christmas tune.

[@shinyelf]

While Tai-Chi is largely seen, and used, as a form of exercise and stretching it does incorporate a bunch of actually useful movements and is actually capable of incorporating both swords and spears. Of course Riggs makes just about 0 movements from tai-chi.

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

Isn't it Murtaugh that mentions Tai Chi, though? I just assumed it was Murtaugh not really understanding what he's talking about, as another way to show that Murtaugh has a completely different set of experiences/skills from Riggs.

[@mj6866]

@@Big_Bag_of_Pus I assumed Riggs knows Tai Chi and a bunch of other styles so not using Tai Chi does not mean he doesn't know Tai Chi.

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

@@mj6866 I wasn't suggesting otherwise.

[@ugaladh]

Still, it might be best not to piss off Grandma.

[@amstrad00]

@@Big_Bag_of_Pus For the purposes of establishing Rigg's expertise, Murtaugh could just as easily said Kung Fu or Karate in that moment, but Tai Chi is both a funnier one to mention for anyone familiar with various martial arts and goes an extra step to establish Murtaugh is wholly ignorant of the subject.

[@morph200]

Two great movies with gary busey where he plays a good guy: Point Break with Keanu and The Firm with Tom Cruise.

[@calhig3794]

A movie to try and find with Gary Busey is "Barbarosa". It's a western with Busey starting out as a farm boy and falling in with a small-time outlaw - Willie Nelson.

[@dnish6673]

His best movie as his breakout role as Buddy Holly

[@KyuzouTV]

seeing the movie mentioned in the comments alot, i sure hope The Last Boyscout is on your list, a must see 90's action movie with bruce willis, if im not mistaken halle barrys breakout role too

[@scyphe]

Tai Chi is actually a martial art with defensive/fighting training. That part of Tai Chi is trained after all the other previous steps of non-martial arts training which is used as "keeping in shape" exercise. It's very unusual/"invisible" though since other forms of martial arts are a lot more popular and well known.

[@daveseesmovies]

Shane Black sets a lot of his movies during Christmas. See also: The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys, etc. I dig it, even if I don’t dig all his movies.

[@Sherman1fan]

22:23- that is a cellular phone in 1987, later to be known as a "brick". Heavy as a brick, big as a brick. 1 minute costed like $5.00 or something.

[@robertzander9723]

That was the time when films had real stories, tension was built up without revealing everything right at the beginning and dialogues were creatively designed. The sequels are also very good.

[@PurushaDesa]

Yeah one of the most joyful things about film is beginning in one place and ending up in a completely different genre, so you feel like you've gone on a real journey. Conversely the most depressing thing about the Marvelfication of cinema is that the film you get in minute 1 is exactly the film you get in minute 140. Everything's very clean and ultra-corporate and four quadrant, with all the fleshiness and emotional messiness stripped out.

[@Yora21]

80s movies are just different. Even if only the best ones are still remembered, there's a lot more of them than from any other time.

[@robertzander9723]

@@Yora21 80s and early 90s are my favourite time for movie's, TV shows and music 🎶

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Feels like we've somehow lost the ability to write interesting plots with gripping dialog even in action movies, they sure don't make them like this one anymore, it's almost like the entire plot of this movie would be like 15 minutes in a current action flick. Today's genre movies have noisy scores and lots of CGI, i.e. no room left for the imagination or to catch your breath. So generally speaking, Hollywood movies these days tend to resemble video games more than films in the classic sense.

[@Hexon66]

@@robertzander9723 '67 - '74 and early to mid nineties, the 2nd and 3rd Golden ages of film. The 80s shoveled corporate schlock to uncritical masses.

[@jorgauer3952]

The guy torturing Riggs steals candy at Nakatomi Tower

[@EvelyntMild]

Please keep going with these. They're so good! At least to the third one. Not sure I've seen number 4.

[@toddbell6989]

“Gary Busey! “. Have you guys not watched the craziness of Predator 2?! Jamaican Drug Lords, Bill Paxton, Danny Glover, and yes, Gary Busey.

[@blopblop7311]

Yes this movie coined the phrase “ I’m too old for this shit”. By the way you guys should do all the sequels. They’re all great in there own way

[@ghostkage]

It wasnt the best reference to use "Tai Chi" , but Tai Chi Chuan was originally a fighting art that has morphed into more of a well being physical exercise, used to remain flexible and help with balance. They should have or couldve used GongFu or Karate or any of a dozen others popular in the 80s

[@CameronBuckcamdeeman]

Gary Busey was a normal character actor until he got into an accident and had some brain damage. Now the character he played in Entourage is pretty much just the kind of person that he is. He has enough fame and friends to be around despite his "eccentric" personality.

[@Timmayytoo]

Yeah, crashed his Harley and bounced his unhelmeted head off a curb - you can see his head is a weird shape now. Never been "right" since.

[@estoy1001]

Fortunately for him, he had a support system- not everyone gets that.

[@justarandomveryintelligent8934]

He wasn't a "normal" character actor. he was a goddamned fantastic character actor. I mean look at his role in Surviving the Game. Fucking phenomenal. He didnt have the accident until 1997.

[@estoy1001]

@@justarandomveryintelligent8934 I think they meant normal as opposed to this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKu4k5Stg9aseck (BTW he was brilliant as Buddy Holly.)

[@justarandomveryintelligent8934]

@@estoy1001 haha you're probably right. Its just if it werent for that accident he would be regarded as a legendary actor not infamous for unhinged behavior.

[@ScarlettM]

I hope you'll do the other 3 Lethal Weapon movies. Definitely worth watching. And yes, "I'm too old for this s+++" is from this movie.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

17:56 "I know that made a cool imagery in the yearbook, but would the school actually _allow_ you to do a photo where your _back_ is to the camera?" It probably depends on the school and the grade. I remember, when _I_ graduated from high school, all the freshmen, sophomores and juniors were photographed in much the same way, but the _seniors_ were given _incredible_ latitude in terms of the photos we could submit. A couple young ladies submitted photos of themselves posing in the trees of a nearby park. One guy submitted a photo taken from the back of himself, walking out of the front of the school, cheering. One guy, honest to god, submitted a photo of his dog. _Incredible_ latitude.

[@zzzroxyzzz]

I love so much about this franchise, but I love the fact that they used the same actors throughout all 4, down to his family they didn't hire people to just play the role they all continued to come back. I always laugh when I hear Gary say it's God damn Christmas, he's the voice on a Christmas map I play on killing floor 2 lol I can't help but giggle.

[@AuskaKD]

I love Santa's Workshop for that reason. I also giggle a lot during that map, too. =3

[@zzzroxyzzz]

@@AuskaKD they really should have used that line in the game lol. It's almost insulting they didn't.

[@Yora21]

The door slam joke works so amazing. Especially remarkable considering the two scenes it connects.

[@VilleHalonen]

If you ever do merchandise, "Now kiss" would be a great line to use. The rest get increasingly comedic and Gibson-driven. I still like the second one the best for the cinematography and the amazingly loathsome villains.

[@aaronburdon221]

Not to mention that blonde chick is smokin hot.

[@EvelyntMild]

Is that when Joe Pesci arrives? Or number 3?

[@VilleHalonen]

@@EvelyntMild Leo getz going in the second one.

[@jaybird4038]

Anything you need... Leo Getz The fuck you at the drive-thru Joe Pesci in #2 is incredible comedic energy added to the cast

[@jakecleveland1051]

21:22 Air America also starring Mel Gibson

[@nkfd4688]

I thought you would have saved this one for Christmas time. It's another one of those films that takes place during Christmas, but isn't technically a Christmas movie, like Die Hard 😅

[@cmr8er8]

Blasphemy, I tell ya! BLASPHEMY!!!!🤣

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

They're both Christmas movies.

[@tropicalcatdetective]

Any film written or/and directed by Shane Black has a fairly good chance of taking place at Christmas for some reason. He seems to enjoy the juxtaposition of more sobering crime story or action type themes set against the backdrop of the happy festive and holiday season.

[@Reefism]

Danny Glover was actually 40 years old when he did this film!

[@jimhowe2624]

I really hope you watch the other films, they get a lot funnier. The 2nd and 3rd a the best in the series.

[@LacoSinfonia]

Lmfao at Simone wistfully saying “is that a burger? It’s a burger”

[@Hopehubris1492]

This reminded me of a movie you guys would absolutely love called Air America with Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. check it out. And keep it up. You guys are the best!