Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Lethal Weapon has been the paradigm of cop movies ever since its release in 1987. This is mainly because the film is more about the relationship between Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) than the plot. That’s not to say that the plot doesn’t hold up. Far from it. Lethal Weapon grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. With a supporting criminal cast of Gary Busey and character actor Mitchell Ryan, the performances all around are incredible.

Lethal Weapon did so well that it spawned three sequels, but they don’t do as good of a job as the original at capturing the two men’s psyches. From Sergeant “I’m getting too old for this” Murtaugh dealing with his 50th birthday, to Riggs’ fragile mental state and near suicide due to his wife’s recent death, the film shows how two distinctly different personalities affect each other.

The 1.85:1 transfer is superior to the original DVD release, showing the aged detail in Glover’s beard at the beginning of the film. Overall, the picture is a little soft, and there is some extra grain in places, but chances are that is because of the master. The sound received an Oscar nomination back in 1988, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix does not disappoint.

Unfortunately, the extras are meager, with only a trailer and less than five minutes of deleted scenes. Luckily, the movie itself is still an incredibly enjoyable experience.