Product Details

• Actors: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitch Ryan, Tom Atkins
• Directors: Richard Donner
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: October 13, 1998
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0790737434
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,224 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #19 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > Richard Donner
  #27 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Mel Gibson
  #80 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Widescreen

• This is item 1 in The Lethal Weapon Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
Mel Gibson set aside his art-house credentials to star as a crazy cop paired with a stable one (Danny Glover) in this full-blown 1987 Richard Donner action picture. The most violent film in the series (which includes three sequels), it is also the edgiest and most interesting. After Gibson's character jumps off a building handcuffed to a man, and Gary Busey (as a cold, efficient enforcer) lets his hand get burned without flinching, there is a sense that anything can happen, and it usually does. Donner's strangely messy visual and audio style doesn't make a lot of aesthetic sense, but it stuck with all four movies. The DVD release includes production notes, Dolby sound, theatrical trailer, optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, optional French soundtrack, and optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Amazon.com
Mel Gibson set aside his art-house credentials to star as a crazy cop paired with a stable one (Danny Glover) in this full-blown 1987 Richard Donner action picture. The most violent film in the series (which includes three sequels), it is also the edgiest and most interesting. After Gibson's character jumps off a building handcuffed to a man, and Gary Busey (as a cold, efficient enforcer) lets his hand get burned without flinching, there is a sense that anything can happen, and it usually does. Donner's strangely messy visual and audio style doesn't make a lot of aesthetic sense, but it stuck with all four movies. The DVD release includes production notes, Dolby sound, theatrical trailer, optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, optional French soundtrack, and optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good film gets better, June 28, 2000

By	Martin W. Ward (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lethal Weapon (Director's Cut) (DVD)

The recent release of the director's cut of Lethal Weapon add depth to the film by the inclusion of approximately 7 minutes of new scenes. The additions are in the beginning of the film when the characters are still being developed. In one scene, Gibson's character walks into the line of fire of a sniper, and in another he has a rather violent reaction to a commercial on TV. In the context of this portion of the movie, it further establishes the pain Gibson's character is going through and his mental state...is he crazy or just not caring what happens to him? Additional scenes also establish Glover's character's concern at growing old...does he still have it?

The balance of the film is pretty much unchanged. Lethal Weapon is a fun buddy action/comedy movie, but shines more than the sequels, which emphasized comedy and cartoonish action. Gibson and Glover actually act here, Gibson in particular in the scenes where he is struggling with his wife's death. The interplay between the actors makes this movie a cut above the standard action movie.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Portrait of Greatness Getting Better..., August 22, 2000

By	Jason Anticevich (Schaumburg, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lethal Weapon (Director's Cut) (DVD)

I can't count how many times I've seen this movie, and I still don't get sick of it! I have to watch it all the way through once I start to watch a scene. Is there a better action movie with the depth of Glover's and Gibson's characters? I haven't found one. The interplay the guys have with each other is amazing. The dialogue and emotions are fluid and natural, much like the movement of the camera in recording this awesome spectacle. This new version finally gives everyone the opportunity to see the brilliant writing and thought processes behind the Glover and Gibson characters. The studio has added 7 minutes of footage to enhance the foundation of the characters' motivations. It's almost a new movie! The new DTS sound is as good as it gets with the old audio tracks. The picture is clean and crisp. The scene where Riggs is shot through the glass window of a store shows every cracking shard with absolute precision. The extra footage is seamless after being transfered brilliantly. I would recommend this disc as a starting piece for anyone looking to build a collection of solid movies. There is more to this movie than incredible action sequences. This is one of those action movies where you and your date are physically exhausted and sporting huge, goofy smiles at the end of the movie. There aren't many movies like this anymore. Magic like this only happens once in a great while. Get this disc and capture a little piece of it.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cousinpaco's top action: #5, September 13, 2002

By	cousinpaco (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lethal Weapon (Director's Cut) (DVD)

Retiring cop gets new partner. They don't get along, until they shoot a bunch of bad guys together. The formula has become cliché.

Who cares?!?

"Lethal Weapon" is such a great movie, that it defines the concept of a buddy-cop picture. Both lead actors give top-of-their game performances. Gibson is a standout, playing burned-out narc Martin Riggs, who's wallowing in grief for his dead wife.

(Ever notice that Mel Gibson always plays a widower? Wonder how Robin Gibson feels about this...)

Danny Glover plays the down-to-Earth Roger Murtaugh, who steps up to the plate when his family is threatened.

Heck, even Gary Busey deserves a nod for his portrayal of shadowy Mr. Joshua. Riggs and Mr. Joshua face off in a massive martial-arts brawl that apparently took four days to film.

One of my favorite supporting actors appears in "Lethal Weapon" - Al Leong, playing the guy who tortures Riggs with an electric shock apparatus. Riggs' payback is pretty bone-crushing, so don't expect to see Leong in the sequel!

This DVD version contains some footage not seen in previous releases. None of it adds much, thematically--but it's kind of fun to see Riggs stand off against a crazed sniper.