Review of Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) by Stuart K — 05 Aug 2013

And here's where it started to descend into comedy. After the world success of Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), there was enough passion to do another film. But Warner Bros. decided to inject more comedy into the proceedings, which director Richard Donner and producer Joel Silver were against, but went ahead regardless.

Big mistake, as it goes against what was set up. Sergeants Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are demoted to uniform duties after trying to deactivate a bomb rather than waiting for the bomb squad.

However, they manage to stop a robbery taking place, and they discover thieves using a new form of armor-piercing bullets. Riggs and Murtaugh are reinstated as Detectives, working for Internal Affairs Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo).

Their investigations lead them to former LAPD detective Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson), who Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) knows and is able to help Riggs and Murtaugh find him. If this was a bit more serious it might have worked, but the comedics, which crept in ever so slightly in the previous film are magnified here times 100.

While there is some good action set pieces, it manages to still be a good film, but they should have put more thought into it, and Wilson was wasted.