Lethal Weapon 4 (MOVIE REVIEW)

The entire team is all here in Lethal Weapon 4. 
(credits - Warner Bros. Pictures)

Director - Richard Donner.

Produced by: Richard Donner & Joel Silver.

Written by: Channing Gibson, Jonathan Lemkin, Alfred Gough & Miles Millar.

Main Cast:

Mel Gibson ----- Martin Riggs

Danny Glover ---- Roger Murtaugh

Rene Russo ---- Lorna Cole-Riggs

Joe Pesci ----- Leo Getz

Chris Rock ---- Detective Lee Butters

Jet Li ----- Wah Sing Ku

Darlene Love ---- Trish Murtaugh 

Traci Wolfe ---- Rianne Murtaugh Butters

Rene Russo's Lorna Cole is kidnapped by Chinese bandits...
(credits - Warner Bros. Pictures)

Release Date: July 10, 1998 (USA) / July 24, 1998 (Brazil)

Budget/Box Office: US$100-150 million / US$285,4 million (box office success).

Plot Summary: In the last movie of the franchise Lethal Weapon, Riggs (Mel Gibson) is becoming a father and Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a grandfather, when both discover that Lorna (Rene Russo) and Rianne (Traci Wolfe) are pregnant. Due to department's insurance  carrier issues over the two sergeants, Captain Murphy (Steve Kahan) promotes them to captains.

The officers along with Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) come upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after running an ocean-going vessel aground, though the captain of the boat escapes. In the subsequent investigation, Murtaugh finds Hong (Eddy Ko) and his family hiding from US Immigration officers to avoid deportation. Murtaugh offers them shelter in his home, and their families, along with Riggs and Cole, quickly bond. Hong reveals he is looking for his uncle, a skilled engraver, who had paid for their passage to the United States. Riggs discovers that Murtaugh's grandchild is with Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock), which Murtaugh cannot possibly tolerate as he did not want his daughter to marry a police officer, and that Murtaugh still does not know who the father is due to the family hiding it from him.

Continued investigation of the smuggling ring leads the officers to "Uncle" Benny Chan, a crime boss operating from a Chinatown restaurant. There, they are introduced to high-ranking Triad negotiator Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li). Chan forces them out of his restaurant when the officers show no probable cause. Outside, Riggs spots the escaped captain and tries to give chase but fails to capture him. However, Ku later intercepts the captain and kills him as punishment for attracting the police's attention. Chan and Ku take steps to eliminate all those in on their plans.

Hong is able to contact his uncle, but this leads the Triads to Murtaugh's house. Ku and the Triad thugs kidnap the Hongs, tie up Murtaugh, his family, Riggs and Cole and set the house ablaze. Ping, Hong's grandson, has evaded capture and helps to free the others in time. Though Riggs and Murtaugh chase down and kill some of the Triad, Ku escapes. Ku brings Hong to his uncle at a warehouse, where he has been engraving plates for a counterfeiting operation for Ku and Chan in exchange for transit for his family. Ku kills Hong in front of his uncle to assure his continued work.

Lorna, Riggs and Murtaugh in action...
(pic - Warner Bros. Pictures)

The officers attempt to shake Chan for more information, but are unable to get any leads until they discuss what they know with Detective Ng (Calvin Jung), who has worked on cases involving the Chinese government before. Ng recognizes that Ku must be trying to negotiate with a corrupt Chinese general for the release of the Four Fathers, high-ranking Triad members that include Ku's brother (Conan Lee). New information leads them to the abandoned warehouse where they find the bodies of Hong, his uncle, and Chan, the latter two killed by Ku after they served their usefulness. Knowing that Ku plans to use counterfeit money, the police intercept the exchange between Ku and the general, telling the general the money is fake. A firefight breaks out between the Triad, the general's private army and the police, and most of the Triad and army are killed. Ku attempts to escape with his brother, but his brother is shot and killed by Murtaugh. Riggs and Murtaugh pursue Ku to a pier where they engage him in a brutal fistfight. Murtaugh impales Ku through the stomach before the pier collapses and sends Riggs and Ku into the water. Riggs is able to find a Kalashnikov assault rifle and finish Ku, while Murtaugh arrives in time to help rescue Riggs from a piece of concrete that had pinned him underwater.

Later, Riggs visits his dead wife's grave and asks her for advice about his impending marriage with Lorna, about which he still has doubts; Getz arrives and offers a heartfelt childhood story (where in the process, he admits that Riggs and Murtaugh are like his family) that gives Riggs both a new light on the situation and a new perspective of Getz, himself. They learn Lorna is about to give birth and race to the hospital, where Riggs and Lorna are ceremonially married by a rabbi just before she enters labor. Their son and Rianne's daughter are born, and Murtaugh accepts Butters as his son-in-law. Murphy gives Riggs and Murtaugh their rank of Sergeant back since the city is insured again and Hong's family is granted asylum.

Chris Rock's Lee Butters doing all the instructions to Murtaugh, Lorna and Riggs.
(pic - Warner Bros. Pictures)

Fun Facts about the movie:

• First movie of Chinese actor Jet Li in Hollywood movies. 
• Almost 20 years after Lethal Weapon 4 started, Rene Russo, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover reunited together for a Lethal Weapon 30 Years Special, on 2017. 
• After Lethal Weapon 4, Joe Pesci (Leo Getz) announced his provisory acting retirement. 
• For this movie, Joe Pesci and Chris Rock were hired on the last minute. 
• In the Lethal Weapon 4 premiere moment, Mel Gibson about Rene Russo on Rosie O' Donnell show: "I consider her as my trophy for my crime, when I left... the head !" and showed a Rene pic in her teenage years.
• Still like the other Lethal Weapon movies, Lethal Weapon 4 was among the top 10 grossing films in 1998. 

Critical Reception:

• IMDB: 6,6/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 52% (mixed reviews).
• Cinemascore: A- (A+ to F)
• Metascore: 37/100

Awards: 

Rene Russo won the "Supporting Actress-Action/Adventure" award on Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1999.

Hope u like it. 

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ME