A celebratory discussion of Lethal Weapon as a foundational buddy-cop movie, with a lot of emphasis on the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, Richard Donner’s direction, Shane Black’s script, and the film’s tight 80s action construction. The hosts think it is dark but highly rewatchable, and mostly use it as a setup for the sequel discussion.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections
01The Gibson-Glover pairing has rare, natural chemistry and gives the movie its energy. About 8 min
02The movie is tightly constructed and moves like a modern action film despite being 80s-era. About 8 min
03The opening cocaine-and-balcony sequence instantly sets the film’s wild, coked-out LA atmosphere. About 8 min
04Set pieces like the Christmas tree bust, the handcuff jump, the desert chase, and the 101 shootout are singled out as classic action scenes. About 24 min
05The film’s Christmas-in-LA atmosphere adds a distinctive rewatchable texture. About 40 min
WHAT DID NOT WORK
Their main criticisms
majorThe movie’s treatment of Riggs’ daughter is bizarre and uncomfortable. About 48 min
majorSome elements of Riggs’ character, and Gibson’s later real-life issues, have aged badly. About 48 min
moderateThe villains are less compelling than the iconic villain in Die Hard. About 40 min
minorThe bad guys’ decision to torture instead of immediately killing Riggs and Murtaugh is implausible. About 56 min
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Standout moments
Favorite
Opening balcony cocaine jump
A coked-up woman falls off a balcony in the opening, instantly establishing the film’s LA excess and chaos.
About 8 min Favorite
Christmas-tree drug bust
Riggs goes wild during a bust, proving he is unhinged and dangerous.
About 24 min Favorite
Handcuff roof jump
Riggs convinces a suspect to jump from a roof onto an inflatable cushion, a pure action-movie stunt scene.
About 24 min positive
Desert/sniper sequence
The film abruptly moves to a desert set piece with a sniper and a helicopter, which the hosts enjoy despite the geography making little sense.
About 32 min Favorite
Torture escape and strip-joint shootout
Riggs escapes captivity and the movie surges into a furious string of action beats.
About 32 min Favorite
101 shootout
A major freeway shootout becomes one of the episode’s central action highlights.
About 32 min Favorite
Hunsaker helicopter shootout
Riggs tracks and kills the helicopter crew after Hunsaker is killed, an especially strong action beat for Chris Ryan.
About 32 min Favorite
Final backyard fight
Murtaugh turns his front yard into a prolonged final fight against Mr. Joshua.
About 40 min critical
Murtaugh family bathtub birthday scene
The family enters the bathroom with a cake while Murtaugh is in the tub, which the hosts find bizarre.
About 48 min positive
Murtaugh shooting-range banter
The lead duo’s back-and-forth at the shooting range is a favorite chemistry scene.
About 40 min
WHERE THEY DISAGREED
The biggest debates
They partly agreed Opening minutes
Lethal Weapon vs. Lethal Weapon 2
Bill Simmons
2 is the superior film and is what most people remember.
Chris Ryan
1 is foundational and underrated, even if 2 is more purely enjoyable.
They partly agreed About 16 min
Running Scared vs. Lethal Weapon
Bill Simmons
Lethal Weapon is the definitive franchise-launching version of the formula.
Chris Ryan
Running Scared may be equally entertaining, but it lacked the franchise impact.
They agreed About 40 min
Who is faster: Riggs or Tom Cruise in a sprint?
Bill Simmons
Riggs wins on pure speed and endurance.
Chris Ryan
Riggs still seems faster, though Cruise gets credit for running well.
They partly agreed About 48 min
Would Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson have been better swapped between Die Hard and Lethal Weapon?
Bill Simmons
He thinks both movies might improve if Willis played Riggs and Gibson played McClane.
Chris Ryan
He mostly agrees Gibson’s physique fits Riggs better and Willis fits McClane’s streetwise vibe.
They partly agreed About 40 min
Is this a Christmas movie?
Bill Simmons
Yes, Christmas in LA is central to the film’s vibe.
Chris Ryan
It is set at Christmas, but the holiday is more atmosphere than plot engine.
14 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
