A high-energy buddy-cop sequel that leans harder into comedy, chemistry, and big set pieces than the first film, while still delivering enough danger and emotional weight to feel like a real action movie. The South African diplomat plot gives it a sharper political edge than most studio action comedies of its era,… Read more
60% ★★★☆☆ (306,210)
Lethal Weapon 2
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Action · Thriller · R
1989 · 1h 54m · ★ 60% (306.2K)
The magic is back!
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci
Overview
Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.
Director
Richard Donner
Production
Silver Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor, Patsy Kensit, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Mark Rolston, Steve Kahan, Jenette Goldstein, Dean Norris, Juney Smith, Nestor Serrano, Philip Suriano, Grand L. Bush, Tony Carreiro, Damon Hines, Ebonie Smith, Allan Dean Moore
Curator Review
Verdict
A high-energy buddy-cop sequel that leans harder into comedy, chemistry, and big set pieces than the first film, while still delivering enough danger and emotional weight to feel like a real action movie. The South African diplomat plot gives it a sharper political edge than most studio action comedies of its era, and the Riggs-Murtaugh pairing remains the main attraction.
Best for
fans of 80s action-comedy
buddy-cop movies with strong banter
viewers who like explosive set pieces and car chases
people who enjoy a mix of violence and goofball humor
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted thriller
you dislike broad comic relief in action films
you’re sensitive to dated racial/political material
you prefer grounded, realistic action
Overview
Lethal Weapon 2 is the rare sequel that feels looser, louder, and more confident without losing the emotional core that made the original work. Donner pushes the movie toward cartoonish escalation, but the chemistry between Gibson and Glover keeps it anchored, and Joe Pesci’s Leo Getz adds a manic, genuinely funny new ingredient.
Worth noting
What stands out most is the film’s tone: it can swing from slapstick to grief to hard-charging action almost in the same breath. The set pieces are the selling point, especially the toilet bomb sequence and the increasingly unhinged final stretch, but the movie also understands that the duo’s friendship is the real engine.
Bottom line
It’s very much an artifact of late-80s studio action, complete with swagger, soft-rock sheen, and some now-dated politics. Still, if you like your action movies with personality, banter, and a little chaos, this one delivers exactly that.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Grooveman (4.5★) · 1017 likes
I wish when I did anything cool or dramatic some smooth sax shit would start playing.
Joe Lynch (4★) · 702 likes
The toilet bomb scene is the peak of this series. The silent look of love Murtaugh gives Riggs before his ass blows up is beautiful and well earned.
Christian Di Leo (4★) · 550 likes
"DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY."👴💥🔫👨🏿"IT'S JUST BEEN REVOKED!" R.I.P. Richard Donner, thank you 🕊🙏📿📽🎬
Ian West (4.5★) · 284 likes
There’s a scene in this where Riggs is sitting in his winabago beach palace flipping through the channels and when he stops on the three stooges he just tosses the remote over his head like it never mattered and nothing will ever be better than that in that specific moment. Kinda the same thing I do when I turn this movie on. 80’s sequel law raises the eq faders on almost everything and Lethal Weapon 2 might do that better than… more
SilentDawn (4★) · 274 likes
73 Starts with the Merrie Melodies theme and floors it from 0 to 60. Absolutely insane opening. Third act complicates things with some decent drama and seriousness but this is mostly a surreal 80s comedy cartoon with references to Looney Tunes and The Three Stooges.