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Lethal Weapon 4

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

tomatometer

46

Average Rating: 6/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 7

No consensus yet.

audience

70

liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 234,536

My Rating

Movie Info

Detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) re-teamed for their fourth foray together in this buddy-cop action comedy series based on characters created by Shane Black. With the passage of years, Murtaugh's daughter Rianne (Traci Wolfe) is now about to upgrade Murtaugh to grandfather status, while Riggs' relationship with internal affairs officer Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) means he'll become a proud papa. Elsewhere on the family front, Chinese triad members in Los Angeles

R, 2 hr. 7 min.

Action & Adventure

Jonathan Lemkin, Channing Gibson

Jun 5, 2001

Warner Home Video

Cast

All Critics (63) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (29) | DVD (15)

Mindless, sadistic violence juxtaposed with rote sentimentality: this is how Hollywood has finally solved the family-values conundrum, the question of how to entertain the blood- and sex-starved masses and be morally proactive at the same time.

August 25, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It matters little that the film is rife with non sequiturs, nonsense and nihilistic violence, because its heroes are so darn buoyant and charming.

August 25, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

One could argue about which Lethal Weapon is the best, but No. 4 is certainly the funniest, warmest and most idiosyncratic.

June 18, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The relationship/humour stuff in Lethal Weapon 4 is pretty much excruciating, mawkish and inane... The second part of Lethal Weapon 044,the action sequences, are much better.

April 12, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There's no plot worth describing, no repartee wittier than 'Oh shut up,' no acting moments that rise above the level of posing.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comment
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Pardon me for having groaned in anticipation of what, in the full perspective-warping heat of the summer movie season, turns out to be one of the nicer blow-'em-ups around.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Hong Kong action plus buddy cop formula.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Cynical and contemptuous of its audience, this lazy sequel oozes an insufferable air of self-satisfaction.

August 25, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

You're best advised to put your head in the sand and avoid all three sequels.

August 25, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

a fine ending

March 11, 2008 Comment

The very definition of a meaningless, mindless summer sequel.

September 24, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | Comment
eFilmCritic.com

The climactic streetfighting clash between Mel and coldly charismatic martial arts star Jet Li is a bone-crunching classic.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

I heard audience members yelling out, 'Rewind it -- I wanna see that again!'

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

A moderately entertaining entry in an overrated series that sorely lacks the hard-edged toughness director Walter Hill brought to his two superior 48 HRS films.

March 4, 2006 Comment
FulvueDrive-in.com

Offers absolutely nothing new.

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | Comment
Reeling Reviews

The surreal opening scene, featuring an armor-clad flamethrower-brandishing villain, is a clear indicator that few things in this film should be taken seriously.

March 10, 2004 Full Review | Comment (1)
rec.arts.movies.reviews

a flaccid, unnecessary wrap-up to a once-glorious series ...

July 1, 2003 Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | Comment
Kalamazoo Gazette

No, it's not very exciting. And that's the film's big flaw.

May 22, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Blather | Comment
Film Blather

Fourth time's the charm for the Lethal Weapon series; I say case closed and let's go out on a high note.

May 14, 2003 Comment
Palo Alto Weekly

The bad guy plot is dull and tiresome; the real charm of the film lies in its comedic elements and character relationships.

February 8, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | Comment
Film Quips Online

Let me just say, Jet Li ROCKS in the kind of American debut Jackie Chan or Chow Yun-Fat would have killed for.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comments (2)
Film Threat

Overstuffed and formulaic...

October 15, 2002 Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | Comment
Cincinnati Enquirer
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Lethal Weapon 4

By the fourth entry in the Lethal Weapons franchise, it's clear that the whole franchise was staying in the toilet, not that I ever truly cared much for the Lethal Weapons. By this time around, the series is so tongue in cheek that its lost it's credibility and it's hard to see it as a solid action film. Some casting

July 13, 2011
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

If this truly is the last entry in the series, it was quite the finale. Jet Li is quite possibly the most lethal of all the villains that Riggs and Murtaugh have gone up against and downright evil. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover still have so much chemistry after four movies and feel so genuine as best friends and

November 28, 2009
ythelastman89

Super Reviewer

    1. Lorna Cole: You look a little banged up.
    2. Martin Riggs: You look a little knocked up.
    – Submitted by Zbigniew Z (4 months ago)
    1. Martin Riggs: Flied lice?
    2. Uncle Benny: Flied lice! It is fried rice, you plick!
    – Submitted by Zbigniew Z (4 months ago)

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