User reviews

I caught this movie on TV a few days ago, so I may as well voice my opinion. I've enjoyed all the "Lethal Weapon" flicks and I hope one day to buy a boxed set of DVDs containing all four in the series. Don't ask which one I think is best. They're all lots of fun to watch.

Of course, the original didn't have as much humor as its sequels. Mel Gibson's character was a downtrodden loner, who was established as a "loose cannon." But as the series continued, he suddenly turned into Buddy Hackett, cracking jokes left and right.

Needless to say, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover make one of the best on-screen duos in the history of film. Their characters of Riggs and Murtaugh are like polar opposites, but that's the beauty of it. That's the essence of the buddy cop genre. The two partners are always at each other's throats, yet they share a great bond and deliver much humor.

Richard Donner is a spectacular action film director, and there are some breathtaking stunts. The opening truck chase is extremely memorable.

And each and every scene is buoyed by great comic relief. Gibson says a great line when he arrests the fraudulent truck driver: "You have the right to remain unconscious. Whatever you say...ain't gonna be much." That's a priceless line!

OK, so the plot is meandering. There are scenes that are very entertaining, yet don't really move the story along. But the whole movie is so funny and exciting that I just think...who gives a damn? I'm having too much fun!

Joe Pesci's character, Leo Getz, adds additional comic relief. His bleached blond do is hilarious enough, and his nebbish schtick makes it all the more humorous. Rene Russo is also added to the cast, to provide some good eye candy. Just like the Bond girls, there's always a sexy love interest in the "Lethal Weapon" movies. In the second movie, there was Patsy Kensit.

And there are some human elements to the story. Danny Glover's Murtaugh still thinks "he's getting too old for this s**t" and is about to retire. He's suffering a severe middle-age crisis and to add to his problems, he ends up killing one of his son's friends--which he did out of self-defense. Sometimes I think Glover's acting talent is underrated. And though this is a fluffy action/comedy, he delivers the kind of powerful performance he would in any Oscar-winning masterpiece.

"Lethal Weapon 3" again showcases the immense talent of its two irreplacable leads. This sequel packs a lethal punch and delivers first-class entertainment from start to finish. And I love that Eric Clapton/Sting song "It's Gonna Be Me."

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Our friends Los Angeles policemen Martin Riggs(Mel Gibson) and and his methodical pal Roger Murtaugh(Danny Glover now are patrolling through the streets after a botcher explosion caused into a building. Roger is about to retire when they encounter themselves into a dangerous case. A previous police named Leo(Stuart Wilson) turned into criminal kingpin and heinous weapons smuggling. Meanwhile Martin falls in love with a tough police(Rene Russo) from Internal Affairs.

This fast paced picture packs noisy supercharged action scenes ,thrills, loud pursuits, lot of violence and murders.The wacky police Gibson, always on the edge, and his partner the gentle and good father Glover again give nice performances with special chemistry between the two actors. They go after and run afoul a nasty villain well played by Stuart Wilson, including to Joe Pesci as likable swindler. Furthermore appear as secondaries Mark Pellegrino, Nick Chunlund,Alan Scarfe and unbilled , the director's wife and also producer: Lauren Shuler Donner as a nurse and the director Stephen T. Kay as a filmmaker. Colorful cinematography by equally director Jan De Bont and atmospheric musical score by Michael Kamen , accompanied by catching song by Eric Clapton. Richard Donner directs with fair-play and the result is quite entertaining. Acceptable and passable movie for enthusiastic of the series won't be disappointed. It's followed by the last chapter 'Lethal weapon 4' with same players adding to Jet Li and Chris Rock.

This is a great series! Actually I could stop right here because I have already said what needs to be said but just for people's enjoyment I'll elaborate a little.

The acting is, much like in the two previous films, excellent. Somehow Mel Gibson and Danny Glover never seem to get tired of each other and it shows because their playful banter never seems to get tiring to the audience. Mel Gibson is a class actor and this time around he develops the character of Martin Riggs even further than he did in the second film. He is so good at portraying emotions that the audience genuinely feels with him. When he is angry you feel his anger and when he is sad you feel sad, you get the picture. The fact that he is so versatile shows in the contrasts of the character. He is both great in action-sequences and in romantic sequences. As for Danny Glover he also does a great job in bringing his character further and he really does in this installment because you get to see the more negative sides of the character this time around. In the first two films he was the character who didn't evolve much but took pride in it. This time, because retirement is rearing its ugly head, we get to see, what I must suppose was, the facade stripped away and see Murtaugh in his raw, pure form. Joe Pesci also returns this time for the comic relief and he is still funny. There is just something about the character of Leo Getz that is incredibly entertaining. However, the best performance is perhaps done by Stuart Wilson, an incredibly underrated actor who has sadly never really achieved a commercial breakthrough. He is the villain of this film and is perhaps the best villain of the series simply because he has more depth than any other villain in the series. He is also given considerably more screen time than many of the other villains so he really has a chance to shine. Rene Russo appears in this film as Riggs new romantic interest and she may not be the most gifted actress ever to be on film but her chemistry with Mel Gibson is undeniable and her on-screen presence is pretty amazing considering that she is a new entry to the character gallery.

The story of the film is the weakest out of all the series (yes even the fourth one) and sometimes it kinda drags. Mainly, however, the story is still highly entertaining and funny. The best element of the script is the fact that villain is an ex-cop this time around and that does that the heroes can hate the villain even more because he is, aside from being a mean bastard, a traitor, almost a symbol of the back-side of the medallion.

The action of the film is just like in the two previous movies absolutely brilliant. The action is highly entertaining and well made and Mel Gibson is excellent as an action star as well as many other things.

All in all a great entry to a great series.

7/10

Riggs and Murtaugh arrest a man on gun charges just for him to be killed in the interrogation room by ex-cop Jack Travis. Travis is running illegal guns. Riggs and Murtaugh team up with IA officer Cole to track down and stop Travis while Murtaugh also faces trouble at home as the illegal guns impact on his family.

This third in the series is a lot more polished and refined than the first two - there's a lot of money riding on this now! The story is quite good but it's not rocket science. It's really all an excuse to have a series of set pieces - from a building being destroyed to a desert showdown. The romance between Riggs and Cole take away from Riggs' madman style character and makes the film a lot softer. It also makes the action scenes a lot less believable as he seems to revert to action hero on cue. However it does allow some humour. The involvement of Pesci is funny but at times it's a little stretched.

Gibson and Murtaugh are good, mainly because they're just having fun now in well worn characters - like old shoes! Pesci is not quite as annoying as he was in LW2 but is still a bit of a spare wheel. Russo is good as the love interest and handles herself well.

Overall it's good fun but it lacks the dark, rough tone that made LW such a hit in the first place.

'Lethal Weapon 3' has the best opening sequence of all 'Lethal Weapon'-movies, although the opening of the fourth installment comes close. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) try to disable a bomb and what happens in the end can probably only happen in a movie like this. It is hilarious and spectacular anyway.

The movie starts eight days before Murtaugh's retirement. He and Riggs must find an ex-cop named Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson). He steals weapons and ammunition from the police. At first they thought it was an inside job so Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) from Internal Affairs is put on the case. She is the perfect match for Riggs, beautiful but tough. We also meet Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) again. He kind of helps them with this case and again he is very good for the comedy.

This is a fine installment although things get more and more familiar. Still, as long as it is spectacular and funny that doesn't really matter. The fun Gibson, Glover and director Richard Donner must have making this movie is clearly visible on the screen.

So this is the one where it all seems to get to be a lil much. Like wherever Murtagh and Riggs go there is trouble. It's still effective but a bit silly. This time around the baddie is quite generic, an ex cop selling confiscated weapons and police killing ammunition. Sure the guys are great but the real joy here is Renee Russo as Riggs new love interest. She's an IA officer whose bad ass and can hold her own. The interplay and chemistry between her and Riggs is great. But all the other stuff feels a lil silly at times. That being said it's still really fun and the last action setpiece in the housing development is quite fun and suspenseful. But the formula starts to feel a bit old. It's a low point for the franchise but it's still pretty damn good and that's all due to the charismatic cast.

Plot In A Paragraph: Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Glover) pursue a former L.A.P.D. lieutenant turned ruthless arms dealer, during the six days prior to Murtaugh's retirement.

There is a massive drop in quality from the first two movies, and I think it is not helped by a lame villain. Rene Russo is a good addition to the cast though. This is a much watered down Lethal Weapon movie compared to the first two movies, and for this Zoner, Lethal Weapon 3 is the low point of the franchise for me. The lack of Shane Black is obvious. They up the comedy even more this time, and it falls a bit flat for me. The humour in the first two was great, this has a female security guard chasing Murtaugh around whilst Riggs is tricking him into kicking water coolers over.

Riggs is an absolute jerk at times in this one!! Gone is the man overcome with grief, looking for a reason to get through the day and is dangerously unpredictable as a result. Instead we get someone who eats raw onions and dog biscuits, threatens Jaywalkers with his gun, beats up movie directors, knocks out handcuffed suspects and makes random guesses on what Wire to cut on a bomb!! And that's without mention his treatment of his best friend and partner Murtaugh.

He constantly berates him about retiring despite it being the sensible option. Especially since he can't dress himself without accidentally setting off his gun. Riggs repeatedly put him in unnecessary danger. Surely Riggs should want his best friend safe at home with his family, out of danger. But no, he is incredibly selfish!!

Joe Pesci who I loved in the last one, is awful here. There is no reason for him to be here and he's just irritating.

Does the movie director Riggs assaults remind anyone of Steven Spielberg??

Lethal Weapon 3 grossed $144 million to finish the 4th highest grossing movie of 1992.

The first 'Lethal Weapon' wasn't perfect, but it is still a very good film and important to the development of the buddy-cop film as well as being one of the best examples. Its first sequel is almost as good, if just missing out on being on the same level or surpassing it.

'Lethal Weapon 3' is fun enough, and there is plenty to enjoy, but after the impressive first two films it was somewhat of a let-down. It didn't feel as fresh and had a ran out of ideas feel sometimes. Its weak link is the story, which does have some exciting moments and some good scenes but the first two films were much more focused and tight in plotting, here the story does meander in places and parts drag. Some of the dialogue is a lot of fun, some of it is repetitive and convoluted with a little too much emphasis at times on humour.

After being such a delight in the second film, Joe Pesci returns and one was hoping he would be a welcome presence. Sadly count me in as one of the people who found him underused, his character merely being a plot device and Pesci being irritating this time round (the first time ever he's had that effect on me). Was mixed on the villain, Stuart Wilson does enjoy himself immensely and does bring a sinister edge to easily the best acted head villain in comparison to the first two films where the henchmen were more memorable and better played. The character himself was a little sketchy in development however and he could have been used more.

However, the way 'Lethal Weapon 3' is shot and designed screams slick and stylish while Richard Donner once again directs with an assured hand. The score is atmospheric and groovy.

Parts of the script doe entertain hugely and crackle in wit and tension.

Once again, the action is slick and bursts with excitement and tension, with terrific stunts and the sheer scale of them being worthy of huge admiration. It is very easy to see why the chalk and cheese chemistry of the polar opposite characters of Riggs and Murtaugh became so popular, very rarely in a buddy-cop film has this kind of chemistry been so entertaining and perfectly pitched.

Mel Gibson continues to excel in a performance as witty and intense has before. Danny Glover gives Murtaugh the right amount of spirit, subtlety and no-nonsense attitude. Rene Russo brings some much needed freshness and gives a strong performance.

In summary, fun but the magic is not quite there for me. Not one of the best sequels there is, but hardly a disgrace and nowhere near among the worst. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Even though this is in my opinion the weakest out of the Lethal Weapon series, that of course doesn't mean that this movie isn't fun and entertaining to watch.

It suffers from the same minor flaws as the previous 2 Lethal Weapon movies. The story is incredibly simple, standard action material. It's totally uninteresting and also told in a totally uninteresting way. Also the villain is yet again heavily underused. But it's true that none of the Lethal Weapon movies have ever relied on its story. Instead the movie heavily relies on its two main character; Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. And when you have two such characters like Riggs and Murtaugh, who have such an amazing chemistry together, you just don't need much else to make a good and entertaining movie.

Unfortunately the movie does nowhere live up to its fantastic and memorable beginning. Everything that happens after the opening sequence isn't really that interesting or memorable. The movie doesn't always have the right pace and the way the story is presented make it seem even less interesting than it is on paper.

The movie is filled with some great characters next besides to the two main leads. Joe Pesci returns as Leo Getz and Rene Russo joins the team as a woman who knows how to take care of herself. The villain is this time played by the always great Stuart Wilson. It however is unfortunate that all of these characters are given too little screen time, especially Joe Pesci and Stuart Wilson. All of the Lethal Weapon movies always had great villains, that were also at the same time always heavily underused. Same goes for Wilson in this particular case, who's talent is practically wasted.

But luckily the movie is still of course a perfectly entertaining one. This is absolutely thanks to Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, who still have the magic chemistry together, after already 2 Lethal Weapon movies. The two of them provide some great and hilarious moments together, that alone is reason enough why this movie is a good and enjoyable one to watch.

Maybe not as good- but certainly just as entertaining as all of the other Lethal Weapon movies.

7/10

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Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take a buddy cop action movie the third sequel in the "Lethal Weapon" series, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) is for my opinion the second best in the series! I love this flick, I always have enjoyed much more than I did Lethal Weapon 2. I love this sequel, I think is so much better than Lethal Weapon 2! Because the second installment in the series was way too violent movie from the first one, this one was just fun action sequel to the first one and I love it so much! I thought Donner kept the level going for the most part throughout the films!!! Why don't people like the last two movies!! I pretty stayed up half the night for two nights in a row because I got so hooked with these movies!. I especially love Rene Russo she's so sexy, sassy, and kicks a lot of ass in it. A nice addition to the team. Rene Russo in this movie she was the second crush I had on her. She was the most beautiful girl playing a tough cop ever. I was happy her character was not killed off, by the end of the movie. When the film ended I was really sad because I didn't know what happened too Martin Riggs and Lorna Cole, did their romance lasted forever. I was always hooked up and when I hared they are making Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998, I couldn't wait for the fourth installment! I grew up with this movie and it is my childhood movie of all time I love it to death!!!

Rock on Riggs and Murtaugh! Perhaps as a reflection of that, "Weapon 3" depends more on chases, explosions and set pieces than it does on character development. The story again involves the partnership of Riggs and Murtaugh (Gibson and Glover), buddies in the long tradition of movie cop partners. This time Murtaugh is only eight days from retirement, a sure sign in any cop movie that his life will be repeatedly in danger. I remember Lethal Weapon 3 was a lot of fun and I would say it's my 2nd favorite of the series. Stuart Wilson was a good bad guy, humor was great including the banter. It's an entertaining sequel. I know a lot of people don't like this movie like I do a lot of fans prefer Lethal Weapon 2 over this flick, I don't! I think 1 and 3 are great flicks, 2 is my third favorite film in the franchise!!! Part 1 and 3 of Lethal Weapon I absolutely love! I enjoyed Lethal Weapon 2, I like Lethal Weapon 4. I really love Lethal Weapon 3, I always had fun with it. I highly enjoy it. I don't mind the story, a lot of people complain about the story. I think that story is very interesting. I think Joe Pesci has more screen time in this movie than in part 2.

I love when Riggs cut the wrong wire in the opening scene and the whole Building Explodes. They both grabbed the cat and they save the cat ha ha. Than they went on patrol officer now, not anymore detectives. This movie is fun back and forth. The armored car is driven by this crooks and Riggs is chasing it. Riggs eventually has to brake the vehicle hard, causing the armored car to come to a sudden stop, resulting in the bad guy flying through the windshield and coming to rest on the hood and say my favorite line. "You have the right to remain unconscious. Anything you say ain't gonna be much." And Riggs punches the guy in the windshield and says "Back to bed. Back to bed."

The car chase scene Riggs jumps off the subway and commandeers an LAPD motorcycle, then continues his pursuit of the truck, which has by then left the rails and taken to the streets. Riggs pursues Travis on the wrong side of a freeway, then into a section that was under construction. Travis manages to get stopped, but Riggs flies off an unfinished ramp, getting hung up by some cables. The cables give way, and he falls through several platforms, to the ground. This scene is Excellent and outstanding stunt, I can always watch that! The scene in the hockey arena is one of my favorite when Leo (Joe Pesci) wrestles with Jack Travis (Staurt Wilson) Their struggle carries them onto the ice and Travis shoots Leo in the arm. Riggs follows Travis out of the arena, but loses him. That scene Riggis running on the ice was fantastic. The end fight scene when Murtaugh takes out Walters, then tosses Darryl's gun to Riggs, loaded with the cop killer bullets. Riggs shoots through the bucket of the front-end loader, killing Travis was awesome! This movie is awesome and it is my favorite film in the "Lethal Weapon" series. It is a 10 for me.

Lethal Weapon 3 is the third installment in the Lethal Weapon film franchise. The 1992 action sequel has Detective Sergeants Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) under the eye of an Internal Affairs detective (Rene Russo) during an investigation of a former cop who is dealing in illegal arms and armor-piercing ammunition. The film also stars Joe Pesci and Stuart Wilson.

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Silver Pictures Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Stuart Wilson Director: Richard Donner Producers: Richard Donner, Joel Silver Screenplay: Jeffrey Boam, Robert Mark Kamen Story: Jeffrey Boam Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 58 Mins. Budget: $35.000.000 Box Office: $321,731,527

Lethal Weapon 3 is the thrid film in the series and just as good. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and the funny Joe Pesci are all back for the fun. This time they add the sexy Rene Russo to the mix who can hang with Riggs and is just as crazy. Underreated actor Stuart Wilson makes another good bad guy in this good sequel.

Our Rover Boys Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are riding high again. They both lose their sergeant's stripes again over their recklessness, but when they stop an armored car heist and take a prisoner, they uncover a really nasty smuggling and arms dealing racket masterminded by a cop who just went over the hill.

According to LAPD's Internal Affairs Stuart Wilson racked up more complaints than about any cop on record, he was effective but reckless and brutal. Wilson just one day on a stakeout went over the hill, left after saying he was going for coffee. Just went over the bad guys, Job abandonment reaches a new high.

In fact Wilson is one of the slimiest villains ever in the history of cinema. The seriousness of this guy is almost jarringly out of place with Legal Weapon style hijinks.

Mel Gibson gets a surprise in that Rene Russo whom he initially thought was an uptight IA cop turns out to be the woman he's been waiting for since his wife died. The girl has some moves.

One small performance you should note, that of Jason Rainwater of a young idealistic cop who tags after Gibson and Glover and gets killed in the fight with Wilson and his crew. A touching death scene that will bring a tear to the eye.

Has any movie franchise sunk as far and as rapidly as the Lethal Weapon series did with Part 3? The original film and its first sequel always had an element of comedy to go with the gritty action, but in this third instalment the humour is brought to the fore (and the nastiness toned down); the result is absolutely cringe-worthy, as tough cops Riggs and Murtaugh (Mel Gibson and Danny Glover) are regularly turned into incompetent clowns for the amusement of a younger demographic.

From the opening scene in which Riggs stupidly attempts to diffuse a bomb with disastrous results, to the end credits sequence in which Riggs, clearly having not learnt his lesson, considers diffusing yet another bomb, Lethal Weapon 3 is an embarrassment to the action genre. Jeffery Boam, who did such a good job with Part 2, completely screws up here, his plot being predictable and dull and the characters frequently acting against type just for laughs. Worse still, Boam brings back shifty Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), making him even more obnoxious and irritating than before.

Once again, Riggs is given a love interest—internal affairs cop Lorna Cole (Rene Russo)—but this chapter being a tamer affair aimed at the whole family, she doesn't get a sex scene (thankfully sparing the viewer yet another Mel Gibson ass shot) and doesn't wind up swimming with the fishes like poor old Patsy Kensit's Rika; instead, Lorna joins in with the crime-fighting fun, proving to be as handy with her fists and guns as the guys. All of this nonsense is accompanied by the series' terrible signature sax and guitar score, which only goes to make matters even more intolerable.

This is undeniably the funniest of the first three films in the series. (After this one, I had no desire to see the fourth.) But laughs alone are not enough to carry an action movie. So let's throw in a lot of cool stunts. Okay, now we've got enough to entertain viewers for two hours, so why add anything else? I mean, we don't actually *need* to have a strong villain or emotional depth for the characters do we?

Well, we don't if we're just looking for a couple of hours of escapism. In that role, this movie delivers. Mel Gibson made me laugh in this movie, despite the utter silliness of the humor. The stunts kept me on the edge of my seat. What can I say? For two hours I had a good time.

But through it all, I still felt empty somehow. And as I left the theater, I actually looked back and asked myself, "Did I just see a movie?"

(1992) Lethal Weapon 3 ACTION/ COMEDY

Co-produced and directed by Richard Donner, somewhat disappointing third with some nice touches including an actual building blown up for instance and the final gun fight scene with fires ablazing! The main problem is that they're way too many characters overplaying their roles, can get tiring, and as my brother pointed out is that unlike the first two "Lethal Weapon" films, their was an amusing henchman standing beside the main baddie which this one does not have at all. I am also somewhat offended by the lowering the bar to that dreadful PG rating when the first two movie "Lethal Weapon" movies were rated R. The third of six movies Mel Gibson collaborated with actor Richard Donner.

(I watched the director's cut)

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are back in action, already for the third time. The dynamic cop-duo tries to tackle into the business of an arms dealer while dealing with some personal issues they face along the way. A lot of familiar faces and a couple of new ones – it feels like coming home.

Nothing's really changed from the two previous films: the great chemistry is still going strong between Mel and Danny and both of them are as top of their game as they were with Lethal Weapon one and two (1987,1989). The mood is a bit lighter than before but the jokes are basically still the same. There's nothing really wrong with that; I could watch the clever and funny exchange of spiteful remarks of the two for hours and hours – but the film in story-wise gets a bit too repetitive and ultimately brings very little new to the table. I really liked the first 15 minutes or so of the film but after that the aforementioned story related problems started to show their ugly faces (the unnecessary inclusion of Joe Pesci's character (Leo Getz) being one) and in parts I lost interest in the film.

Lethal Weapons have never been any master works of great action and the third one is no exception. The car chases and shoot-outs look good and there's some nice "roughness" in them but the fast and dull editing wrecks the scenes a lot. So in the end the film is mainly about the characters, the humorous dialog and the grooving soundtrack. Nevertheless, it's fun to sit through even if the action doesn't pump up the adrenaline. 3/4

Third installment into the lives of cops Riggs and Murtaugh is a slam bam action film that excels like its previous two successes. Gibson, Glover and Pesci return once again in great form, while Russo makes a grand entrance as a fellow officer and love interest of Riggs. Our heroes take on a corrupt ex-cop in this non stop adventure directed once again by Donner.

Lethal Weapon 3 continues to have the great humour, emotion, action and car chases that the franchise delivers. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci give great performances again and Rene Russo is a welcome addition. Richard Donner's direction is great once again. The music by Michael Kamen, David Sandborn and Eric Clapton is once again really good. However, the franchise formula that it follows is becoming predictable.

Many films fall from grace in regards to sequels. Lethal Weapon started very good, got great with #2 and then fell below the first one with the third installment, cleverly titled: Lethal Weapon 3.

Not that Lethal Weapon 3's all that bad. It's got its comedy, fantastic, though sporadic, action sequences – always nice to see real action in movies over the CGI world of today, and it's got the chemistry still in place between the two leads: Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover.) Unfortunately, what it suffers most from: probably one of the most aimless scripts of all time. This film was all over the place, as if the actors were told, via speakerphone because Director Donner had to be on some holiday spending his check he probably received immediately following #2, just do what you want, say what you think and cough it up. That last part nailed my point when one character, the infamous psychologist from the series played by Mary Ellen Trainor either has a cold, or her explanation of her coughing was cut from the final film.

Further proving my critique, the movie is about armored piercing bullets, or cop killers, gangs, retirement, filming a movie, a land project, a new romance, an unwanted romance, an ex-cop, sublingual messages again – SEE: the Murtaugh's new dog, selling homes, the internal affairs department, or police police and the word word. And it jumps from one of these to the next without ease, warning or reason. Sure, they get to the point, but mostly it was about the cast reuniting for some more fun, of their own.

You'll have fun, too, but at the cost of trying to sort things out. It's best to leave your brain at the door, just sit back and watch the few action scenes, like the enormously irrelevant but exciting explosion that opens the film. The humor's there – Gibson definitely had it, Glover played a more subdued straight man and Pesci's played his role all over again from #2.

This viewing, however, reminded me a lot of the magic I felt when I first watched it, probably a dozen or more times when I was much younger. I forgot some of the lines I've used in real life, like "Kelly's pool hall. Kelly speaking." Yep, I've actually answered the phone with that. Or "It's the Police, Police." – I used to work in Quality Assurance, whereas I listened to phone calls of the customer service representatives of my firm and so I called my department the "Police, Police." Also, I've used "Why? Am I getting to you? Am I getting to you?" I guess the trend is, they love to repeat themselves. Word. Word.

You could do a lot worse and if you try and jump past the Murtaugh feeling sorry for himself + the funeral scene, both of which took up entirely too much of the picture, you might have some fun. But take heed: as humorous and action packed some scenes are, this is a huge step down from #2 but a nice companion. I just wished they knew when to throw in the towel and quit here

The most popular team of detectives in cinematic history is back again, making the streets of Los Angeles safe and secure for the citizens at large in `Lethal Weapon 3,' directed by Richard Donner and once again starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. This time the action literally starts with a bang (a big one) when Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) answer a call and, suffice to say, Riggs can't wait for the bomb squad to arrive. It makes for a spectacular opening scene, but it's just a warm up for what follows. Some bad things are going down in the City of Angels, perhaps not unusual for L.A., but someone is putting automatic weapons and armor piercing bullets (called `Cop Killers' as they can penetrate a bullet proof vest) on the streets, which is really bad news for police officers in general, and especially for those in particular areas of the city. Riggs and Murtaugh are on the case, but it quickly escalates, and because of certain untoward circumstances soon falls into the hands of Internal Affairs. Which brings Officer Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) into the picture. And sparks begin to fly. The first two installments of this series are hard to beat, but as they say, the third time's a charm; and Donner must have had the shaman working with him on this one, because he pulled off quite a feat-- making a third that ranks right up there with the first two. He seems to have found the perfect balance with this one; the main characters are in place and established, Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) is back, and the addition of Russo is the icing on the cake. The story is good, there's plenty of great action and some sensational stunts, and the humor has been toned down a notch, which increases the level of intensity of the drama. In short, Donner measures out all of the right elements to perfection and makes it all gel together for the complete package. And what a package it is. By now, Gibson IS Riggs, from the inside out; still somewhat on the edge, but not quite as volatile. And Glover could play Murtaugh in his sleep; which may sound like easy street for an actor, but it takes real professionals to maintain the credibility of characters they know so well (it would be so easy to phone it in and let the details slip at this point), and these two have what it takes. Their chemistry remains intact, and they've put polish on an act that was already shining. The real chemistry this time, however, is between Gibson and Russo, who click from the beginning, starting with their first scene together. Russo sparkles as Lorna, putting some real style and spunk into her; there's just enough edginess to her to make her believable as a no-nonsense I.A. investigator, and it makes her the perfect match for Gibson's Riggs. There's a terrific scene between them, in which they compare battle scars, that fits their characters so well and so credibly underscores the development of their relationship. it's a memorable scene, and a good example of how well the script, by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen, was written. The supporting cast includes Darlene Love (Trish), Traci Wolfe (Rianne), Stuart Wilson (Jack Travis), Steve Kahan (Capt. Murphy), Damon Hines (Nick), Ebonie Smith (Carrie) and Gregory Millar (Tyrone). In the world of the Cinema, it's a rare thing when a sequel matches up to the original, and when the third does, it's a real triumph; and `Lethal Weapon 3' is just that, a triumph. It's a quality action/drama that exemplifies why this series is so popular. Simply put, it's a good movie on it's own, and part of a great series; so don't stop now, `Lethal Weapon 4' is ready and waiting for you. I rate his one 10/10.

The signs of aging could shine through in "Lethal Weapon 3," but they don't. Because - magically - the series doesn't seem to be aging too much. Why? Because the series is always changing. It is smart, in that it realizes it cannot continue with the cop-buddy action-comedy formula per se, so it almost becomes more of a strict comedy with some big stunt pieces and looney fights. Sure, there's plenty of action, but it's not as fierce of bruising or just downright vicious as in the first two films. When there are fight scenes they seem a bit more corny than before. This is a more lighthearted entry into the series, and though you could say without seeing the film that soft is not what "Lethal Weapon" is about, just remember how tiring it would have been seeing a repeat of the second and first film.

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are back. The film opens with an explosive prelude that has become the symbol of the "Lethal Weapon" movies (later films such as "Bad Boys" - another cop-buddy film - tried to use the same technique but, in my opinion, sort of failed).

After the opening sequence, in which they try to diffuse a bomb in a parking garage but end up tripping the detonator instead, the two men are demoted from Sergeants to regular cops - they walk the streets in boredom giving out tickets to J-walkers and trying to find a way to have some fun.

Murtaugh is bent on retiring - again - in a week. Riggs, now his best-buddy, tries to ignore the fact as best he can by cracking jokes about girdles. (Don't ask.) While walking the streets they come upon an armored van robbery (what are the chances?) and stop the crooks through a windy car chase along a highway, with a reference to "The Road Warrior" along the way. (And if you don't understand that joke, you don't belong on this site.)

Plot revelation upon plot revelation finally builds up into the fact that new weapons are filling the streets - "cop killers" - that can go right through a bulletproof vest and out the other side. Brought in to investigate into these matters is Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), a woman after Riggs' own heart. She kicks butt, pays no attention to rules, and is a smart...bottom.

Also returning is Joe Pesci to the role of Leo Getz. His head full of bleached hair and sporting a nice car, the retired thief is now in real estate, trying to sell Murtaugh's home to interested folk. One of the best scenes is when Getz is taking a couple through Murtaugh's home and mentions all the different accidents they've had over the year, including the car smashing through the wall and "accidental bomb damage" upstairs. He later says it's illegal to withhold information. And this is coming from the guy who, in "Lethal 2," admitted to laundering drug money.

"Lethal Weapon 3" is full of fun, good intentions, and more fun. For fans of the first two films this is a great relief - it's not nearly as bad as you're expecting it to be. However, there are more than a handful of flaws here. The plot is not nearly as realistic nor intriguing as the first two, the action is a bit too dumbed down at times, and overall the film seems more like a big-budget extravaganza as compared to the smartness of the first two. Still, you really can't go wrong with "Lethal Weapon 3," because if you enjoyed the first two, you're going to eat this up.

4/5 stars.

• John Ulmer