Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Lethal Weapon 3’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

When it comes to film franchises as a whole, there appears to be some unspoken rules that need to apply to later entries in said franchise and often times, none of those rules are good for the audience in the slightest. Take for example the third film in a particular saga. For this is when everyone involved seems to believe that bigger plots and more characters are the best formula for wowing the audience after a quality Part 2, which is why we see some stunt casting with big names in these roles, and more explosions or wow moments than we can count. But sadly, while this notion seems to work on paper, it tends to drive audiences away and there’s solid reason for that.
 
Because people come to sequels expecting something far different. Sure, they’re good with a bigger and bolder story, but they want growth from their favorite characters, and they want the story to drive that. Plus, they’re fine with stunt casting and new characters, but they need to do more than just be part of the scenery or a gimmick. They too need to play into the story properly and potentially help our characters reach new heights. If anything, it is rare to find sequels that meet these particular criteria, but it does happen from time to time and the ones that do, are truly magical films in their in own right, and back in 1992, the Lethal Weapon franchise brought forth a quality third entry, one that didn’t ruin or damage the franchise in the slightest in Lethal Weapon 3.
 
Now one of the more impressive aspects of this particular sequel, is that while this movie does indeed follow some of the unspoken rules, we discussed a few moments ago, it does everything within its power to ensure that they don’t get out of hand or silly so that the audience enjoys an organic experience and for proof, well look no further than the action sequences. Because they are definitely bigger and bolder, I mean come on… they blow up an entire building at the start of the film. But at no point do the explosions seem out of place and every tense moment fits perfectly within the framework of the story and helps to advance the plot and that’s just delightful and that courtesy is extended to our new addition to the cast as well. For Rene Russo’s arrival as Internal Affairs Officer Lorna Cole could have gone off the rails quite easily, but her character is perfectly tailored to the story and she oddly enough is the perfect foil to Riggs and helps him grow as the story moves along. 

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​But truly, there are two elements in this story that blow me away above anything else and one of them, is the subplot involving Roger’s son and the bad crowd he hangs out with. For this is every single parent’s nightmare and being forced to gun down one of son’s buddies when he’s in the middle of some nefarious affairs is a stunning twist to say the least, one that is handled in brilliant fashion when it comes to the aftermath of that tense shootout. Because Murtaugh is badly shaken by being forced to shoot a kid, and that kind of realism is something you just don’t see in action films in the slightest and I have to admit, it takes some guts to write a segment into the script where you see the true humanity of one of the hardened heroes. And it honestly makes for one of the most moving moments in the franchise for Roger Murtaugh, and this arc also features a wonderful performance from Danny Glover.
 
As for the other big element I made mention of, well that would be our villain; former LAPD Officer Jack Travis. Because this character is really what could have allowed for the story to go into silly territory had Travis turned out to be some one-dimensional psychopath with grand ideas for chaos and mayhem. But instead, this man is actually quite the fascinating villain. Because he’s not out for revenge or bloodshed. He just doesn’t believe in good anymore. For his time in the LAPD clearly jaded him and made him believe that trying to do good in the world is futile and foolish and that oddly enough, makes him one of the most dynamic and realistic baddies to ever grace this franchise. Because he’s no fallen solider looking for a taste of the good life, nor is he drunk with power, he’s just a regular dude that doesn’t give a crap about anyone or anything and that’s dangerous when all is said and done.
 
In the end however, I have to be honest in saying that this is my favorite entry in the franchise. Simply because it really is that perfect blend of bravado and brilliance and every single character is given quality growth, even Leo Getz, since he’s now gone from scum of the earth to real estate agent. Plus, the comedy is still top notch in this particular tale. For the fallout from the bomb squad incident is just downright hilarious since I didn’t think we’d ever see Riggs and Murtaugh back on the beat and truly, the hell these guys put Leo through when he gets shot is equally as funny and we also need to take a moment and talk about Martin Riggs’ journey in this tale as well. Because at long last, we see him in a wonderful place, and it is quite satisfying to see a character as lost as he is come back from the darkness and find happiness and oddly enough, his wonderful arc would serve as the framework for the grand finale of this wondrous series. 

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