The Lethal Weapon series peaked with the third installment. The addition of Rene Russo, while giving Riggs more of a personal life, adds little to the chemistry of Glover, Gibson, and Pesci. Make no mistake. By the third film it’s all about these three characters. This series does not mix well with romance thrown into the pot.
Synopsis
Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) team up with an internal affairs cop (Russo) to track down a street gang of gun runners. Leo Gets (Pesci) attaches himself to the investigation and, once again, it’s off we go.
Audio
The DVD sports another rich Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Again your sub will be hard at work as this film attempts to outdo the previous outings in explosions and overall mayhem. The ambient sounds are another audio treat with plenty of subtle additions to place you square inside the action. Eric Clapton joins David Sanborn to spice up the Kamen score and it truly is an outstanding soundtrack. Even Elton John gets in on the music in the closing credits. Dialogue is usually clear, but let’s not forget this is a Lethal Weapon movie and loud is rule.
Video
Lethal Weapon 3 is presented in its original theatrical release aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Colors are much brighter for this film. Flesh tones are still quite accurate and the blacks have evolved to near perfection. The sets are much more lavish in this film and the transfer does a nice job of bringing out the meticulous detail provided by the property department.
Special Features
Again both wide screen and pan & scan versions are offered so there is precious little room left for extra material. This one even lacks a documentary. All you will find are production notes, bios, and trailers.
Final Thoughts
Watching the Lethal Weapon series is like taking a trip to Disney World. There are so many rides to squeeze into a limited time frame. For me, that’s the only way to enjoy these films. Sit back. Strap yourself in, and remember to keep your hands and feet inside the theatre at all times. Unless, of course, you’re just “too old for this shit”.
