Lethal Weapon 2 (Exclusive Series) (HBO Max)

Initial release date: July 7, 1989

Studios: Warner Brothers/Silver Pictures

Tagline: The magic is back!

Plot: South African smugglers find themselves being hounded and harassed by Riggs and Murtaugh, two mismatched LA police officers. However, the South Africans are protected by diplomatic immunity, and so the two are assigned to witness protection duty in an attempt by their captain to keep his job. It is only when this witness reveals to them that he was already dealt with the smugglers that the trouble really starts.

Cast

Mel Gibson - Martin Riggs

Danny Glover - Roger Murtaugh

Joe Pesci - Leo Getz

Joss Ackland - Arjen Rudd

Derrick O'Connor - Picter Vorstedt

Patsy Kinsit - Rika Van Den Haas

Darlene Love - Trish Murtaugh

Steve Kahan - Captain Murphy

Traci Wolfe - Rianne Murtaugh

Mark Rolstan - Hans

Jeneth Goldstein -Meagan Shapiro

Dean Norris - Tim Cavanaugh

Nestor Serrano - Eddie Estaban

Juney Smith - Tom Wyler

Damon Hines - Nick Murtaugh

Ebonie Smith - Carrie Murtaugh

Writer: Jeffrey Boam (The Phantom; Lethal Weapon 3; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Funny Farm; The Lost Boys)

Director: Richard Donner

Rated R (114 minutes)

After Riggs and Murtaugh had some great action-packed fun in the 1987 movie, it was only a matter of time before they would be back on the big screen. And, in 1989, the LA cops were back to kick some more butt in one of the best action sequels ever!

'Lethal Weapon 2' delivers lots of intense action and the movie's car chase in the opening sequence is both action-packed and slightly hilarious. Joe Pesci joins in on the fun in this sequel and comes back for the next two sequels.

Even though no movie can ever beat the 1987 original, the 1989 sequel came very very close. The action set pieces are incredible and the infamous destruction of the house on stilts towards the conclusion is simply one of the best action segments out there and truly memorable.

You can catch all of the 'Lethal Weapon' movies on HBO Max through the end of July and in various PVOD rental services.

Here are some interesting little tidbits for 'Lethal Weapon 2':

• The scene where Mel Gibson attaches cables to the stilts of a mountain top house and pulls it down costs over $500,000.

• Made over $82 million more than the first movie domestically. Very unusual for a sequel, and also the most successful in the franchise.

• The body count is 33, the highest of the franchise.

• Following the success of the first movie, Warner and producers decided to make the sequel. Producer Joel Silver asked the writer of the first movie Shane Black to write a script for the sequel in the spring of 1987 and Black agreed.

• Although he was struggling with personal issues, Black still managed to write the first draft along with his friend, novelist Warren Murphy, co-creator of Ramu Williams (the lead character of 'The Destroyer' novels).

• Their original title for the script was 'Play Dirty.' Although many people thought that their script was great, it was rejected by Silver, Warner and Donner for being too dark and bloody, and because in the ending of the script Riggs dies, while they wanted to keep him alive in case of further sequels. They also wanted the sequel to focus more on comedy, while Black's draft focused more on courage and heroics.

• Donner said in the movie's Blu-ray commentary that the movie was shot in such a way that it could be edited with two different endings, one in which Riggs dies and one in which he lives.

• 'Lethal Weapon 2' was the third most successful film of 1989 in North America (after 'Batman' and 'Last Crusade'), earning nearly $150 million domestic and $80.6 million overseas.

https://youtu.be/ZbFE2P3tASI