Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Days away from his retirement, police Sgt. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) pairs yet again with fellow officer Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson). They’re tasked with bringing down black market weapons dealer Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson).

Review:

As a whole, the first two Lethal Weapon films were successes for director Richard Donner. With that in mind, he returned to direct the third film.

Lethal Weapon 3 contains the expected camaraderie of Gibson and Glover’s characters. It also includes some good action sequences and visuals.

Where it can falter is with its plot, taking a rather directionless approach in the first half.

Whilst some time builds up to a final confrontation, getting there can be tiresome.

As opposed to setting events in motion, Lethal Weapon 3 fumbles the ball on occasion.

More time focuses on events or characters with no central conflict, such as Joe Pesci’s Leo Getz.

Again, it’s clear Pesci enjoyed his time on screen. Despite this, the film should have focused more on plot progression instead.

Lethal Weapon 3 also has problems with its main antagonist, Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson).

As a whole, Wilson’s performance is competent. Regardless, his characters’ motives are thin at best.

Where Lethal Weapon 3 does succeed is in its consistent action and visuals. It also has some new character additions.

Making her first appearance in this series is Rene Russo as the Internal Affairs police officer, Lorna Cole.

Russo has a good dynamic with Gibson. She also provides more flair to the action through her martial arts skills.

Lethal Weapon 3’s action is good as a whole, with solid impact and choreography.

Conclusion:

As a whole, Lethal Weapon 3 is the most disjointed of the series thus far.

While its plot does pick up in its second half, getting there can be a slog.

Stuart Wilson is also never given enough time to leave an impression as Jack Travis. This is due to his generic motives and lack of screen time.

Still, Lethal Weapon 3 has good performances and action. It also has a welcome appearance by Rene Russo.

As a whole, this film is an above-average continuation for fans of the series or action thrillers.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 7/10

Story - 6.5/10

Action - 7/10

Visuals - 7/10

Soundtrack - 7/10

Overall score: 6.9 out of 10