Lethal Weapon 3

Written by: Jeffrey Boam et al Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo, Joe Pesci

Charmless, leaden deadweight of a movie. I wanted my money back. They abandon any attempt at plot or premise and just go for big action yucks, but it fails miserably. Not funny, not exciting. Stupid dialogue. Even the usually reliable Donner fails to inject any interest; seems he had an attack of music video-itis. Glover is criminally underused, spending most of the movie mugging and slobbering and yelling “Riggs you son of a bitch!” The only nice touch is Russo’s character, a woman who is Riggs’ match. I waited in vain for a grace note that would in some way redeem this loser of a movie. Giddily, I anticipated an outrageous wedding scene for Gibson and Russo. But instead he remarks in voiceover that he’s going to pick her up when she is discharged from the hospital. I guess that’s all the commitment Riggs can muster. Ditto for the filmmakers. (5/29/92)