Lethal Weapon

Now here is a movie with my name on it. Pure action thriller, no holds barred. Mel Gibson is terrific as the crazed loner (the '"lethal weapon' of the title) and Danny Glover is an excellent counterpoint. The picture has a few very good scenes (the firing range scene, for instance) and some excellent violence, and truly malevolent bad guys (including the very talented Gary Busey, who has never won the fame he deserves), but it could use a little help with bullet hits. Actually this is a rather bad movie that I enjoyed, and while I did enjoy it, it never quite delivered quite the impact I might have hoped for. I was cheering at the end when the bad guys get theirs, but it was a kind of feeble cheer, more like I was trying to talk myself into it. I was a bit nonplussed when I heard that this was written by a 23-year-old (his FIRST script), but I relaxed when I saw it, because the truth is it is not a very good script (translation: I could write a better one) and yet it got made and was actually well received. For one thing, it really bogs down when it tries to get psychological. Much better with action. Nonetheless, the kid should keep trying, because some scenes are memorable. Directed by, I believe, Richand Donner, who was responsible for the eye-catching “Ladyhawke.” So sit back and enjoy; it won't take much out of you.