`LETHAL' COMBINATION WORKS; GIBSON-GLOVER TANDEM IS HEART, SOUL OF HIGH-OCTANE COP FRANCHISE.Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Writer Eleven years ago, Ronald Reagan was still president, Tammy Faye Bakker smeared her mascara over husband Jim's indiscretions, and Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. motorists took out their traffic frustrations by taking handguns out of their glove compartments. One other thing: Mel Gibson Noun 1. Mel Gibson - Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956) Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Gibson U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. had poofy A Poofy is a shower sponge. It is similar to a luffa, but generally made from fabric. It greatly increases showering efficiency over older methods like bar soap. Poofies sometimes have strings for ease of hanging. hair. Gibson wasn't a movie superstar at the time. In fact, he was coming off a string of commercial disappointments that included ``The Bounty,'' ``The River'' and ``Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.'' His next movie, ``Lethal Weapon,'' looked iffy if·fy adj. if·fi·er, if·fi·est Informal Doubtful; uncertain: an iffy proposition. [From if. , too. It was a low-budget cop movie co-starring a classically trained actor, Danny Glover, known mostly for his stage work. Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . didn't think it would be anything special and dumped the movie in theaters in March. ``It was just this little movie written by a 23-year-old (Shane Black),'' says producer Joel Silver. ``Really, it was a B movie with a couple of guys who were potential movie stars. It's funny how it ended up changing everything.'' Indeed. Along with ``Die Hard,'' another Silver-produced movie that came out the following year, ``Lethal Weapon'' set the template for all the big-budget, high-octane action films that have careened into theaters during the past decade of summers. These movies were explosive, loud and, if done properly (which was rarely the case), brimming with jokey jok·ey also jok·y adj. jok·i·er, jok·i·est Characterized by joking or jokes, especially stale or clumsy jokes: jokey bumper stickers. banter. Story lines came as an afterthought. ``I defy you to tell me the plot of any of the first three `Lethal Weapon' movies,'' Silver says. ``We just put Mel and Danny into situations and let you enjoy what happens to them.'' It's that potent chemistry between Gibson and Glover that has kept the franchise popular with audiences. Neither actor can explain why they work so well together. Gibson says it's probably something best left unexamined. ``Let's just say that I get him, and he gets me,'' Gibson says. ``We enjoy each other's company, and I think it shows on screen.'' Adds Richard Donner, who has directed all four films: ``I don't want to compare them to Tracy and Hepburn, because it's not the same thing, but I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what duo in a lot of years has been able to generate this kind of screen magic. They are simpatico sim·pa·ti·co adj. 1. Of like mind or temperament; compatible. 2. Having attractive qualities; pleasing. [Italian simpatico (from simpatia, sympathy , giving actors, who understand and appreciate each other both on and off the screen.'' If the idea of chemistry carrying an action movie sounds a little quaint, a look back at the films themselves only underscores the notion. There are no computer-generated effects, no use of miniatures. The mayhem, the stunts, the collapsing buildings are all real, an ethos carried over to the fourth movie as well. ``We didn't have any time for that stuff,'' Donner says of ``Lethal Weapon 4,'' which began production in January and wrapped only 37 days ago. ``We had to keep it real. But we've always done that. It's just that this time the time we had for post-production was more obscene that unusual.'' In a summer populated with falling asteroids This is a list of numbered minor planets, nearly all of them asteroids, in sequential order. As of late September 2007 there are 164,612 numbered minor planets, and many more not yet numbered. Most asteroids are ordinary and not particularly noteworthy. and a tame lizard movie, ``real'' might have some appeal. At least, that's what Silver would like to believe. ``The `Lethal Weapon' movies have always been about Mel and Danny,'' Silver says. ``We try to add new elements, but it always come back to those characters, where they've been and how much they mean to each other.'' In that vein, we'd like to take a look back at those characters, as well as the demolition, the destruction and the devastation - not to mention the shots of Mel's bare backside - of a series that put ``The Odd Couple'' in a squad car and actually made us care. ``Lethal Weapon'' Released: March 6, 1987 Box office: $65 million Characters introduced: Suicidal detective Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and his family-man partner Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover). The bad guys: Ex-CIA rogues turned heroin dealers led by Gen. Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan) and his sadistic sa·dism n. 1. The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty. head thug, Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey), who proves his manhood by holding his hand under a lighter flame. Number of stunt men: 29 Number of people killed: 19 Signs of the times: Lots of talk about how being an '80s man means being sensitive and saying you're sorry - especially after you've plowed the wife's car through the front door of the house. Catch phrase: From Murtaugh: ``I'm too old for this (stuff).'' Most incongruous moment: After Riggs endures a harrowing bout of electric shock torture, he gets loose and proceeds to snap several necks (including one with his ankles) and engage Mr. Joshua in a furious (and embarrassingly ridiculous) kung-fu battle on Murtaugh's front lawn while half the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. stands around and watches. Quintessential L.A. moment: It's supposed to be Christmas, but people are walking around in shorts under oppressive Southland sunshine. Shots of Mel Gibson's butt: One. Mel rolls out of bed and looks for a beer in the fridge. Rating (on a scale of one to three - Stooges): Two. Car chases, cartoon carnage and buddy chemistry make ``Lethal Weapon'' a surprise hit and set the stage for three sequels and countless rip-offs. ``Lethal Weapon 2'' Released: July 7, 1989 Box office: $147 million Characters introduced: Embezzling underworld accountant Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Getz (Joe Pesci), dazzling (and doomed) consulate babe Rika Van Den Haas (Patsy Kensit) The bad guys: South African consulate members dealing drugs for Krugerrands. Deliciously vile, these Aryan apartheid agents are the best baddies (until ``4's'' Jet Li) in the series. They're also neat: The head boss asks an underling to stand on plastic wrap in his office before he has him shot. Number of stunt men: 35 Number of people killed: 32 Signs of the times: Murtaugh is rebuked by his kids for eating a tuna sandwich because of the drag-fishing techniques that kill dolphins. Bo Jackson is seen in a Nike commercial, saying, ``Another day. Another hobby. Just do it.'' Catch phrase: South African consulate ringleader ring·lead·er n. A person who leads others, especially in illicit or informal activities. ringleader Noun a person who leads others in illegal or mischievous actions Noun 1. constantly gets off the hook for his criminal activity by invoking ``diplomatic immunity A principle of International Law that provides foreign diplomats with protection from legal action in the country in which they work. Established in large part by the Vienna conventions, diplomatic immunity is granted to individuals depending on their rank and the .'' The last time he says this, Murtaugh shoots him in the forehead and adds, ``Has just been revoked.'' Most incongruous moment: During a car chase in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or , Riggs hops out and nearly catches the bad guys on foot. Quintessential L.A. moment: During (yet another) car chase, a criminal is decapitated de·cap·i·tate tr.v. de·cap·i·tat·ed, de·cap·i·tat·ing, de·cap·i·tates To cut off the head of; behead. [Late Latin d by a surf board. Later, when Riggs hitches his truck up to the South Africans' hillside home and pulls it down, someone panics and yells, ``Earthquake!'' (Actually, an earthquake would have been a more plausible explanation.) Shots of Mel Gibson's butt: One. Mel has a steamy love scene with Kensit. Rating (on a scale of one to three - Stooges): Three. Hyperkinetic hyperkinetic pertaining to or marked by hyperkinesia. hyperkinetic episodes see Scottie cramp. hyperkinetic circulatory disorders movie takes the mindless cop-film genre to its apex. It's a downhill slide into Steven Seagal territory from here. ``Lethal Weapon 3'' Released: May 15, 1992 Box office: $144 million Characters introduced: Riggs gets a girlfriend, detective Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), who shares his passion for violent behavior and the Three Stooges. The bad guys: Nondescript non·de·script adj. Lacking distinctive qualities; having no individual character or form: "This expression gave temporary meaning to a set of features otherwise nondescript" renegade ex-cops who steal firearms from a police warehouse and sell them to no-goodniks. Number of stunt men: 34 Number of people killed: 17 Signs of the times: Riggs siphons gas out of a pickup truck and gags, ``Phooey phoo·ey interj. Used to express disgust, disbelief, or contempt. phooey interj Informal an exclamation of scorn or contempt [probably variant of phew] Exxon'' Catch phrase: Murtaugh and Riggs recycle the ``I'm too old for this (stuff)'' line. Yup, they were running on creative fumes fumes odorous gases and other volatile materials; inhalation of irritating fumes causes coughing and, if sufficiently severe, irreversible pulmonary edema. here. Most incongruous moment: Could it be Riggs driving a motorcycle off an unfinished freeway overpass and surviving? Or Riggs and Murtaugh blowing up a seven-story building and living to tell about it? Or perhaps Lorna kick-boxing a never-ending procession of goons? The movie plays like a nonstop Road Runner cartoon, so it's hard to pick one scene that actually calls upon reality as a backdrop. Quintessential L.A. moment: During a foot chase at an L.A. Kings hockey game, the blase bla·sé adj. 1. Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence. 2. Unconcerned; nonchalant: had a blasé attitude about housecleaning. 3. Very sophisticated. crowd at the Forum saves its biggest ovation for the freak who runs onto the ice. Later, just as Riggs and Murtaugh start to chase the bad guys down a subway tunnel, a young cop pauses to note, ``I didn't know L.A. had subways.'' You and 8 million other people, kid. Shots of Mel Gibson's butt: None. But he does strip down to his briefs to compare battle scars with Russo in a scene lifted straight out of ``Jaws.'' Rating (on a scale of one to three - Stooges): Two. But one of them is Shemp. CAPTION(S): 5 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) How lethal is this `Weapon'? (Danny Glover and Mel Gibson) (2) In ``Lethal Weapon 4,'' Danny Glover, left, and Mel Gibson exhibit the same powerful chemistry they had in previous installments of the franchise. (3) The first ``Lethal Weapon'' in 1987 set the standard for action films. (4) Mel Gibson bumps into diplomatic secretary Rika Van Den Haas (Patsy Kensit) in ``Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). (5) ``Lethal Weapon 3'' (1993) spiced up Riggs' life with a girlfriend (Rene Russo). |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion