`LETHAL WEAPON 4' PICKS UP WHERE GIBSON, GLOVER LEFT OFF.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic

When we pick up the story of police detectives Riggs and Murtaugh in ``Lethal Weapon 4,'' they're in a familiar place, crouched behind their car dodging a hail of bullets and battling a lunatic dressed like Robocop who is toasting downtown Long Beach with a flamethrower.

In the middle of the flying bullets and shattering glass and exploding police cars, Murtaugh (Danny Glover) clues Riggs (Mel Gibson) in on a secret. He's going to be a father. Riggs, too, has a piece of news for his partner. Murtaugh is going to be a grandfather.

All the while, the armored psychopath is using Long Beach as his own personal bonfire, but for the moment, that doesn't really matter. You know Riggs and Murtaugh will dispatch him soon enough in some creative bit of savagery. But you don't want to hurry it along because what you have on the screen, the soft-shoe interplay between Gibson and Glover, has always been the most enjoyable element of this venerable series. Anything else - bad guys, firestorms, actual plot points - almost gets in the way.

That the makers of ``Lethal Weapon 4'' have been able to take a six-year break, shrug off the most inferior entry in the series and return with such crowd-pleasing verve is a pleasant surprise in a summer packed with films where expectations have typically exceeded the finished product.

Unlike most sequels, ``Lethal Weapon 4'' seems less an obligation and more a celebration of the brainless fun and playful camaraderie that have been the hallmarks of this franchise. It has everything you'd want - great action set pieces, vile villains, fresh comic improvisation from Chris Rock, plus the palpable chemistry between Gibson and Glover, still vibrant after four outings.

Director Richard Donner, never one to take things too seriously, uses an even lighter touch than usual, underplaying even the most brutal elements. When a cop discovers a man on a rooftop who has been choked to death, he tells Riggs, ``Get this. A pigeon ate his eyeballs.''

Riggs' response? ``Cool.''

The plot, such as it is, focuses on a group of Chinese thugs involved in immigrant smuggling and counterfeiting. Donner doesn't spend much time dwelling on backstory; the bad guys exist primarily to give Riggs and Murtaugh something to do in between their comic scenes. Chinese action star Jet Li does make a strong impression, though, as the ringleader, and his martial-arts talents invigorate the movie in much the same way that Michelle Yeoh breathed life into the last James Bond installment.

In fact, like the Bond movies, ``Lethal Weapon 4'' deftly incorporates small scenes with old characters and themes in a way that's oddly satisfying. Murtaugh's house suffers more abuse. Riggs banters with the police psychologist. Riggs and Murtaugh have their moment in the captain's office. Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) shows up for a couple of scenes. Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) returns as Riggs' karate-kicking love interest, this time, carrying his baby. Murtaugh's family is on hand, still looking like the ``Cosby'' show upon which they were modeled.

And, naturally, Gibson and Glover trade puns, jokes and catch phrases like ``I'm too old for this (stuff),'' which, 11 years after they created these characters, rings pretty true. But they certainly haven't lost their charm, their playful sense of fun or, as this expertly crafted movie demonstrates, their ability to entertain. ``Lethal Weapon 4'' closes the book (literally - stay for the closing credits) on Riggs and Murtaugh, and they can exit with their heads held high, having delivered the goods.

THE FACTS

The film: ``Lethal Weapon 4'' (R; violence and language).

The stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock and Jet Li.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Richard Donner. Produced by Donner and Joel Silver. Screenplay by Channing Gibson. Released by Warner Bros.

Running time: Two hours.

Playing: Citywide.

Our rating: Three Stars.

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Photo

Photo: In ``Lethal Weapon 4,'' detective Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) stays on top of things as well as possible under the circumstances.