Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
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Two years after their first major case, two LAPD partners must protect a neurotic federal witness from a gang of South African drug smugglers who enjoy diplomatic immunity.
The story
Two years after the events of the first film, LAPD sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh are pursuing unidentified suspects suspected of drug trafficking. However, they discover they have been transporting an illegal shipment of gold in the form of Krugerrand coins from the National Party-led government of South Africa. After a home invasion on Murtaugh's residence, Captain Murphy reassigns the duo to protecting an obnoxious federal witness, Leo Getz. It soon becomes clear that both cases are related; after an attempt on Leo's life, Riggs and Murtaugh learn of the former's murky past laundering funds for vengeful drug smugglers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Two years after the first film, LAPD sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh discover that suspects they are pursuing are transporting illegal Krugerrand gold coins from South Africa. After a home invasion on Murtaugh's house, they are reassigned to protect Leo Getz, a federal witness with a past in laundering money for drug smugglers. They discover the smugglers are using diplomatic immunity to operate. Riggs begins harassing the consul-general, Arjen Rudd, and romances his secretary, Rika van den Haas. Murtaugh enlists Leo's help to create a scene at the consulate to gain support from anti-apartheid protesters. Security agent Pieter Vorstedt attempts to murder the officers and abducts Leo. Vorstedt reveals to Riggs that he was responsible for the death of Riggs's wife years earlier. After Rika is killed by Vorstedt, Riggs and Murtaugh (who forsakes his badge) team up to destroy Rudd's house and head for his freighter at the Port of Los Angeles. They discover Rudd's laundered drug money and engage in a firefight. Riggs kills Vorstedt in a hand-to-hand fight, and Murtaugh fatally shoots Rudd, declaring his immunity revoked.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Afrikaans
- Directors
- Richard Donner
- Writers
- Jeffrey Boam · screenplay; Shane Black · story; Warren Murphy · story
- Cast and characters
- Mel Gibson · Martin Riggs; Danny Glover · Roger Murtaugh; Joe Pesci · Leo Getz; Joss Ackland · Arjen Rudd; Derrick O'Connor · Pieter Vorstedt; Patsy Kensit · Rika van den Haas
- Genres
- action; comedy; thriller
- Themes
- revenge; buddy cop dynamics; anti-apartheid
- Tone and mood
- action; comedy; dark
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy cop; police detective; sequel; action comedy
- Franchise connections
- Lethal Weapon
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews and was the third most successful film of 1989 in North America, earning nearly $147.3 million in the US and $80.6 million overseas.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Sound Editing · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The original script 'Play Dirty' was rejected for being too dark and bloody.; The film was shot in such a way that it could be edited with two different endings.; The character of Rika was originally intended to survive.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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