Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Lethal Weapon 2 finds the LAPD's most reckless cops Mel Gibson and Danny Glover going after some drug dealers and finding they are covered by diplomatic immunity.This was really a bit much to swallow. Back then in its last days before it finally fell, South Africa's white supremacist government was desperately trying to hold on to friends. I doubt very much that it would employ a Joss Ackland as a consul who uses their diplomatic immunity with impunity to allow him to run rackets. In fact right up to the end they were involved in a propaganda publicity offensive and this drug dealing would have truly counteracted that.This film also introduces Joe Pesci to the Lethal Weapon regulars. He's a wire puller and fixer who's been skimming some loose change from his money laundering for the South Africans and has defected for his own health which gets seriously put in jeopardy. Patsy Kensit plays a secretary at the consulate who gets something going with Gibson that proves fatal.Ackland because of the attention decides to declare war on the LAPD figuring they can't respond. Let's just say he pulls the diplomatic immunity card once too often.Fans of the series should be happy.

It has been a long time since I watched "Lethal Weapon 4" then "Lethal Weapon." This week, wandering through the movie shelves of my local library I came upon this one on BluRay. Anticipating good video and audio I settled in on a cold Saturday and watched it.As these Lethal Weapon movies go it is a lot of slapstick comedy superimposed on a serious theme. Here a South African diplomat in Los Angeles appears to be involved in drugs and gold, plus money laundering, but uses his diplomatic immunity to keep the cops at arm's length.Mel Gibson is Martin Riggs and his partner is Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh. Given a $hit assignment they are to guard Joe Pesci as Leo Getz, a sly money-launderer who is in witness protection. The S. Africans want to eliminate him but Riggs and Murtaugh, as haphazard as they may be, are difficult to defeat.The boss of the bad guys is Joss Ackland as S. African diplomat Arjen Rudd. The love interest for Riggs is pretty British actress Patsy Kensit as Dutch Rika Van Den Haas who works for Rudd but is not a crook.Of course none of this is plausible but if you keep reminding yourself that it is just a movie then you will be entertained by watching how the cops eventually bring the S. African crooks to justice.

Released in 1989, "Lethal Weapon 2" stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as L.A. cop team, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. In this sequel they team up with a witness (Joe Pesci) to take down big-league South African drug dealers who have diplomatic immunity. In the meantime Riggs romances an employee of the consulate (Patsy Kensit). Jenette Goldstein is on hand as a fellow cop.I wasn't impressed by the first 30-40 minutes, but the three main characters drew me in from there with their warm camaraderie mixed with a bit o' comedy. Like the original, this is an over-the-top, cartoony cop thriller with ludicrous James Bond-isms. You have to accept the outrageousness in order to enjoy it, just as you do with the Bond flicks and similar cop thrillers, like 1977's "The Gauntlet," although the latter's superior IMHO, as are the Dirty Harry films. While some aspects are predictable, there are a couple original and impressive parts, like the toilet sequence and the money-explosion scene. The film also scores pretty well on the babe front with Kensit and Goldstein, plus a couple others. Anyway, I marginally prefer this one to the original.The film runs 118 minutes (Director's Cut) and was shot in the greater Los Angeles area.GRADE: B

Lethal Weapon 2 doesn't recycle ideas and plot points from the first movie, but instead expands on the first movie by developing Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh's personal lives, the introduction of new villains, and the addition of a third sidekick which adds plenty of moments of humour. The action is still just as good, and there is still plenty to enjoy about Lethal Weapon 2.Lethal Weapon 2 wastes no time getting started as we see LAPD Detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) in the middle of a police pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles with an unidentified suspect driving a red BMW which turns out to be transporting a trunk full of gold Krugerrands. There is an illegal smuggling operation which is being spearheaded by South African consul-general Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland) and his chief enforcer Pieter Vorstedt (Derrick O' Connor) however they are blatantly doing so while hiding behind the fact they have "Diplomatic Immunity". Captain Harris (Steve Kahan) assigns Riggs and Murtaugh to babysit the irritating, obnoxious and overeager Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), a federal witness who is going to testify against the South African smuggling operation. Riggs also finds himself a love interest, Rika Van Den Haas (Patsy Kensit) who is also Rudd's secretary at the South African Consulate. Rudd and Vorstedt continue to deceitfully continue their smuggling operation while hiding their diplomatic credentials and Riggs and Murtaugh vow to take them down.Lethal Weapon 2 adds a lighter comedic element with the introduction of Joe Pesci as Leo Getz. It's hard to believe upon seeing Leo Getz that Joe Pesci would later net himself an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as the volatile Tommy De Vito in Goodfellas (1990). Here in Lethal Weapon 2, Pesci's Leo Getz is nothing more than an irritating annoyance but enhances the comic relief to counterbalance the violent action scenes.It was great to see Mel Gibson and Danny Glover continue their dynamic partnership as Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. Lethal Weapon 2 is a perfect example of a sequel that continues the story and introduces more elements rather than rehashing the story from the first movie. Joss Ackland and Derrick O'Connor were excellent as the chief villains of the movie. Patsy Kensit adds sex appeal as the beautiful Rika Van Den Haas who finds herself caught up in the war between the LAPD and the South African criminals.Keep an eye out for Dean Norris (TV's Breaking Bad), Jeanette Goldstein (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Mark Rolston (The Departed) in small roles.Director Richard Donner has continued to weave his magic as a director and has struck box office gold with the success of Lethal Weapon 2 as one of the biggest movies of 1989.What can you say about Lethal Weapon 2? There's never a dull moments with plenty of action-packed scenes along with plenty of humour. A definite must for all Lethal Weapon fans as well as fans of action.9/10.