The first Lethal Weapon movie remains a flat-out classic.
But the original has something special something unique that sets it apart.
Put it down to being the one film in the series that benefited from an unmolested Shane Black screenplay.
Put it down to a cast and crew firing on all cylinders to make an unknown quantity work.
Put it down to the absence of Joe Pesci.
And like his soon-to-be partner, Riggs is set up perfectly.
His first appearances suggest hes simply that most tired of cliches: the maverick cop.
Brave but reckless, good at his job, little respect for authority… yawn.
Ah, yes: his talents.
A bad guy that the film can point him towards and let him rain down glorious, righteous hellfire.
Step forward Mr Gary Busey.
In truth, Mr Joshua is little more than a thinly sketched henchman, but what a beautiful sketch!
We dont know a lot else about him, but we know wed like him dead.
Is that true?).
One aspect that straddles the line between anachronistic and relevant is the central conceit of Riggs psychological fragility.
The terminology itself betrays how woefully ignorant and ill equipped this macho institution is.
You really are crazy, says his unhelpful partner, before letting him wander off for a sandwich.
Its an understated but beautiful bro-mantic ending.
And its surely the incident Roger is referring to when he says Heard about your little stunt today.
In fact, this becomes one of the more baffling running gags throughout the series.
In terms of tension-building and action beats, the sequence is spot-on.
Having given villainous No.
Tension mounts as they hurriedly drive off towards the Murtaugh homestead to avert disaster.
Cut to Mr Joshua arriving at said destination to coolly execute the two uniformed officers standing guard.
He then breaks in and proceeds to shoot the place up with his assault rifle.
NO ONE HERE BUT US COPS.
Its all been a carefully orchestrated ruse!
I take back everything Riggs is clearly insane.
On this, I call bullshit!
And wait until he reads that note!
I still think we should just shoot the son of a bitch when he gets here.
Oh come on, Rodge, wheres your sense of humour?
Wait, wait here he comes now.
Get down… this is going to be great.
Hes talking to the cops on guard duty we should have warned them!
I figured they might not survive.
Riggs, he killed those two poor men!
We could have stopped him!
Yeah, but this way he still might see my note.
I want him… to read… the note!
Oh man, hes shot down my door!
Relax, hes using up all his bullets.
We could just shoot him now!!
Let him get to the tree.
Thats where I put the note.
Its a great note.
Couldnt you have put it on the front door?
He needs to be in your lounge.
Thats where were gonna crash the car.
To catch him unawares.
Oh man, I can hear him shooting up my house.
Hey Rodge, I wanna use that patrol car.
Help me pull out the bodies of those dead cops, will ya?
What about the car we came in?
Sirens on that one are better.
Sorry brothers… You didnt die in vain.
Now go to the window and see where he is.
Im gonna line the car up, jam the gas pedal down.
Hes reading your note!
Does he look pissed?
Time to send in the car!
