When it comes to buddy cop movies — a dynamic that is frequently used in action-comedy flicks — you can’t list the best ones without mentioning Lethal Weapon. The 1987 classic stars Mel Gibson (The Continental) and Danny Glover (Sorry To Bother You) as two Los Angeles cops who are forced to work together to investigate a gruesome crime. Whether you’ve never seen it or are looking for an excuse to give it a rewatch, Vizio is now giving you the opportunity: the movie is now available to stream for free on their WatchFree+ platform.
One of the reasons why Lethal Weapon became a landmark movie in cinema history is because the movie uses a formula that works to this day: the two protagonists have wildly different personalities, which make their interactions funnier by the minute. The secret behind that was to find leads that could deliver top-notch performances, and both Gibson and Glover have been praised for that, with both of them getting awards nominations for their roles.
Lethal Weapon was also helmed by one of the hottest names in directing at the time. Richard Donner was a wildly creative individual who had several classics under his belt, including 1978’s Superman, Ladyhawke, and The Goonies. Donner paired up with then up-and-coming screenwriter Shane Black, who made his screenwriting debut with the title and then went on to pen highly praised movies such as Last Action Hero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and, more recently, Iron Man 3 and The Predator.
‘Lethal Weapon’ Was a Huge Hit
Lethal Weapon was a wild hit, making $120 million against a small $15 million budget. It ended up getting three sequels, as well as a television series starring Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids), Clayne Crawford (Finestkind), and Sean William Scott (American Pie franchise). A fifth installment has been in development for years, and Donner was attached to direct until his passing in 2021. Now, Gibson has stated he will helm the sequel and recently revealed that the script is written and “it’s the best one of the whole series,” but it may be some time before the film makes it to the big screen.
Aside from Gibson and Glover, the cast of Lethal Weapon also featured Gary Busey (Point Break), Mitchell Ryan (Grosse Pointe Blank), Tom Atkins (City on a Hill), Darlene Love (Holiday Rush) and Traci Wolfe (She Said). Vizio allows you to watch Lethal Weaponfor free through WatchFree+.
- Release Date
- March 6, 1987
- Runtime
- 112
- Writers
- Shane Black
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