Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Lethal Weapon 4 is the rare late-series sequel that remembers why you showed up in the first place: two partners with lived-in chemistry, a loose-limbed sense of fun, and action scenes staged with the confident snap of a filmmaker who knows exactly how to keep you grinning between gasps. Richard Donner lets the ensemble breathe, so the comedy lands like overheard friendship rather than punchlines, even as the case pulls them into a darker, more personal corner of L.A. The movie’s secret weapon is its renewed jolt of menace and physicality—especially when Jet Li steps in and suddenly the fights feel sharper, faster, and a little more dangerous than you expect. It’s loud, profane, and unapologetically R-rated, so it won’t convert anyone who’s tired of ’90s buddy-cop mayhem, but if you want a crowd-pleasing mix of banter, heart, and expertly delivered chaos, it still hits the target.

Lethal Weapon 4 is clearly trying to give fans one last ride: older, creakier heroes juggling family chaos while the action and jokes keep coming at a steady clip. The problem is the movie often feels like it’s running on franchise autopilot, with a busy, thin script that leans on familiar banter and set pieces instead of the sharper character drive that made the earlier films pop. If you’re hoping for a story with real bite or emotional conviction, this one can feel cynical and a bit tired, even when the craft is competent. That said, Gibson and Glover still have easy chemistry, Pesci brings reliable comic noise, and the hand-to-hand fights deliver enough punch to satisfy viewers who mainly want a slick, late-’90s action-comedy comfort watch.