Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
68%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 11 nominations
Jet Li’s arrival breathes fresh life into a tired franchise formula — but not enough to put Lethal Weapon 4 on equal footing with its predecessors
Lethal Weapon 4 may not be the best in the series, but it’s definitely the one that will make you laugh the most. The non sequiturs and nonsense are all worth it for the charming and buoyant heroes. Plus, the bone-crunching streetfighting clash between Mel and Jet Li is a classic. Just don’t expect any witty repartee or acting moments that rise above posing. But hey, who needs that when you have a family of characters that have become a part of ours too? And let’s not forget the destruction of the Murtaugh household – they threw in everything except the kitchen sink!
Production Company(ies)
Stanley Kubrick Productions,
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
I-215, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and language
Year of Release
1998
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 7m
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Language(s):English, Cantonese, Mandarin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1998 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 5, 2001
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li, directed by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, Jonathan Lemkin, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Channing Gibson, produced by Joel Silver, Richard Donner, action, R rating, box office performance, $129.8M, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Leonard Klady, Geoff Andrew, Mick LaSalle, Liam Lacey, Kenneth Turan, Mike Massie, David Nusair, Zaki Hasan, Walter Chaw, Matt Brunson, John J Puccio, detective, Chinese mobsters, Tri
Worldwide gross: $285,444,603
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $523,831,096
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 269
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 57,124,438
US/Canada gross: $130,444,603
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $239,384,240
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 275
US/Canada opening weekend: $34,048,124
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $62,483,109
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 161
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $140,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $256,919,741
Production budget ranking: 30
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $138,351,280
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $128,560,075
ROI to date (est.): 33%
ROI ranking: 1,235
Danny Glover – Roger Murtaugh
Joe Pesci – Leo Getz
Rene Russo – Lorna Cole
Chris Rock – Detective Lee Butters
Jet Li – Wah Sing Ku
Director – Richard Donner
Producers – Joel Silver, Richard Donner
Writers – Shane Black, Jonathan Lemkin, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Channing Gibson
Director(s)
Richard Donner
Writer(s)
Shane Black, Jonathan Lemkin, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Channing Gibson
Producer(s)
Joel Silver, Richard Donner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 11 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (67) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (32)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
It matters little that the film is rife with non sequiturs, nonsense and nihilistic violence, because its heroes are so darn buoyant and charming.
August 25, 2008
Leonard Klady
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The climactic streetfighting clash between Mel and coldly charismatic martial arts star Jet Li is a bone-crunching classic.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
One could argue about which Lethal Weapon is the best, but No. 4 is certainly the funniest, warmest and most idiosyncratic.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The relationship/humour stuff in Lethal Weapon 4 is pretty much excruciating, mawkish and inane… The second part of Lethal Weapon 044,the action sequences, are much better.
April 12, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
There’s no plot worth describing, no repartee wittier than ‘Oh shut up,’ no acting moments that rise above the level of posing.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 2/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
An outstanding finale to the series, proving that some forms of overkill never get too old.
September 14, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The weakest of the series…
February 11, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
After four films and countless adventures, these characters have become a family, and they’ve become part of ours too.
November 4, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Zaki Hasan
Zaki’s Corner
If not for Jet Li, Lethal Weapon 4 would actually be worse than Lethal Weapon 3.
August 12, 2012 | Rating: 1/4
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
Lethal Weapon 4 throws in everything except the kitchen sink — and that’s only if you don’t count the one that’s destroyed along with the rest of the Murtaugh household.
June 14, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
With ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ we find the silliest and most sentimental of the bunch.
May 24, 2012 | Rating: 5/10
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
In the combustible action franchise’s final installment, maverick detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh square off against Asian mobster Wah Sing Ku, who’s up to his neck in slave trading and counterfeit currency. With help from gumshoe Leo Getz and smart-aleck rookie cop Lee Butters, Riggs and Murtaugh aim to take down Ku and his gang.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Joe Pesci returns as Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 4, but is reduced to a background character.
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