“We’re back, we’re bad, you’re black, I’m mad.”

Justin’s rating: I’ll be straight-jacket with you, this is buddy cop perfection

Justin’s review: I have no idea if this will ruffle any feathers out there or not, but I’ve always strongly felt that Lethal Weapon 2 was hands-down the best of the franchise. The first is a trashy cop buddy classic, and the third and fourth are fine for what they are, but the second hit this sweet spot that always made it my favorite.

I remember sneaking viewings of the Lethal Weapons and Die Hards and other R-rated action flicks on school sick days in my teens, and perhaps the slightly forbidden nature (at least in our household) added to the thrill of seeing these. Of course, I can look back now and see that they were classics worthy of being admired — and that I was fortunate to have grown up in an era of such great flicks.

So why is Lethal Weapon 2 the best? It simply takes the formula and elements that worked so well in the first movie and massages them to perfection here. Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Riggs (Mel Gibson) bounce off each other like a comedy duo that’s been doing this their whole lives, and the tightness of their partnership makes you want them to win so bad.

This time they get mixed up with some South African gold smuggling baddies hiding behind (affecting a Joss Ackland voice) DIP-LO-MATIC IMMU-NITY. Oddly enough, this flick was responsible for making me aware that apartheid was even a thing, although it was soon to be ended shortly after this movie came out. I’ve always thought that South African villains felt pretty original, ethnically, and who doesn’t hate their blatant racism and want to see them get theirs?

Riggs gets a girlfriend for a hot minute with Rika (Patsy Kensit, who is stunning here), until she becomes the latest thing to set him off on a revenge spree.

Also, we are introduced to Leo (Joe Pesci), a loud, foul-mouthed money launderer who unfortunately becomes a staple of this series going forward. Seriously, I love everything about this movie except Pesci’s character. He’s just grating as the leads have to babysit his whiny butt.

It’s got lots of action, lots of quips, and a few terrific set pieces, including the instantly famous one of Murtaugh finding out that the toilet he’s on is booby-trapped with a bomb. It’s both tense and hilarious in equal measure, and the end result means that his house takes yet another brutal hit from this series.

And how crazy cool is it that Richard Donner got to direct all four Lethal Weapon flicks? That’s highly unusual for any big action franchise, but here it allows the series to maintain a constant voice at the helm.

Lethal Weapon 2 feels serious enough to keep the pressure on our core duo while lightening up enough to make this an enjoyable popcorn flick. Plus, it taught me that dislocating your shoulder has practical purposes for when South African racists try to drown you in a straight-jacket!