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Lethal WeaponWarner Home VideoStarring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover,
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When it comes to contemporary action films, Lethal Weapon is one of the finest ever made. It not only features a suspenseful plot and great action sequences, but it's also a movie that offers us characters that we like and really care about. When compared to its many imitators (which often fail to measure up in terms of writing, plot, and character development), Lethal Weapon has a lot of heart and soul. It is an assured classic of the action genre.
I have spent many hours with my pan-and-scan VHS copy of this film, and the DVD has done nothing but improve my viewing experience. In addition to including widescreen and pan-and-scan versions of Lethal Weapon on the disc, Warner has also added a new 5.1 mix. In all, it's a great package.
Lethal Weapon tells the story of two L.A. cops who couldn't be more different. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is an LAPD homicide detective who enjoys his suburban life with his all-American family. However, his tranquil, routine world is soon shaken up when he is partnered with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a cop who has become increasingly erratic due to the recent death of his wife. Riggs -- a skilled sniper and a master of martial arts -- is the "lethal weapon" of the film. Of course, the new partners don't get along very well at first, but when the death of a young woman leads them to a ring of heroin smugglers, they become two men who share a common mission -- find the bad guys and administer their own personal brand of justice.
The picture quality of Lethal Weapon is very good. The colors are vibrant with deep blacks, and the print only has a slight grain at times. I did notice more flecking on this print than on DVDs from other films from the 1980s, but not nearly enough to really complain about. I found no artifacts, shimmer, or tiling. I also ran a side-by-side comparison of the DVD against my VHS copy, and if any of you have done this sort of thing before, I don't have to tell you how horrifying the experience is. We all know that DVD has better color and resolution, but what I always seem to notice when I run side-by-sides is that VHS ages poorly. My VHS copy of Lethal Weapon is several years old, and it looks like it was taped off cable at EP speed (and half of the American population has probably bought Titanic on VHS for $19.95 -- go figure).
The 5.1 mix (which wasn't available in the theaters when the film was first released) is another welcome improvement. The use of ambient noise is limited, but one outdoor scene during a rainy night has enveloping rainfall and a nice rolling of distant thunder. However, it's during the action sequences that the rear speakers come to life with gunfire, ricochets, and explosions -- and the second half of this film is nothing but action.
Lethal Weapon comes in both widescreeen (1.85) and pan-and-scan versions on opposite sides of the disc. While I don't mind this format, I much prefer that RSDL is used so that the aspect ratio can be selected at the start of the film (e.g., Goldeneye), if only so that the disc can have one side that is matted with the movie's title and maybe a little artwork. I always think that's a nice touch.
Alas, the extras on the film are only the standard fare. In addition to the normal trailer and scene access, there are English (Dolby 5.1) and French (Dolby 2.0) soundtracks and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The trailer (Dolby 2.0) is entertaining, although the quality of the original film stock is poor. The scene access menu is downright bad, offering access to only nine of the 23 chapters on the disc, along with "start movie" and "end credits." Moreover, the chapters don't have titles, just pictures and numbers. For people who like scene access, this is unacceptable. The snapper-case also promises "production notes," but there are none, per se, on this disc. We do get a few mini-bios and filmographies of the leading actors. And of course, Warner has included the "Film Flash" menu item, which is just a static screen that recommends other Warner releases. I have to say that I always prefer a short trailer with these promos, such as those on Polygram or New Line releases.
But in the end, the play is the thing, and Lethal Weapon on DVD is well-worth the list price of $24.95 ($19.95 street). No DVD collection should be without such a classic, and Warner has given us every reason to go buy this edition -- especially for those of us who love aggressive 5.1 mixes.
-- J. Jordan Burke
- color
- widescreen (1.85) and pan-and-scan
- not 16x9 enhanced
- dual-sided, single-layered disc
- Dolby Digital English 5.1, French 2.0
- subtitles (English, French, Spanish)
- trailer, cast bios and filmographies, and limited scene access
- Warner snapper