Independent Films, Film Profiles

Lethal Weapon 2
by Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon 2 is a 1989 action film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Derrick O'Connor and Joss Ackland. It is the first sequel to the 1987 film Lethal Weapon. Gibson and Glover respectively reprise their roles as LAPD officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, who this time have to protect an irritating federal witness (Pesci), while taking on a gang of South African diplomats, who are hiding behind diplomatic immunity.The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.The story opens with LAPD Sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh engaged in a car chase with a red BMW. After it crashes, they move in to arrest the driver, but find he has escaped. Searching the car, they discover the trunk is full of South African Krugerrands (gold coins which were illegal in the U.S. due to sanctions against the South African apartheid regime). Later that night, Murtaugh is threatened at his home by thugs dressed in black hoods, warning him to cease the investigation around the Krugerrands.In the wake of the attack on Murtaugh, he and Riggs are reassigned to a less dangerous task, protecting a Federal witness, Leo Getz (Joe Pesci). They subsequently discover Getz has been laundering funds for the same drug smugglers and he leads them to their base of operations, a house on stilts. Attempting to arrest the gang, Riggs and Murtaugh are confronted by Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland), the minister of affairs for the South African Consulate. Rudd indignantly invokes diplomatic immunity on behalf of himself and his 'staff', and threatens to report Riggs and Murtaugh to the State Department for violating South African soil.Although ordered by the Department to leave Rudd and his associates alone, Riggs and Murtaugh are certain that he is the drug trafficker they are looking for and commence a private war against them. While Leo and Murtaugh distract the guards at the consulate, Riggs infiltrates the building and catches the name "Alba Varden", a name that appears familiar somehow to Murtaugh. At the same time, Riggs begins a romance with Rudd's secretary, Rika van den Haas (Patsy Kensit), who strongly dislikes both her boss and her country's policies. Riggs invites her to a dinner at his trailer, which ends in a torrid sexual encounter.Meanwhile, Rudd has decided to deal with his police problems once and for all. He orders Pieter Vorstedt (Derrick O'Connor), his chief enforcer, to begin a campaign of violence against the LAPD. As a result many of Riggs' and Murtaugh's fellow officers are brutally murdered.While guarding Getz, Murtaugh views an old family video and finally remembers that Alba Varden is the name of a South African ship currently at the docks. He suddenly realizes that Rudd is planning to use the ship to smuggle his billions in drug money to Cape Town. However, he is attacked and severely beaten by Vorstedt's men. At the same time, Leo is kidnapped while sitting unguarded in Murtaugh's car. Riggs is attacked while in bed with Rika, but manages to escape. However, when he returns Rika to her house, he is knocked out and captured by Vorstedt.As Vorstedt prepares to drop the trussed up Riggs into Los Angeles harbor, he taunts him about the death of his wife. Vorstedt reveals that Riggs, then a narcotics officer in Long Beach, California, had been costing the gang too much money. Therefore, Rudd had ordered Vorstedt to run Riggs' car off the road, but he inadvertently killed Mrs. Riggs instead. Coldly mocking his bad luck with women, Vorstedt drops the now enraged Riggs off the docks in a straightjacket and leaves him to drown. However, Riggs quickly escapes the straightjacket by dislocating his shoulder, but finds Rika nearby, drowned. Although Vorstedt has already left, Riggs brutally beats the other South Africans to death. Seething with hatred, he calls Murtaugh and announces, "I'm not a cop tonight. It's personal." Leaving his own badge at the station, Murtaugh leaves to help him kill Vorstedt and Rudd.Meeting at the South African Consulate, Murtaugh heads inside to rescue Getz. Meanwhile, Riggs uses his truck to dislocate the stilts, causing the house to collapse just as Getz and Murtaugh escape. After sending Getz back to the precinct, Murtaugh and Riggs board the Alba Varden and enrage Rudd by sending all his drug money into the harbor. Later, Vorstedt and Riggs engage in a brutal hand-to-hand showdown. Riggs eventually stabs Vorstedt with his own knife and leaves him for dead. However, Vorstedt pulls out a gun and aims it at Riggs' back. In the nick of time, Riggs completes his revenge by pressing a button and dropping a cargo container on Vorstedt.Suddenly, Rudd appears behind Riggs and shoots him with a Mauser C96. Outraged, Murtaugh draws his gun and attempts to arrest the diplomat. Rudd holds up his ID and snarls, "Diplomatic immunity." Murtaugh shoots him between the eyes and then says: "It's just been revoked!"Running to his partner, Murtaugh finds that, although critically wounded, Riggs is still alive. The two buddies laugh and joke as the sirens come for them in the background.