The stage curtains open ...
The one that started it all - about 37 years ago. Has it really been that long already? Three and a half decades have passed since this movie was released to theaters. For as many times as I have seen this one, it's a wonder it has taken me this long to finally post a review for it. LONG overdue. Especially since it is probably my most favorite buddy cop action/comedy series of all-time.
We are introduced to Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) - both LAPD officers who join forces to take down a tight, efficient drug smuggling operation headed by a former General who served with a covert military unit during the Vietnam war called the Shadow Company. Riggs is an on-the-edge burnout, coping with the death of his wife, trying to find a reason not to eat a bullet every night. Murtaugh is a family man who has just celebrated his 50th birthday, content with life. As they grow to become friends, they are pushed to their very limits when danger hits close to home. To survive, they are going to have to trust each other in a very real life and death situation.
This was everything it was billed to be, and it still is - having withstood the test of time, still holding up well today. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are the perfect tandem for action/comedy and served as the blueprint for such-like movies to follow. You really come to care about them, and by the end of the movie, they have become your friends. It was the beginning of a "family" that would just continue to grow as the sequels kept coming out. Gary Busey turned in a solid performance as the General's #1, right hand man - a Merc who is thorough and deadly. And Muraugh's family make you feel welcome everytime you revisit their home.
I absolutely love this movie. As I mentioned before, I have seen it countless times over the years and I STILL have not gotten tired of watching it. I never will. Whenever I put this one in, I always just go right to the next one and the next one, until I have seen them all back-to-back. The character arcs in this movie, as well as in the overall franchise, is very well developed. The action sequences are exciting, and the comedy heartwarming. I highly recommend this classic film at a very strong 8 stars out of 10.
The one that started it all - about 37 years ago. Has it really been that long already? Three and a half decades have passed since this movie was released to theaters. For as many times as I have seen this one, it's a wonder it has taken me this long to finally post a review for it. LONG overdue. Especially since it is probably my most favorite buddy cop action/comedy series of all-time.
We are introduced to Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) - both LAPD officers who join forces to take down a tight, efficient drug smuggling operation headed by a former General who served with a covert military unit during the Vietnam war called the Shadow Company. Riggs is an on-the-edge burnout, coping with the death of his wife, trying to find a reason not to eat a bullet every night. Murtaugh is a family man who has just celebrated his 50th birthday, content with life. As they grow to become friends, they are pushed to their very limits when danger hits close to home. To survive, they are going to have to trust each other in a very real life and death situation.
This was everything it was billed to be, and it still is - having withstood the test of time, still holding up well today. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are the perfect tandem for action/comedy and served as the blueprint for such-like movies to follow. You really come to care about them, and by the end of the movie, they have become your friends. It was the beginning of a "family" that would just continue to grow as the sequels kept coming out. Gary Busey turned in a solid performance as the General's #1, right hand man - a Merc who is thorough and deadly. And Muraugh's family make you feel welcome everytime you revisit their home.
I absolutely love this movie. As I mentioned before, I have seen it countless times over the years and I STILL have not gotten tired of watching it. I never will. Whenever I put this one in, I always just go right to the next one and the next one, until I have seen them all back-to-back. The character arcs in this movie, as well as in the overall franchise, is very well developed. The action sequences are exciting, and the comedy heartwarming. I highly recommend this classic film at a very strong 8 stars out of 10.