Lethal Weapon (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

We just watched this tonight and my wife and I both loved this. This series is going to contain outrageous and unbelievable action and terrible personal choices made by Martin. Crimes will be solved sooner than is realistic and it's not going to represent real police-work.

However, the pain Martin is living with was well represented in the first episode. During the quiet moments these are real people experiencing real emotions. The wife of Roger is just terrific. I thought all the characters rang true within the world of this series.

I thought the first episode hit the ground running.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Given how many reboots and remakes there are this TV season, I was cynical going into this. But I really liked it too. While it wasn't up to the technical level of the Richard Donner films, it captured the Riggs/Murtaugh and the rhythms and pacing of the movies.

However, the pain Martin is living with was well represented in the first episode.

This is what's going to keep me watching. I thought Clayne Crawford was over the top in the cold open set in Texas, but after the death of his wife he brought real pathos to the role. Riggs is a very emotionally complex man, and it was really gratifying to see the show attuned to that and portray that without banging the audience over the head with it. I particularly liked the scene at the end, where it's revealed that the powerful player pulling the strings to keep him on the force is his father-in-law, the Los Angeles City Attorney. Crawford and Tony Plana were great in that scene, capturing the gravity of their shared loss and their mutual respect for each other in spite of it.

Damon Wayans I can often take or leave, but his turn as Murtagh is definitely one of his more restrained performances. He brings a different, younger energy to the character than Danny Glover did. I too liked the interplay between him and his wife Trish. We didn't see much of his kids yet, but the older two are series regulars starting with the second episode.

 

[DavidJ]

I'm happy to hear this. I'm a big fan of the movies and was concerned because it didn't look very good in the previews. I want to like it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I very much enjoyed the first episode too. I didn't anticipate watching this show, but just DVR'd the first episode to check it out and now I"m stuck watching the next few episodes.

 

[WendyCR]

I really liked it, too, and I didn't want to, as I'm usually against reboots on general principle. As I am a huge fan of the movie franchise, I was apprehensive, but it was good. Wayans/Crawford have a good vibe - not as good as Glover/Gibson yet, but the series has just begun.

I am curious, should this survive, just what will be adapted from the films and what will not. For instance, will we see Leo Goetz and/or Lorna Cole down the line?

And some changes just seem pointless to me, a la Riggs' wife's name changing from Victoria Lynn to Miranda. And Riggs going from Army sniper to Navy SEAL.

But this looks very promising and I was entertained!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I liked the movies but can't remember the last time I saw one, so I'm not going to be looking for differences from the movies. Changing the wife's name to making him a Seal instead of a sniper, I just don't care about.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I liked the movies but can't remember the last time I saw one, so I'm not going to be looking for differences from the movies. Changing the wife's name to making him a Seal instead of a sniper, I just don't care about.

Most people don't, I'm a big fan of the films and watched them all the time and I don't even care if they make such changes.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm not sure anyone really cares about the changes, but to anyone familiar with the source material it's a jarring and seemingly pointless change just for the sake of change.

Hollywood does this often when adapting/remaking an existing property. A primary example that always sticks in my mind is the movie adaptation of Jeffery Deaver's novel, The Bone Collector. For reasons unexplained, they changed Amelia's last name from Sachs to Donaghy and Lincoln Rhyme's young, gay healthcare aide named Thom suddenly turned into a character named Thelma, played by Queen Latifah.

Seemingly unnecessary changes that stick out like a sore thumb to anyone familiar with the original characters.

I enjoyed the first ep of LW. Seems like a better effort than the recent remake of Rush Hour.

 

[George_W_K]

There was a remake of Rush Hour?

I'm happy to hear the positive comments about this. I had no intention at all of watching this as the previews made it look like a show that'll be cancelled pretty quickly. Now I'll check it out.

 

[spshultz]

I had to give this show a watch just based on the reviews here. I will admit, I had my doubts. I'm a big fan of the original films and was a bit sour to the fact that they were remaking it as a TV show. But...I was pleasantly surprised. Even my wife liked it which was a complete shock.

I'm going to stick with this one for a while and see where they take it.

 

[Steve Armbrust]

I agree with the views expressed here. I watched the first episode simply out of completeness, to say I'd at least seen an episode before dismissing it completely. But I was very pleasantly surprised. I'll keep watching.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm really enjoying the action set pieces so far. The inventiveness and the complexity of the action sequences, including what appear to be largely practical special effects, are at a level rarely seen even on the big screen anymore, where vast CG spectacle increasingly rules the day.

They're doing a good job subverting the worried, nagging wife cliche with Trish. I also like how the captain has gone from impassioned chastisement to bemused resignation. His reaction to the fireworks in the distance was great.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I wasn't really that sold on the first episode, but after watching the second episode the show is starting to grow on me a bit. And most of that involves my reaction to Clayne Crawford's character. I enjoyed his performance substantially more in the second episode. Perhaps I am just getting used to the character. (?)

- Walter.

 

[sidburyjr]

Basically I'm in agreement with what everyone has said so far. I thought there was a possibility for a good series and so far I'm pleased. I've skipped a lot of new shows that didn't look interesting but this one is on my list of keepers along with The Good Place and Designated Survivor. Others may follow.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I liked the second episode better than the first one. I like how the Murtaugh family atmosphere will affect Riggs in a positive manner and how Riggs will affect Murtaugh's commitment as a more active police detective.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm liking this show more each week.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'm not sure anyone really cares about the changes, but to anyone familiar with the source material it's a jarring and seemingly pointless change just for the sake of change.

Hollywood does this often when adapting/remaking an existing property. A primary example that always sticks in my mind is the movie adaptation of Jeffery Deaver's novel, The Bone Collector. For reasons unexplained, they changed Amelia's last name from Sachs to Donaghy and Lincoln Rhyme's young, gay healthcare aide named Thom suddenly turned into a character named Thelma, played by Queen Latifah.

Seemingly unnecessary changes that stick out like a sore thumb to anyone familiar with the original characters.

I can't speak to those specific examples, but in general, the process of clearing a name for the screen can be more thorough than for print. Often in movies, all names will be vetted to make sure that they don't unintentionally use someone's real name in a way that could make their life more difficult. So let's say your movie is about a mechanic named John Smith in Cleveland, Ohio who goes crazy and murders people. The studio will usually check before filming to make sure that there aren't any mechanics named John Smith in Cleveland, and if there are, they'll change it. In the case of the character changed from male to female, that was probably done to get Queen Latifah into the movie; they probably wanted her if she was available because she's a name. For the other character, for example, there might have been an Amelia Sachs in the phone book in the city that the movie takes place in, so would they changed the name.

When I interned on The Sopranos, whenever they'd propose a new character, especially if it was a bad guy, a victim of a crime, or a recurring role, they'd do just that - look at the New Jersey state phone books and make sure there wasn't a real person with the same name and/or same job in the same area.

 

[morasp]

It's probably my favorite new network show. Action with a ton of laughs mixed in.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It's probably my favorite new network show.

I was just coming here to post the same exact thought, after watching the Christmas episode. The writers have a good sense of the show's tone, the action sequences provide bang for buck, and Waynes/Crawford have terrific chemistry together.

Between this and "Supergirl", it's also interesting seeing Floriana Lima play two very different roles at the same time.

 

[Doug Wallen]

After the initial Fox promos, I had written the show off. I then caught the first episode by accident and found it to be, "not bad". I watched the second episode and was hooked enought to get my wife to look at it. She watched and we have been steady viewers ever since.

I had doubts about the chemistry between the leads. Boy was I wrong, the chemistry is real. I believe Crawford has totally mastered the tortured aspect of Riggs. The inadvertent remarks by Roger coupled with the obvious tenderness that Miranda elicited from Riggs is heartbreaking, as well as Roger's realization when he has gone too far. The well drawn out characterizations and the "overlooking" nature of Brooks Avery. All in all, I'm glad I stumbled on this and will continue to enjoy.