Because Mel Gibson is, shall we say, no longer blockbuster fodder and because Danny Glover is literally getting too old for this s---, "Lethal Weapon" -- the seminal 1987 buddy-cop classic - has been given a TV series reboot. In the spirit of other movies adapted to TV like "Bates Motel" and "Fargo," "Lethal Weapon" aims to draw in a new generation of viewers who aren't so familiar with the source material, while making sure to pay its fair share of fan service at the same time.
For the most part, the pilot episode (aided by the original film's screenwriter Shane Black), strikes this balance pretty well. These first forty-five minutes of the series have the unwieldy task of cramming two hours of exposition and character development into a smaller package, all while stringing together some impressive action scenes. A highlight of the episode includes a high-speed chase that somehow winds up on a race track, which is just the kind of absurdity that the original film's sequels flirted with.
Our two leads, the manic, on-the edge Martin Riggs and the older, wearier Roger Murtaugh -- played by Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans, respectively -- seem up to the task of living up to their cinematic counterparts, even if it's a little awkward at first. While Wayans seems to struggle a bit with his tone (often blurring the line between arrogance and maturity), Crawford is pretty much spot-on in his portrayal of Riggs. While not seeming quite as damaged as Gibson played the character, Crawford brings a considerable amount of charm and likability to the role, and his chemistry with Wayans is, likewise, quite natural. It should be interesting to see how the future of the series shakes out as the two are able to really get into the characters and strike a balance.
Directed by McG, purveyor of fluff like the "Charlie's Angels" reboots of the 2000s and the Sugar Ray videos of the 1990s (not to mention "Terminator Salvation"), the overall aesthetic of the pilot is a little too "music video" compared to Donnor (director of all four original films) and comes across at times like a "Fast & Furious" sequel on a microbudget. Hopefully as the series stretches its legs, some directors with a little more subtly are subbed in and we can really hone in on the characters. There's a secondary plot here that just feels like background noise to Wayans and Crawford, so again, some fine-tuning definitely needs to be done, but the potential is certainly there. Thankfully, "Lethal Weapon" doesn't appear to be a misfire...yet.
For the most part, the pilot episode (aided by the original film's screenwriter Shane Black), strikes this balance pretty well. These first forty-five minutes of the series have the unwieldy task of cramming two hours of exposition and character development into a smaller package, all while stringing together some impressive action scenes. A highlight of the episode includes a high-speed chase that somehow winds up on a race track, which is just the kind of absurdity that the original film's sequels flirted with.
Our two leads, the manic, on-the edge Martin Riggs and the older, wearier Roger Murtaugh -- played by Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans, respectively -- seem up to the task of living up to their cinematic counterparts, even if it's a little awkward at first. While Wayans seems to struggle a bit with his tone (often blurring the line between arrogance and maturity), Crawford is pretty much spot-on in his portrayal of Riggs. While not seeming quite as damaged as Gibson played the character, Crawford brings a considerable amount of charm and likability to the role, and his chemistry with Wayans is, likewise, quite natural. It should be interesting to see how the future of the series shakes out as the two are able to really get into the characters and strike a balance.
Directed by McG, purveyor of fluff like the "Charlie's Angels" reboots of the 2000s and the Sugar Ray videos of the 1990s (not to mention "Terminator Salvation"), the overall aesthetic of the pilot is a little too "music video" compared to Donnor (director of all four original films) and comes across at times like a "Fast & Furious" sequel on a microbudget. Hopefully as the series stretches its legs, some directors with a little more subtly are subbed in and we can really hone in on the characters. There's a secondary plot here that just feels like background noise to Wayans and Crawford, so again, some fine-tuning definitely needs to be done, but the potential is certainly there. Thankfully, "Lethal Weapon" doesn't appear to be a misfire...yet.