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Lethal Weapon 2

Lethal Weapon 2

The magic is back!

1989114 minRMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Richard Donner
Starring
Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland

Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Lethal Weapon 2?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Lethal Weapon 2 to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Lethal Weapon 2?

Lethal Weapon 2 earns 10 badges, led by Top 5% in Action and Top 10% of films.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Lethal Weapon 2 worth watching?

Lethal Weapon 2's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 332K ratings across 6 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

95th percentile among Action91st percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)87th
Approval (how many liked it)89th

73 /100

87th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Action89th percentile among 1980s

Critics 70 · Audience 73

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.3 — people broadly agree on this one.

79% liked it

89th percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Action90th percentile among 1980s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Critics 82% · Audience 78%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing

98th percentile

332K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Action98th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 42% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$28M
Opening weekend$20M
Domestic gross$147M
Worldwide gross$228M

Returned 8.1× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It's a loud, brainless buddy-cop action sequel that's fun if you check your brain at the door.

Fans praised

  • Gibson-Glover chemistry deeper and more touching
  • Joe Pesci's Leo Getz adds welcome manic comic relief
  • Bigger, faster, more explosive action set pieces

Detractors panned

  • Cartoonish, hammy villains with bad accents
  • Plot illogical, especially diplomatic immunity use
  • Over-the-top, implausible action and violence

What stands out

Effects and spectacle80

Explosive car chases, stilt house demolition, helicopter shootout

Acting78

Gibson-Glover chemistry praised; Pesci scene-stealing; Kensit and Ackland criticized by some

Humor78

Pesci's motormouth antics, toilet bomb scene, condom commercial gag

Pacing75

Relentless, fast-moving but occasionally draggy middle

Characters72

Riggs-Murtaugh friendship deepened; villains one-dimensional cartoons

Dialogue70

Snappy banter, quotable one-liners like 'Diplomatic immunity!'

Plot and storyDivisive45

Contrived, illogical apartheid-era smuggling scheme

Originality40

Familiar buddy-cop formula with political twist

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 14 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 13 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Lethal Weapon 2 like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense and funny, never lets up and leaves you satisfied.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingTenseAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its buddy-cop banter and explosive action straight while layering in genuine emotional stakes, never winking at the audience.
The rideAction and wisecracks dominate, but the emotional weight peaks in the final act with Riggs's backstory and the confrontation on the freighter.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear, cause-and-effect sequence from a car chase through investigation and confrontation to the climactic harbor showdown.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

The answer rests on this: Cathartic · 6% of filmsFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you fired up from the explosive finale and the satisfying defeat of a hateful villain, while the warm bond between the partners leaves a grin on your face.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeRiggs and Murtaugh uncover a criminal operation run by South African diplomats who use diplomatic immunity as a shield. The story is driven by their fight to expose and stop this corrupt organization behind drug smuggling and murder.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of filmsRevenge · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows two detectives fighting to bring a politically protected criminal enterprise to justice while dealing with personal vengeance and unwavering partnership.
StanceThe film celebrates rogue cops taking down a politically immune criminal enterprise with justified violence and camaraderie.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernRockSupportive music · original score · Michael Kamen
SettingLos Angeles, late 1980s, across police stations, suburban homes, the South African consulate, and the harbor
MusicThe score blends orchestral action cues with rock elements, and Eric Clapton contributed guitar work.

Content guide

Is Lethal Weapon 2 okay for kids?

R

Lethal Weapon 2 is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (79/100), sexual content at moderate (56/100), language at intense (79/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at moderate (59/100). Overall it is heavier than 63% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil14
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece16
  • Hungary18
  • Italy18+
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway18
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • SK15
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 78% of all filmsHeavier than 63% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 63%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 68%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 46%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Lethal Weapon 2 have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Lethal Weapon 2?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mel Gibson
as Martin Riggs
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Danny Glover
as Roger Murtaugh
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joe Pesci
as Leo Getz
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joss Ackland
as Arjen Rudd
Derrick O'Connor
as Pieter Vorstedt
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Patsy Kensit
as Rika Van Den Haas
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Darlene Love
as Trish Murtaugh
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Traci Wolfe
as Rianne Murtaugh
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mark Rolston
as Hans
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Steve Kahan
as Captain Murphy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Lethal Weapon 2?

Movies like Lethal Weapon 2 include Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) and The Glimmer Man (1996). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Richard Donner, and most are buddy-cop films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: loyalty. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Lethal Weapon 2?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: action comedy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.