Article first published as LETHAL WEAPON Review on Seat42F.
The Lethal Weapon
movies are a popular franchise, so I imagine most of you potential
viewers out there are already familiar with the premise of FOX’s new
drama, LETHAL WEAPON. Martin Riggs loses his family and goes into a
self-destructive tailspin. He is then partnered with Roger Murtaugh, a
man who should start taking it easy because he’s getting older. The two
of them solve some action-packed cases together, with some character
development along the way as their pairing solidifies both
professionally and personally.
These two men were famously portrayed by
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and the premise and personalities are
carried over as the series reboots for the small screen. This time
around Clayne Crawford (Rectify) plays Riggs and Damon Wayans (In Living
Color) takes Murtaugh. The foul language has been cleaned up, the
fights are less bloody, but the fun and tone of the series is much the
same, and while the pilot presents a brand-new case, it feels very
familiar to those who have enjoyed the movies.
What this means is that LETHAL WEAPON is
not like your typical cop show. Sure, there may be a case of the week; I
really don’t know how else they could keep the story going. But at
least in the pilot, a lot more screen time is devoted to solidifying the
characters of Riggs and Murtaugh, both together and separately, than to
working the job. I really appreciate that, and hope they are able to
keep it up, if not at the same level, then at least continue doing
better at it than most crime procedurals.
There’s also guaranteed action. Lethal Weapon
is an action movie, and LETHAL WEAPON will be an action show. Riggs and
Murtaugh aren’t just going to interview witnesses and look for DNA.
They are going to get involved in car chases and fist fights and gun
showdowns. This makes for a more fast-paced, tense, thrilling ride than
what you get on those shows like NCIS and Law & Order.
What LETHAL WEAPON fails at is in
casting its two leads. Neither actor is bad, but because they’re
continuing famous roles, they will be compared to the original actors.
And neither one stacks up to their predecessor. In the past, that might
have been blamed on the fact that the best actors would only work big
screen gigs, but that is no longer the case. I think better stars could
have been found, or perhaps keep one of them but find someone else that
fits well with him.
What I’m saying is, the main problem is
that their chemistry leaves something to be desired. I don’t buy any
depth to their friendship with the current way it is portrayed. Even if
you like their individual performances, this show depends very much on
the dynamic in their partnership. I thought it came too easy and felt
too forced. It took me out of the moment a lot. Which is a shame,
because both played very well with Keesha Sharp (The People v. O.J.
Simpson: American Crime Story), who is Murtaugh’s wife, Trish.
Speaking of supporting actors, LETHAL
WEAPON also stars Kevin Rahm (Mad Men, Desperate Housewives) as
Murtaugh’s old partner and their new boss, Avery Brooks, and Jordana
Brester (the Dallas reboot) as Dr. Maureen Cahill, a possible love
interest for Riggs (at least until they cast Lorna Cole). I have no
complaints about either one of them. I’m less thrilled with Johnathan
Fernandez’s (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) Scorcese, not because
of the performer, but because I’m worried the character is there to
shoehorn in the more formulaic police stories.
So, my conclusion is that LETHAL WEAPON
has a good pilot, even if the leads may be a bit miscast, but I’m
concerned about it sustaining complex character quality over time,
especially given Scorcese’s inclusion and the neat way they ended
episode one. LETHAL WEAPON premieres tonight on FOX.
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