In a move that surprised literally no one, another hit movie from back in the day has been remade, this time for television.
Fox has rebooted the hit movie series Lethal Weapon for the small screen, and it’s not as bad as you think! Is it a cash grab? Yes. Did we need a Lethal Weapon series for TV? No not really; however what the first episode for this series does prove, is that the buddy cop formal for shows is not dead, and can still be enjoyed by all.
The summary for this episode can be very brief. The pilot for this series for the most part sticks to the original script- with two new partners in the LAPD coming to grips with their contrasting personalities. We have one detective who sticks to the book, while the other can only be described as an ex-navy seal and professional lunatic. It was strange seeing the death of Riggs’ wife first hand instead of meeting up with him after he was already in mourning, but one can equate that to the producers wanting to show the catalyst of Riggs’ insanity. In this pilot they really pummel home the idea of Riggs having no more reasons to live after his wife and baby died. It’s a death wish that haunts him, but he can’t fulfil it because “she’d be ashamed of me.”
This then brings us onto his new partner, Detective Murtagh. Murtagh is preparing for his first day back on the job- he previously had a heart attack which limits him currently from having his blood pressure running too high. Seeing that he has Riggs now as a partner, it’s not farfetched to say blood pressure will be a reoccurring plot point going forward.
This pilot was of course filled with action; by far the best action scene was the high speed car chase through the grand prix race. It was corny, but insanely enjoyable. The main case was about a faked suicide to cover a drug plot gone badly. Anyone who has watch CSI or Law and Order will be familiar with such a plot, so it’s forgettable.
The biggest take away from this episode is how much effort Clayne Crawford is putting into his portrayal of Martin Riggs. His insanity was electric to see on screen, and is pretty much the reason anyone would keep watching this show. Damon Wayans’ portrayal of Roger Murtaugh was nothing to write home about, though one can attribute that to the dominance of Clayne’s performance.
Overall the new Lethal Weapon is an ok watch, a lot nicer than anyone would have thought after first hearing about the reboot. The line “You’re too old for thi…” from Riggs to Murtaugh was a nice call back to the original Lethal Weapon, let’s hope this new series can atleast be on par with Mel Gibson’s and Danny Glover’s initial take on it.
“Lethal Weapon” airs Wednesdays on Fox at 8pm.
