And the reboots continue. First MacGyver, now Lethal Weapon. What’s next? Braveheart?
Truth be told, the Lethal Weapon pilot is certainly more effective than the mess that was MacGyver. If you’re into procedurals (which I’m certainly not), you might enjoy adding yet another buddy-cop show to your lineup. I myself fail to see the allure of such series; the characters have to be enormously likeable for me to sit through a different police case every week and get truly invested. I was completely detached from the episode’s plot, but for what it is, it’s solidly made.
Of course Lethal Weapon would have majorly flopped if the cop-duo at its center wasn’t perfectly cast. Damon Wayans is first-rate as senior homicide detective Roger Murtaugh, but it’s Clayne Crawford who knocks it out of the park with his charming performance as Martin Riggs, the reckless cop with a death wish. He definitely gets the wittiest liners and the show’s most kickass moments.
From a technical perspective, the pilot is serviceable enough, but doesn’t really produce anything groundbreaking. There’s nothing in the action that we haven’t seen before, and that’s a real shame. On the bright side, the show manages to inject a pretty touching character moment cornering Martin’s wife in the episode’s climax, and it feels both earned and powerful. Plus the ending is uplifting and heartwarming (in a manufactured sort of way).
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a typical police procedural, give this a shot. Otherwise, there’s nothing here that helps Lethal Weapon stand out of the pack.
Nad Rating
C