History YMMV / LethalWeapon

** Creator/MelGibson's character getting "married" by a Rabbi in the fourth film.

* MisaimedFandom: Many fans and critics credit the series' quality and success to writer {{Shane Black}}. However, many of the series' signature elements, including the humor, were added by Jeffrey Boam in his uncredited rewrites to the first film and screenplays to the second and third. Black's original treatments were considerably DarkerAndEdgier than the final product, with the character of Riggs being an unstable psychopath killed off at the end of the second film.

* {{Sequelitis}}: A not too drastic example, but most noticeable with part 4.

* AcceptableEthnicTargets / ValuesDissonance: Riggs and Murtaugh are vehemently anti-apartheid and take on {{Amoral Afrikaner}}s in ''2'', but in ''4'', seem to think it's perfectly okay to make {{Asian Speekee Engrish}} jokes throughout (although to be "fair" mostly around the Chinese villains who make their money smuggling and enslaving other Chinese people; they are much more respectful around the non-villainous Asian characters).

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Leo Getz (in the second film, at least).

* CompleteMonster: [[NonActionBigBad Arjen Rudd]], the {{greed}}y Minister of Foreign Affairs at the [[AmoralAfrikaner South African]] consulate in Los Angeles in the second film, is known for his harsh actions as part of [[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra apartheid]]. He is also a drug smuggler, abusing his power as a high-ranking official to serve as a front for his crimes. Several years ago, Rudd ordered the murder of Martin Riggs, a [=LAPD=] detective who was getting close to uncovering Rudd's activities, resulting in the death of Riggs's wife Victoria. At the beginning of the film, Rudd has [[TheDragon Pieter Vorstedt]] [[YouHaveFailedMe execute one of his henchmen]] for losing a shipment of Krugerrands, then has Vorstedt threaten Roger Murtaugh, the lead detective in the case of the Krugerrands. Simultaneously, Rudd sends assassins after Leo Getz, a witness. As the [=LAPD=] gets closer to uncovering Rudd's operation, he has Vorstedt [[CopKiller murder every police officer]] involved in the investigation, with the exception of Riggs and Murtaugh, then has his secretary Rika, who was in a relationship with Riggs, drowned just to spite Riggs. Rudd later shoots Riggs multiple times and then [[SmugSnake claims]] "[[DiplomaticImpunity diplomatic immunity]]". Arjen Rudd was the villain in the series who cut the deepest and crossed the most lines.

* CompleteMonster: [[NonActionBigBad Arjen Rudd]], the {{greed}}y Minister of Foreign Affairs at the [[AmoralAfrikaner South African]] consulate in Los Angeles in the second film, is known for his harsh actions as part of [[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra apartheid]]. He is also a drug smuggler, abusing his power as a high-ranking official to serve as a front for his crimes. Several years ago, Rudd ordered the murder of Martin Riggs, a [=LAPD=] detective who was getting close to uncovering Rudd's activities, resulting in the death of Riggs's wife Victoria. At the beginning of the film, Rudd has [[TheDragon Pieter Vorstedt]] [[YouHaveFailedMe execute one of his henchmen]] for losing a shipment of Krugerrands, then has Vorstedt threaten Roger Murtaugh, the lead detective in the case of the Krugerrands. Simultaneously, Rudd sends assassins after Leo Getz, a witness. As the [=LAPD=] gets closer to uncovering Rudd's operation, he has Vorstedt [[CopKiller murder every police officer]] involved in the investigation, with the exception of Riggs and Murtaugh, then has his secretary Rika, who was in a relationship with Riggs, drowned just to spite Riggs. Rudd later shoots Riggs multiple times and then [[SmugSnake claims]] "[[DiplomaticImpunity diplomatic immunity]]". Arjen Rudd was the villain in the series who cut the deepest and crossed the most lines

* CompleteMonster: [[NonActionBigBad Arjen Rudd]], the {{greed}}y Minister of Foreign Affairs at the [[AmoralAfrikaner South African]] consulate in Los Angeles in the second film, is known for his harsh actions as part of [[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra apartheid]]. He is also a drug smuggler, abusing his power as a high-ranking official to serve as a front for his crimes. Several years ago, Rudd ordered the murder of Martin Riggs, a [=LAPD=] detective who was getting close to uncovering Rudd's activities, resulting in the death of Riggs's wife Victoria. At the beginning of the film, Rudd has [[TheDragon Pieter Vorstedt]] [[YouHaveFailedMe execute one of his henchmen]] for losing a shipment of Krugerrands, then has Vorstedt threaten Roger Murtaugh, the lead detective in the case of the Krugerrands. Simultaneously, Rudd sends assassins after Leo Getz, a witness. As the [=LAPD=] gets closer to uncovering Rudd's operation, he has Vorstedt [[CopKiller murder every police officer]] involved in the investigation, with the exception of Riggs and Murtaugh, then has his secretary Rika, who was in a relationship with Riggs, drowned just to spite Riggs. Rudd later shoots Riggs multiple times and then [[SmugSnake claims]] "[[DiplomaticImpunity Diplomatic immunity]]". Arjen Rudd was the villain in the series who cut the deepest and crossed the most lines

* AwesomeMusic: The scores for all four films were co-written by Creator/MichaelKamen and Music/EricClapton. Do the math.

** The fourth film introduced American audiences to JetLi, and his character is largely what makes that film watchable. Many American moviegoers left the theaters saying, "Who the Hell was '''that'''?"

* AwesomeMusic: The scores for all four films were co-written by Creator/MichaelKamen and EricClapton. Do the math.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Franchse/DieHard''. It helps that they're both [[AnAssKickingChristmas Christmas movies]].

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Franchse/DieHard''. It helps that they're both Christmas movies.

** Wah Sing Ku in the fourth movie crosses it when he [[NeckSnap strangles Hong]] to get his uncle to cooperate. Then he kills his uncle [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness after the counterfeit plates are completed]] and Uncle Benny [[YouHaveFailedMe for revealing too much information]].

** Wah Sing Ku in the fourth movie crosses it when he [[NeckSnap strangles Hong]] to get his uncle to cooperate.

* VindicatedByHistory: ''3'' & ''4'' are much more fondly looked on nowadays. They aren't as popular as ''1'' or ''2'', but general consensus is that the quality of the sequels is much more consistent than [[Film/RamboIII other]] [[Film/EscapeFromLA sequels]] [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines to '80s]] [[Film/TerminatorGenisys action]] [[Film/AGoodDayToDieHard films]].

* ValuesDissonance: Riggs makes casual homophobic remarks in the original film (calling Amanda sleeping with Dixie disgusting, and questioning whether Murtaugh's a "fag" when he tries to put out Riggs' burning jacket). Perhaps fair for its time in 1987; stands out quite a bit in modern times.

* ValuesDissonance: On two separate occasions in the first film, Riggs demonstrates extreme homophobia (calling Amanda sleeping with Dixie disgusting, and questioning whether Murtaugh's a "fag" when he tries to put out Riggs' burning jacket). Perhaps fair for its time in 1987; stands out quite a bit in modern times. Sequels, made during later and slightly more progress times, tune this down.

* VindicatedByHistory: Somewhat. Whether people have a higher opinion of 3 and 4 is questionable, but both films look ''much'' better by comparison after ''Franchise/DieHard'' 4 and ''especially'' 5 came out, and ''Weapon'' is considered to have maintained a more consistent level of quality versus that 80s /90s action franchise.

* EvenBetterSequel: Donner, Gibson, and Glover all consider the second one to be this.

** Riggs mocks Rudd's racism and calls him "Aryan" in the second film. Cut to 2006, and Mel Gibson is in hot water for making several racist remarks during his arrest. Cut to 2010, and he's in even ''more'' hot water for making even ''more'' racist statements during an argument with his girlfriend.

* RootingForTheEmpire: Just try not to cheer for Jet Li in the fourth film.

* VillainSue: Creator/JetLi's character descends into this with some of his more outlandish feats, in MexicanStandoff, he takes dismantles Riggs' gun with 'one deft move', and in another, he easily kills a man by grabbing his neck. Somewhat a case of RealityIsUnrealistic though as JetLi really ''was'' that {{Badass}} in some respects back in the day; case in point, the director had to tell him to slow down in his fight scenes because ''he was moving too fast for the camera to pick up''.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first movie, before the series embraced its comedic elements, is much darker, with moody sax music, and a bit of a FilmNoir vibe.

* ValuesDissonance: On two separate occasions in the first film, Riggs demonstrates extreme homophobia (calling Amanda sleeping with Dixie disgusting, and questioning if Murtaugh's a "fag" when he tries to put out Riggs' burning jacket). Perhaps fair for its time in 1987; stands out quite a bit in 2011.
** Though he seemed to be lightening up and more open to the issue in the fourth film. As well as jokingly kissing Murtaugh on the cheek in the third.

** Backfires on him when he performs an impossible BulletDodge... And the round hits [[spoiler:his brother instead, killing him.]]

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Riggs mocks Rudd's racism and calls him "Aryan" in the second film. Cut to 2006, and Mel Gibson is in hot water for making several racist remarks during his arrest. Cut to 2010, and he's in even ''more'' hot water for making even ''more'' racist statements during an argument with his girlfriend.