Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season – Blu-ray Review

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

A super addition to the buddy cop genre, 1987’s Lethal Weapon helped elevate the tried and true concept of two mismatched partners to a new level of storytelling, action, and character complexity. Starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as Riggs and Murtaugh, Lethal Weapon was a powerhouse of the genre, spawning three successful sequels and influencing filmmakers and screenwriter for the past three decades.

It’s no wonder that thirty years later, the Lethal Weapon brand is still going strong and is now back as a weekly action-packed series baring the originals name. While Gibson and Glover have been replaced by Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans, respectively, the energy and chemistry between the two mismatched cops is still ever-present and the series allows for even more character growth than the successful four film franchise.

If you’re a fan of the original Lethal Weapon, you know the basic backstory of the characters from the film, but what helps the series steer itself into a different direction than the movie are slight alterations to the backstories of both main characters that helps give a fresh perspective to the familiar. Yes, Riggs is still a maverick and a wild card, and Murtaugh is tightly wound and more by-the-book, but within the context of a series, these characteristics are played out even more and built upon with each successive episode and case.

As a huge fan of the movies myself – Lethal Weapon 2 is my favorite – I, like many people, questioned whether or not a series based on the films would work. I can say without hesitation that it does! There’s still the fantastic chemistry between not only the characters but the leads as well, and the action is just as over-the-top as in the films. And while the series does have the standard case-of-the-week feel to it, with Riggs and Murtaugh involved it’s sure to be anything but a standard investigation.

The season one Blu-ray includes the following Special Features:

Extended Pilot (Uncensored)

All-New Featurette: Reloading Lethal Weapon

Deleted Scenes

Gag Reel

With its solid leads and great supporting cast that includes Keesha Sharp (American Crime Story; Marshall), Jordana Brewster (American Crime Story; The Fast & Furious franchise), and Johnathan Fernandez (Bull; Girls), Lethal Weapon is that rare film-to-TV reboot that actually works. I highly recommend it!

Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season is available NOW on Blu-ray!

What’s your favorite episode of the series? Favorite movie in the film series? Leave a comment and let us know!

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