Taglines: The faces you love. The action you expect.
Lethal Weapon 4 movie storyline. Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) is pregnant with LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs’ baby; they are not married, but both are thinking about it. LAPD Sergeant Roger Murtaugh’s daughter Rianne (Tracie Wolfe), is also pregnant, though he is not told the child is with Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock) since he did not want his daughter to marry a police officer. Due to issues with the department’s insurance carrier over Riggs and Murtaugh’s actions as sergeants, Captain Murphy (Steve Kahan) promotes them to captains.
The officers along with Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) come upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after running an ocean-going vessel aground. The captain of the boat escapes. In the subsequent investigation, Murtaugh finds Hong (Eddy Ko) and his family hiding from US Immigration officers to avoid deportation. Murtaugh offers them shelter in his home, and their families, along with Riggs and Cole, quickly bond. Hong reveals he is looking for his uncle, a skilled engraver, who had paid for their passage to the United States.
Continued investigation of the smuggling ring leads the officers to “Uncle” Benny Chan, a crime boss operating from a Chinatown restaurant. There, they are introduced to high-ranking Triad negotiator Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li). Chan forces them out of his restaurant when the officers show no probable cause. Outside, Riggs spots the escaped captain and tries to give chase but fails to capture him. However, Ku later intercepts the captain and kills him as punishment for attracting the police’s attention. Chan and Ku take steps to eliminate all those in on their plans.
Hong is able to contact his uncle, but this leads the Triads to Murtaugh’s house. Ku and the Triad thugs kidnap the Hongs, tie up Murtaugh, his family, Riggs and Cole and set the house ablaze. Ping, Hong’s son, has evaded capture and helps to free the others in time. Though Riggs and Murtaugh chase down and kill some of the Triad, Ku escapes. Ku brings Hong to his uncle at a warehouse, where he has been engraving plates for a counterfeiting operation for Ku and Chan in exchange for transit for his family. Ku kills Hong in front of his uncle to assure his continued work.
The officers attempt to shake Chan for more information, but are unable to get any leads until they discuss what they know with Detective Ng (Calvin Jung), who has worked on cases involving the Chinese government before. Ng recognizes that Ku must be trying to negotiate with a corrupt Chinese general for the release of the Four Fathers, high-ranking Triad members that include Ku’s brother (Conan Lee).
Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li (in his American film debut). It is the fourth and final installment in the Lethal Weapon series.
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Directed by: Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li, Steve Kahan, Kim Chan, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Jack Kehler, Calvin Jung
Screenplay by: Channing Gibson
Production Design by: J. Michael Riva
Cinematography by: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Film Editing by: Dallas Puett, Kevin Stitt, Eric Strand, Frank J. Urioste
Costume Design by: Ha Nguyen
Set Decoration by: Lauri Gaffin
Art Direction by: David F. Klassen, Richard F. Mays
Music by: Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen, David Sanborn
MPAA Rating: R for violence and language.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: July 10, 1998
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