All 4 Lethal Weapon Movies in Order

Lethal Weapon is one of the best and most famous action/comedy, buddy-cop movie franchises out there. It started in now late 1987, and it spawned multiple sequels, with one more still a possibility. That said, let’s check out how many Lethal Weapon movies are there.

There are currently four Lethal Weapon movies and you can check them out below ordered by release date.

Lethal Weapon (1987)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Lethal Weapon Movies in Order

It is not hard to follow Lethal Weapon movies in order, because you should watch them as they were released. Still, we will sort them out here, and let you know a bit about every movie.

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is an experienced police officer who is only a few years short of retiring, a detective with a spotless file and a warm home, who does all the work by the rules. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is his complete opposite, an unstoppable killing machine, an indomitable adventurer who seems even more unstable since his wife’s death.

Now the two are forced to work together, investigating the murder of a prostitute who was the daughter of Roger’s friend. The investigation leads them to an international group of high-ranking criminals.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

After finding a pile of money in a red BMW they were chasing down the highway, Sergeants Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) are given the task of monitoring Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), who is due to testify in court in the case. Of course, the drug smuggling gang led by Arjen Rudd (Joss Ackland) doesn’t like his plan at all, so he will do anything to prevent Leo.

However, as Rudd is also a minister at the South African consulate, Murtaugh and Riggs find the job much more difficult. But when Riggs finds out that Rudd’s right-hand man Pieter Vorstedt (Derrick O’Connor) is behind the death of his wife, who passed away a few years ago, nothing will be able to stop him.

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Los Angeles Police Chiefs Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) arrest a criminal who tried to break into an armored truck just eight days before Murtaugh retired. In the interrogation room, the detainee is killed by a former police officer, the corrupt Jack Edward Travis (Stuart Wilson), who sells weapons stolen from police warehouses.

The investigation into Travis’ affairs connects the detectives with Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) from internal control, and it becomes increasingly noticeable that a mutual affection is aroused between Martin and Lorna. When he recognizes Travis’ face in the video, Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), now a legitimate real estate agent, joins the whole story.

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

The promotion has brought them more work in the office, they are not so much on the street now and it seems they will no longer have the opportunity to get into trouble and blow up anything they come across. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) try to calm down in their serious years, but problems seem to be looking for them.

The triads resented them for trying to prevent the smuggling of Chinese into America who was supposed to be engaged in counterfeiting the money needed to buy the leaders of a criminal organization from the hands of the Chinese military.

Again, Martin and Roger are assisted by Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), who in the meantime has become a private detective, but also a newcomer to the team, Lee Butters (Chris Rock).

Do You Need to Watch Lethal Weapon Movies in Order?

You should watch Lethal Weapon movies in order because they are all connected. Even though the cases are always new, characters and their relationships grow with each movie.

Will There Be More Lethal Weapon Movies?

Director Richard Donner, who directed all for Lethal Weapon movies, told multiple times that Lethal Weapon 5 is in the works. Years have passed since his first announcement of the movie, and, unfortunately, the director has passed away in the meantime. Still, Mel Gibson confirmed that he will direct and star in Lethal Weapon 5.