---
title: "Lethal Weapon 3"
year: 1992
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-3"
fi1m_id: "lethal-weapon-3"
imdb_id: "tt0104714"
tmdb_id: 943
wikidata_id: "Q751769"
fi1m_score: 64
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-10-04T22:01:09.856410+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T22:01:10.532977+00:00"
region: "SK"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Directed by Richard Donner · 1h 58m · SK 15 · Action, Thriller, Crime

## Identity

Lethal Weapon 3

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-3
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** lethal-weapon-3
- **IMDb ID:** tt0104714
- **TMDB ID:** 943
- **Wikidata ID:** Q751769
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104714/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/943, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q751769

**Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 61 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* The car chases could teach the conversations a thing or two about getting on with it

> Richard Donner keeps the chases lively and the company agreeable, but *Lethal Weapon 3* lets the banter run on while the story runs short. Fans have enough to enjoy; newcomers have little reason to start here.

## Synopsis

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are the central pair in this action-led crime thriller. Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) and Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson) also feature, alongside Captain Murphy (Steve Kahan) and Stephanie Woods (Mary Ellen Trainor). Their story combines chases with one-liners and exchanges between the two leads. Richard Donner directs from a screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen and Jeffrey Boam. The film runs 118 minutes and carries a 15 certificate.

## Review

Richard Donner’s *Lethal Weapon 3* is a decent action sequel whose chases are sharper than its writing. It knows the pleasure of spending time with familiar performers, and for a while that is enough. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover give Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh the easy rhythm needed to make a thin story tolerable. Across 118 minutes, though, the film asks their company to cover too many stretches in which little seems to matter.

The two leads keep their exchanges loose, which helps when so much depends on the appeal of their banter. Their familiarity is enjoyable, but the script keeps giving them more to say after a scene has made its point. Joe Pesci’s Leo Getz adds comic energy, although another lively presence does not mean every conversation needs another joke. The actors work hard to keep all this agreeable, even when the dialogue should have stopped.

The strongest case for the film is the wrong-way freeway chase. We were properly tense: oncoming traffic gives the danger a simple, immediate shape that the larger crime story seldom finds. Jan de Bont’s cinematography makes the speed and scale count, and Richard Donner handles the pursuit with an assurance the dialogue scenes could use. There is pleasure here in action that knows where its excitement lies and does not need the villain to become interesting first.

Editors Robert Brown and Battle Davis help sustain that forward movement, but the film feels much less disciplined when the talking begins. A joke lands, the exchange continues, and the next burst of action starts to feel overdue. James H. Spencer’s production design supports the scale of the set pieces without demanding attention for its own sake. The craft makes the mayhem enjoyable to watch, although it cannot make each incident feel necessary.

The chief weakness is the screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen and Jeffrey Boam, which gives the performers plenty to do without giving the crime story enough weight. Stuart Wilson’s Jack Travis is an underwritten adversary, and the film offers too little reason to take an interest in him beyond the trouble a villain is required to cause. That matters in a thriller, even a cheerful one. A stronger opponent would give the chases a purpose beyond another opportunity to watch these actors in motion.

The music from Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen and David Sanborn encourages the film’s relaxed confidence, which is pleasant company until a scene needs more urgency. It suits the joking more comfortably than the attempts at threat. As a buddy thriller, the film understands that affection for the leads can survive a routine case. Richard Donner relies on that affection too heavily, allowing the partnership to repeat itself when some fresh friction would have helped.

We would save this for an evening when familiar banter is part of the attraction. Anyone coming mainly for a tight crime story should look elsewhere, because the film spends its energy on the company and the collisions. Stay for the chases; do not expect the case to reward close attention.

*Fi1m score 64, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified enjoyment, with most critics finding enough lively action to compensate for familiar material. Praise centres on the chase sequences and the scale of the set pieces, while the performances also receive credit. Variety offers the warmest response, singling out Joe Pesci’s comic energy and the wrong-way freeway chase, though it finds the comedy and thrills do not quite hold together.

Reservations focus on a shallow story, repetition and action that leaves less space for character or tension. The spread runs from enthusiastic entertainment to enjoyable but pointless, with Empire taking the latter view despite admiring the performances and chases. The banter divides critics more directly: Time Out finds it over-developed, while Eye for Film enjoys the one-liners and buddy exchanges. The disagreement is chiefly about how much the familiar pleasures can excuse.

## Straight answers

**Is Lethal Weapon 3 worth watching?**

*Lethal Weapon 3* is worth watching for fans of the familiar partnership and lively chases, but its thin crime story keeps our score at 64 out of 100. Gibson and Glover remain agreeable company; we find the overlong banter harder to forgive when the action stops.

**How long is Lethal Weapon 3, and what is it rated?**

*Lethal Weapon 3* runs 1h 58m and is rated 15 by the SK in Slovakia. It is an action and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Lethal Weapon 3 in Slovakia?**

*Lethal Weapon 3* is not on any streaming or rental service in Slovakia at the moment. It is available in 48 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Lethal Weapon 3, and is it suitable for children?**

*Lethal Weapon 3* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children under 15. We find the wrong-way freeway chase properly tense, with oncoming traffic making the danger immediate, though the joking elsewhere softens the threat. Expect action-led tension rather than a consistently frightening crime thriller.

**How does Lethal Weapon 3 compare to 48 Hrs.?**

*Lethal Weapon 3* is the more relaxed buddy thriller, while [*48 Hrs.*](https://film.one/film/48-hrs) offers the sharper, pricklier partnership and is our recommendation for stronger banter. The former suits an evening of familiar company and chases; the latter is leaner and more abrasive, though its racial abuse has dated badly and its plot is also thin.

**What should I watch after Lethal Weapon 3?**

After *Lethal Weapon 3*, try [*48 Hrs.*](https://film.one/film/48-hrs) (1982, Fi1m 78): A sharper, pricklier partnership for anyone who wants the banter to draw blood. Then [*The Last Boy Scout*](https://film.one/film/the-last-boy-scout) (1991, Fi1m 73): More abrasive company, with the jokes and the violence competing for nastiness; and [*The Guard*](https://film.one/film/the-guard) (2011, Fi1m 78): A less hurried pairing, with enough bad manners to keep the conversation interesting.

### Reviews we read (6)

- **Variety**, Brian Lowry (75/100, inferred): Lowry finds the film highly entertaining, though its comic and thrilling moments do not form a cohesive whole. He praises the wrong-way freeway chase and the performances, especially Joe Pesci’s comic energy. [Read](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/lethal-weapon-3-2-1200429709/)
- **Time Out**, SGr (65/100, inferred): The review finds the film more successful in its fast-paced action than in its buddy-comedy exchanges. It singles out the action sequences for praise while finding the banter over-developed. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lethal-weapon-3-1)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The article is identified as a review of the film, but its verdict cannot be determined from the accessible page. The page provides no readable criticism identifying what the reviewer praised or criticized. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/15/movies/review-film-glover-and-gibson-together-again-lethal-weapon-3.html)
- **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (3/5): Ferguson says the series is getting dumber, though its slick, mindless mayhem remains enjoyable. He praises the sheer scale of the set pieces as enough to satisfy fans. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-pwe5pq/lethal-weapon-3/)
- **Empire**, Jo Berry (40/100, inferred): Berry finds it entertaining but ultimately pointless, with a shallow story that does not go anywhere. She praises the performances and lively action, especially the expertly directed chase scenes. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lethal-weapon-3-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (60/100, inferred): Carty finds the film enjoyable but weaker than its predecessors, with its bigger, louder action coming at the expense of character and tension. He praises the snappy one-liners and buddy banter, while faulting the underwritten villain and increasingly repetitive formula. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lethal-weapon-3-film-review-by-stephen-carty)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Donner
- **Director:** Richard Donner
- **Screenplay:** Jeffrey Boam, Robert Mark Kamen
- **Cinematography:** Jan de Bont
- **Editor:** Robert Brown, Battle Davis
- **Music:** Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen, David Sanborn
- **Production design:** James H. Spencer
- **Producer:** Richard Donner, Joel Silver
- **Cast:** Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs; Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh; Joe Pesci as Leo Getz; Rene Russo as Lorna Cole; Stuart Wilson as Jack Travis; Steve Kahan as Captain Murphy; Mary Ellen Trainor as Stephanie Woods; Darlene Love as Trish Murtaugh
- **Runtime:** 1h 58m
- **Certificate (SK):** 15
- **Release (Slovakia):** 8 November 1997
- **Genres:** Action, Thriller, Crime
- **Budget:** $35 million
- **Box office:** $322 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGqEpNGwanc

## Where to watch in Slovakia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Slovakia at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *48 Hrs.* (1982), Fi1m 78: A sharper, pricklier partnership for anyone who wants the banter to draw blood. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/48-hrs.md)
- *Police Story* (1985): For action built around physical invention rather than another round of familiar jokes.
- *The Last Boy Scout* (1991), Fi1m 73: More abrasive company, with the jokes and the violence competing for nastiness. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-boy-scout.md)
- *The Guard* (2011), Fi1m 78: A less hurried pairing, with enough bad manners to keep the conversation interesting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-guard.md)
- *The Nice Guys* (2016): An untidy investigation sustained by comic timing and two men making things worse.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-3