6. Lethal Weapon
Perhaps the quintessential buddy cop franchise, Lethal Weapon is rightly revered by multiple generations. Starting with 1987’s Lethal Weapon, the franchise continued with three sequels and an ill-fated TV reboot. A fifth Lethal Weapon movie has long been rumored, bringing back the original stars for one final adventure.
Following detectives Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover), the Lethal Weapon franchise paired the excitable young rookie with the world-weary veteran. The pair’s dynamic is ultimately what makes the franchise so successful, with the vastly different protagonists bonding and finding common ground through their crime-fighting work. In this, Lethal Weapon became the ultimate police action movie franchise, focusing as much on the brotherhood between its protagonists as the crime they work to stop.
What makes Lethal Weapon great is a balance of multiple factors. Its stars do much of the work, but excellent writing and action choreography also play a role. The movies are also something of a time capsule: they brilliantly capture their settings in a snapshot of time, place, and atmosphere, further helping the Lethal Weapon movies stand the test of time.