The greatest Buddy-Cop duo of all time.
But which of the formats is better?
Lethal Weapon, a movie that defined the Buddy-Cop format, and has been replicated a thousand times ever since. No matter how many times it’s been copied, Lethal Weapon still stands out today as the best of the best of it’s genre.
Since the release of all four films on DVD, fans were able to enjoy these classics on a much better format with VHS tapes being relegated to a tote in the garage.
In 2010, the films were released in Blu-Ray format, but with them came very noticeable differences than that of the much earlier DVD set. So the eternal burning question for all of you Riggs and Murtaugh fans is simple; Which is the better version?
Just for your reference, we will talk about aspect ratio’s in this discussion, so below is a graphic showing you the difference between 1.85:1 and 2.4:1.
Lethal Weapon: Director’s Cut DVD
Lethal Weapon on DVD has some one of the biggest changes found in all of the releases. This is because this version contains a 7 minute scene that was ultimately removed from the theatrical release.
The scene itself revolves around a sniper shooting from a fortified position into a school playground. riggs enters the scene and with his typical careless abandon, taunts the sniper until he reveals himself, allowing Riggs to take the shot.
In 1986, the year that this film started production, and was completed, 6 high school shootings happened in the US. I think perhaps the writers wanted to bring this more into the public eye, but the studios thought that this scene was far too close to the bone. And I in part, agree with that decision. Yet high school shootings continue, and we can’t shy away from those awful actions.
The DVD has 5.1 Dolby Surround as standard, and retains the 1.85:1 screen ratio as seen in the cinemas.
Considering this is a DVD, the quality is very good, and is even better when upscaled using a good quality player that allows this function.
The extras on this disc are almost non-existent, which is a real shame. Given the limitations of DVD, it’s not entirely surprising.
Lethal Weapon Blu-Ray
The Blu-Ray cut of this (released in 2010) does not have the director’s cut. Instead, we have the theatrical cut, and it’s great, but in my opinion, not as good as the DVD version, purely for the fact the DVD is uncut, and gives us a better idea of Riggs’ mindset. Yes, we see him attempt s**cide later in the film, but this makes us ask if this character has a death wish, or is Riggs just a ‘Dirty Harry’ clone? We get our answer later on, and it makes the scene in the caravan much more impactful. In this version, we simply see Riggs in a deeply emotional state as per the theatrical cut, and it works!
As you would expect, the Blu-Ray is far sharper, and has a much better resolution, so you truly see all the tiny details. The scan on this disc is great also, and has DTS Dolby Audio. The presentation is in 2.4:1 wide-screen allowing for a greater area of the film to be presented, which is todays current standard.
The extras on this disc contain the theatrical trailer, commentary by the director Richard Donner, The Honeymoon Suite, Lethal Weapon Music Video and additional scenes.
Lethal Weapon 2: Director’s Cut DVD
The Director’s Cut on DVD has relatively small changes to the original theatrical release, with around three and a half minutes added to the total runtime.
Three scenes are added in total, all of which are focused on Leo Getz (played by the ever brilliant Joe Pesci), and all three scenes offer some light relief.
No further changes were made other than these scenes, so what you see here is pretty much the theatrical cut.
In terms of added scenes, I don’t honestly think there’s an extended cut of this film, because the only scenes removed were those three. To me, they were removed for the sake of pacing, and while it’s cool to see those extra few minutes, some choices are the right ones. This is an example of that correct choice. Again, this is presented in 2.35:1 format 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
The extras on this disc include Stunts & Action featurette, that’s it!
Lethal Weapon 2 Blu-Ray
Running at a little under two hours, Lethal Weapon 2 on Blu-Ray is pretty much exactly the same as it’s DVD counterpart except for the few extra minutes of what is ultimately needless filler.
In my opinion, this version is far superior to the DVD purely because the quality is much better on this transfer, even though the DVD transfer is still pretty good.
The extras on this disc include a commentary by Richard Donner, a vintage featurette, the Stunts and Action featurette and the scenes removed from the ‘Director’s Cut’.
Lethal Weapon 3: Directors Cut DVD
This version of Lethal Weapon 3 contains an additional 3-4 minutes of footage that really doesn’t add anything special to the overall viewing experience.
One scene involves Roger’s wife insisting he wear a bullet proof vest, another is where Roger’s daughter Rianne visits Riggs at his mobile home, and in the final added scene, Riggs, Murtaugh and Lorna threaten to run over a bad guys head with a car tyre, minus the car!
The film is presented the in the standard 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the sound is 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
There are no extras on this disc which again, is disappointing but to be expected.
Lethal Weapon 3 Blu-Ray
The Blu-Ray version is of Lethal Weapon 3 is the same as the previous entry, in that the missing scenes don’t harm the film in any way whatsoever.
The aspect ratio is the same standard as the other entries in the high definition series, and has Dolby Atmos and 5.1 sound as standard.
The extras on this disc do contain the missing scenes, and so you can view them independently. Commentary with Richard Donner is the standard across these discs, and this also has the music video “It’s Probably Me” by Sting and Eric Clapton, plus the theatrical trailer.
Lethal Weapon 4 DVD
This copy of the DVD has dual sides, meaning the disc has two playable sides, and is the standout of the four DVD’s. The title is slightly better in clarity because one entire side is dedicated to the film, with the other side containing the extras, which are a far better offering than the previous DVD’s in the series.
There are no added scenes, as this is not a Director’s Cut which apparently does not exist. What you see here is the definitive version.
The extras on this disc are quite numerous given the sparse nature of extras on the previous three DVD’s. Here you’ll find all of the extended scenes from Lethal Weapon 1-3, B-Roll footage, Trailers, eight interviews with the cast, and a documentary called ‘Pure Lethal’.
The sound is presented in the standard DVD format of 5.1 Surround Sound, and presented in the 2.4:1 widescreen format.
In Conclusion
The Lethal Weapon films are arguably some of the most iconic mainstays of Comedy-Action films in modern cinema. They have stood the test of time with audiences and continue to captivate people to this day, with there being much anticipation for the last film, which is currently languishing in production hell.
So, which is better, the DVD or the Blu-Ray boxset? You would think it’s clear cut, but it’s really not. Yes, the Blu-Ray set is much better quality, and has more extras for those who love deep-dives behind the scenes. Yet the first Lethal Weapon in the DVD set contains that all important school yard shooter scene, which adds so much to the psychology of Riggs from the start, and makes his later scenes of mental torment so much more powerful.
The so-called ‘Director’s Cuts’ of 2 and 3 are nothing more than a bit of a joke, as most people would actually miss those scenes, swearing nothing was added on casual viewings. 4 has the best features, but the chances of marking either side is greater, and kind of makes the disc a bit of a risk if not handled correctly. Plus, the writing on the inside of the disc to mark which side it is, is confusing and so small, I needed an electron microscope to read it!
The Blu-Ray disc set ahs many more extras per disc, and this box set also has a fifth disc containing documentaries and featurettes such as ‘Psycho Pension: The Genesis of Lethal Weapon’, Maximum Impact: The Legacy of Lethal Weapon’ and two other great documentaries on the making of the films.
Since the 2010 release on Blu-Ray, the 4K version of Lethal Weapon released, and in the box contained a 4K of both the Theatrical and Directors Cut, along with a standard Blu-Ray. If you are into 4K, and want the high def experience of the Director’s Cut, then this is definitely the way to go!
While I love the first Lethal Weapon on DVD, I have to give the win to the Blu-Ray set, purely because the Lethal Weapon series has never looked or sounded so good, with the exception of the 4K. The added extra disc filled with documentaries pushes this set over line. The other very noticeable difference, is that on release in the UK, Lethal Weapon was a 18 certificate, as was Lethal Weapon 2. 3 and 4 were a 15 certificate. The latest set has been downgraded to a flat 15 certificate. Yet another example of how times, and attitudes towards on-screen violence has changed!
Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this semi-deep dive into the subject of DVD vs Blu-Ray, let us know in the comments section below.
Until next time…stay ‘Lethal’!
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