Lethal Weapon 2 Blu-ray

Lethal Weapon 2

 (1989)

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller



Riggs wows the pretties of a hotel spa before getting to Getz. Murtaugh receives bad bodywork news from an auto repairman after his beleaguered station wagon sees some Riggs-piloted street action. Plus, feisty Leo shares a newly included scene in which he recalls a suspect's address by complex spins of numbers that, well, no one can tell it like Leo. And no one would follow his lead but Riggs and Murtaugh. It's police procedure, Lethal style. And it's yours to enjoy as the duo draws a bead on criminals hiding behind diplomatic immunity.

For more details about Lethal Weapon 2 on Blu-ray, see the Lethal Weapon 2 Blu-ray Review

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor
Director: Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon 2 Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Minted at the same time, burdened with the same meddlesome image filtering, and plagued with the exact same technical problems, the 2006 Blu-ray editions of Lethal Weapon 2 and the original Lethal Weapon simply pale in comparison to more recent high definition releases. Each one features a dated 1080p/VC-1 transfer that's riddled with severe aliasing, pixelation, and frequent edge distortion (a direct result of the pesky filtering applied to each transfer). The transfers suffer from rough-hewn, muddled dispositions that undermine what could have been a pair of impressive presentations. Compared to the discs' DVD counterparts, color saturation, contrast, and detail are all improved -- in fact, skin and fabric textures are decently defined, fine elements like sweat and hair are sharper, and delineation is more revealing. Unfortunately, banding, distracting edge enhancement, and artifacting compound the aforementioned issues, while source noise regularly interferes with the light veneer of grain that rests overtop the image. Adding insult to injury, noise reduction has been aggressively applied to a variety of scenes.

Lethal Weapon 2 looks slightly (I stress slightly) better, but it's only because the sequel had higher production values. From a technical standpoint, both transfers are identical. Granted, both Lethal Weapon transfers offer DVD owners a significant upgrade, but Warner's earliest plunge into high definition is riddled with unsightly jaggies and garish mishaps. Hopefully, the studio will revisit both films (as well as the entire series) and give these Donner classics the remasters they deserve.

Lethal Weapon 2 Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

Both Lethal Weapon 2 and the original Lethal Weapon share similar audio presentations as well. While their standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks beg for a lossless upgrade, there are more sinister problems at work in each mix. Dialogue is muddier than I'm used to and several lines are lost beneath the series' gunplay and action sequences. Likewise, low-end extension is a bit soupy, leaving explosions and car collisions sounding dramatically weaker than Donner intended. Moreover, the rear speakers help to create rather immersive soundfields with convincing acoustics and involving ambience, but directionality is inexact at times and pans are too stocky for my high-def tastes. Even though I'm sure some of these issues can be traced back to the age of the films and the quality of their original sound design, I'm confident Warner's eventual Blu-ray re-releases will offer more powerful presence and faithful fidelity.

Ultimately, fans of the series will find both films sound better on Blu-ray than on DVD, but it's tough to justify spending money on releases that the studio is sure to revisit in the future. If you absolutely can't be without Riggs and Murtaugh, these are the editions to own. If you're patient, hold fast and wait for Warner to right their early Blu-ray wrongs.

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