Lethal Weapon

by Joel Norst, Shane Black

Κανείς δεν ήθελε να έχει πάρε δώσε με τον Μάρτιν Ριγκς –εκτός απ’ αυτούς που γύρευαν ένα γρήγορο τρόπο να πεθάνουν.
Ο Ρίγκς είναι ένας μπάτσος του Λος Άντζελες, βετεράνος του Βιετνάμ, ένα καταγραμμένο φονικό όπλο. Αυτός ο τύπος ρισκάρει τόσο που πρέπει να είναι ψυχωτικός και σε τελευταία ανάλυση επικίνδυνος. Τον φοβούνται ακόμα και οι άλλοι μπάτσοι.
Μετά την απαγωγή της κόρης ενός αστυνομικού από επαγγελματίες δολοφόνους, Η Πόλη των Αγγέλων γίνεται μια ζωντανή κόλαση. Είναι τέτοια η περίπτωση, που αυτός που θα αναλάβει την υπόθεση πρέπει να είναι τρελός με τάσεις αυτοκτονίας. Ή να είναι μια ανθρώπινη μηχανή που σκοτώνει. Ο Ριγκς είναι και τα δύο. Λυπηθείτε τον εχθρό του.

Genres: Fiction, Action, Thriller

249 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

About the author

Pseudonym for Kirk Mitchell

Reviews

[M— · Rating 4 out of 5]

No wonder this has never been reprinted—it was based on the original version of the screenplay and it leaves utterly no room for the existence of the future Lethal Weapon movies. The poor copy I read was so dusty that I don't think it was touched in the last twenty years, and it shed four pages for every thirty I read with appallingly clockwork regularity. But still, I love reading novelizations because they typically contain richer details than the original movie, and this particular novelization was no exception. It was fascinating to read through it and match the how the details in the book compared to my memories of the movie.

Some of the character details were subtle and fabulous here; Murtaugh is smarter, for example, and a better cop. It was his idea for Riggs to play dead following the drive-by assassination attempt. It's also explained that in addition to having a blissful home-life, his wife Trish is significantly younger than he is and quite the catch (plus, she's a college librarian—I love spotting librarians in fiction!). And Mr. Joshua's tattoo—one of the first clues leading toward the villains—was identified because Murtaugh (not Riggs) recognized it from his military past, which tied a tighter connection to Murtaugh's old outfit and the shadow group spun from it. Riggs is portrayed as definitely crazy—there's a lot more back-story about him going off-reservation during the time period before being partnered with Murtaugh, and the interdepartmental reasons behind the partnership are actually explained (were they ever in the movie?)—and he's more equal to Murtaugh in both age and experience, with none of the older cop mentor/ younger cop hotshot tone. They're literately both veterans of the same war.

One of the aspects of the movie I always disliked (and I must have seen this movie 20 times) was Riggs' casual pejorative comment about homosexuality, during the scene where all the clues start coming together:

Murtaugh: Until now we'd been assuming that whoever was in that bed with Amanda Huntsacker was a man. Let's say it was Dixie.

Riggs: Okay. Disgusting, but okay.

The scene in the novelization is dramatically different. What, the producers decided this interpretation wouldn't play with the mass audience?

Riggs: Look, if you'd straddled and blown and jerked off ten thousand guys in your short life, would you be interested in man love, if given the choice? (…) Hell no, Roger. You'd go after some woman love on your own time. And it'd probably be with a sister hooker—

As well-written as this novelization is, it will languish forever as out-of-print because of the sequel movies. Firstly, it's extremely important to the plot of the book that Riggs' wife (who is never once referred to by name in the book) died of a weak heart, slowly and quietly in her own home. There was no sudden car accident (in accordance with the first movie) or accidental murder of 'we tried killing you, Riggs, in a car accident, but oops we got your wife instead' (in accordance with the second movie); it was just a 'sometimes life sucks and then you die' moment. (It's hard to aim crazy-sniper-cop-revenge focus on rheumatic fever.) And I liked how those movie details evolved and continued. Riggs' remembrance of his first wife and the way in which he slowly dealt her death was a thread carried through all four movies.

Secondly, by the end of the novelization, Murtaugh, the sane, dedicated, very good cop that he is…. decides Riggs is too crazy to stay with the police, and his decision to not recommend Riggs for continuing police duty is of key importance to Riggs' leaving the force entirely. The epilogue also inexplicably reveals that Murtaugh has become religious (this detail is only ever mentioned in the epilogue), and he announces to his Baptist congregation his renewed faith in God in the same breath as he announces that post-retirement Riggs is now teaching martial arts in the local Boy's Club and looking for new students.

Riggs. Teaching. It boggles my mind.

Quote pulled from ISBN 0515091790, p. 83.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film novelizations have a well-deserved reputation of being quick-and-dirty cash-grabs, but they were a way for movie fans to carry the movie with them before the advent of the smartphone. Most film novelizations are screenplays hastily reformatted into novels. Many are written based on early drafts of a screenplay since the novelization had to be on the shelves by the time the movie opened in theaters. The best novelizations, however, expand on the source material. Films (especially genre films) are mainly concerned with going from point "A" to point "B" by necessity. The writers of good novelizations take advantage of the novel format and delve into the interior lives of the characters. They have the luxury of going on digressions and following tangents that would otherwise end up on the cutting room floor. I enjoy trying to discern which elements of the novelization are embellishments manufactured by the author.

I don't know who is responsible for the following excerpt, screenwriter Shane Black or author Joel Norst, but I want to thank him for his immeasurable contribution to Western literature:

Murtaugh could summon all the resources of one of the largest and most professional police organizations in the world-- and they would do him no good in this situation. He knew with a chilling certainty that he needed to strike fast and deadly if he had any hope of saving his daughter. The bastards were going to kill Rianne just as they had murdered Amanda and Mark and all the others.

If he turned to his department's brass, they would advise patience and caution. But patience and caution would put his baby in her grave.

Murtaugh needed a lethal weapon [emphasis mine] on his side, and there he sat, smoking a Winston as calmly and confidently as if he'd been plunked down on that couch by God Himself. Yes, God had loaned this crazy soul to Roger Murtaugh in his hour of need. And Murtaugh thought this without feeling prejudice toward Riggs' condition, for he now realized that a man can be no crazier than the world in which he tries to live [emphasis mine].

Hello, new personal mantra.

For fans of the film, the book is an intriguing look at what might have been had the film not spawned three sequels. Of most interest are the deleted scenes involving Riggs before he's partnered with Murtaugh, further elaboration on Murtaugh's military service during the Vietnam War, greater development of Riggs' wife and her death (which is completely rewritten by Lethal Weapon 2), a conversation between Riggs and Murtaugh's wife Trish (later included in the sequel) and an alternate ending which actually has one of our heroic pair retiring from the LAPD.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per series (etc.) and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: N/A

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed police story with suicide maniac, ex special forces and able to deliver " lethal weapon " detective Riggs and family man , conservative detective Murtaugh will come together as partner's and need to bond as brothers to destroy an elite special forces run drug ring. Loads of shooting and brutal fight scenes. Different than the movie but a great take on it. A lot darker and more honest.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different than the movie. Lots of extra subplots and a different ending.

[DeeJay Trump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bigly!
*** 3 Stars.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has their favourite alternative Christmas movie. The two reigning champions in that field are Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

Now I’ve seen both movies enough times (particularly the directors cut in the latter case) but I didn’t find out about their respective books until much later. It was only a few years ago when I heard people talking about this novelisation of the esteemed buddy cop classic and how they enjoyed it quite a bit.

Now I see why. There is a particular tone felt throughout the story that allows for so much more depth in characterisation. Not only do we get flashbacks to Riggs and Murtaugh’s Vietnam Tour, we also get snippets of their personal lives to match - how Murtaugh met his wife and how Riggs lost his.

We even get more developments on the villains - they lean into Mr. Joshua as the albino henchman and the General is given a religious background that I don’t think was present in the original film.

What’s also a real treat is that it’s written a certain way, using cop jargon and phrases, which really adds to the authenticity and credibility of the story.


Granted some of this information is overwritten by the sequels but if I was to judge it purely on its own I would say I got more out of this book than the movie. The first movie, while incredibly entertaining, is not one I love like most people, but I love the details found here.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not read this book if you even remotely liked the movie. I have no idea what script Joel Norst was working off of, but the best thing that the book has in common with the movie is the title. There was no humor at all in the book, it took forever for the two characters to meet up and the ending was horrible. The book was quick to point out all the racial differences that the audience shouldn't even care about. I need to go watch the movie now to wash this horrible thing out of my brain!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it so far!

[Tina Baker]

I think it is a very interesting book and i love reading it.