Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 25, 2025

Released alongside the standard 4K edition, Warner Bros. offers a 4K-only Steelbook variant of Richard Donner's 1987 classic Lethal Weapon. As is typically the case, the only differences here are cosmetic so it's aimed at die-hard fans and packaging collectors alike. Please note that neither version includes a Blu-ray copy, remastered or otherwise.

For a synopsis and appreciation of Lethal Weapon, please see Kenneth Brown's review of Warner Bros.' 2006 Blu-ray edition, a supremely disappointing early-format release that was later eclipsed by one included with the studio's 2012 Blu-ray collection. As expected, WB's new UHD edition easily zooms past both previous releases in the A/V department but, unlike their recent 4K catalog efforts, jettisons all of the legacy extras. It does, however, include both remastered cuts of the film: the original theatrical cut, as well as the so-called "Director's Cut" created for DVD (which certainly wasn't Donner's preferred version, but is worth a look). The differences between both are detailed here.

Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For details about the new 2160p/HDR10 transfer, please see my recent 4K review.

Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, my thoughts on the included audio mixes can be found at the review linked above.

Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in Steelbook packaging that, while technically in line with the film's off-center comedic vibe, just isn't executed all that well. Featuring an extremely red-dominant color scheme both inside and out, the front cover image pays tribute to Lethal Weapon's memorable shooting range scene, whereas the back cover replicates a similarly cheeky note seen later in the film. Meanwhile, the inside spread features a heavily tinted capture of the surprise house explosion with the 4K disc sitting getting a lone hub all to itself. It's decent enough but just doesn't feel like especially creative work, whereas this Zavvi US-exclusive Steelbook uses a similar design to greater effect.

The bonus features are identical to the standard 4K edition, lacking the legacy content found on the 2012 Blu-ray collection but instead serving up a pair of new retrospective featurettes in their place. Both run much too short for their own good but are still worth a look as they feature recent comments from several prominent cast and crew members including Danny Glover, actor Traci Wolfe (Rianne Murtaugh, Roger's daughter), writer Shane Black, associate producer Jennie Lew Tugend, and others, as well as a nice collection of behind-the-scenes photos like the one above.

• NEW! A Legacy of Inspiration: Remembering Dick Donner (7:00)

• NEW! "I'm Too Old for This...": A Chemistry That Became Iconic (6:06)

Lethal Weapon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite being eclipsed by its 1989 follow-up (in my opinion, at least), Richard Donner's Lethal Weapon remains a likeable and, for its time, groundbreaking effort that helped to popularize the "reluctant partner" subgenre of action-comedy films. Spawning three sequels, a three-season TV series, and a fourth film that's been stuck in development hell for almost two decades, it's still an easy film to love even without being a five-star classic in my book. WB's UHD edition -- which will hopefully be followed by the other films soon enough -- has solid A/V merits (including the original theatrical 2.0 audio) but fumbles the extras, leaving off all the Blu-ray legacy extras but offering two new ones in their place. This 4K Steelbook features the same disc with variant artwork, so collectors should weigh their options.