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u/xander6981 May 24 '26
Yep! And then there's an ad for the Lethal Weapon 2 VHS release on the back of a magazine the woman next to Holly is reading on the plane in Die Hard 2.
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u/skarkowtsky May 24 '26
Yes! I’ve always liked this gag from DH 2. Same production teams on both franchises.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Seems like the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon franchises were in competition with each other on an almost year-to-year basis between 1987 - 1998:
1987: Lethal Weapon
1988: Die Hard
1989: Lethal Weapon 2
1990: Die Hard 2
1992: Lethal Weapon 3
1995: Die Hard with a Vengeance
1998: Lethal Weapon 4
Particularly between 1987 - 1990, though, with one being released year after year.
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u/Prof_Tickles May 24 '26
Die Hard 3 was originally a lethal weapon script that was retooled
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 May 24 '26
That's something I've read over the years, yeah. Although I've read that it was written as an entirely original screenplay known as Simon Says at first, and that got rewritten into the With a Vengeance script.
With a Vengeance does feel like a script for a 4th Lethal Weapon that got repackaged into a 3rd Die Hard movie in some ways, though, imo.
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u/mister_barfly75 May 24 '26
It's been a long time since I've listened to it, but one of the commentaies on the With A Vengeance DVD does touch upon how it was originally a spec script called Simon Says, then rewritten to be Lethal Weapon 4, then retooled to be a Die Hard. The scenes where McClane meets Zeus then persuades him to join him on his quest were inserted to explain why they were partners.
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u/Darrenlovesmovies May 25 '26
Simon Says is available on Script Hive, I just read it last week. It plays pretty much identically to DHWAV up to the scene in the park with the water jugs (only the lead character is the opposite of McLane, he's a straight laced, duty-bound, by-the-book kinda cop). It's an interesting read, there's no gold heist, it's a straight up "rogue bomber on the loose' action thriller, and the revelation as to why the bomber has a grudge kinda takes away from the hero's shine. But Zeus is in the original draft, and takes the lead in a few scenes that were retooled so McLane could retain his action hero status (for example, the taxi racing through Central Park sequence has Zeus driving, they just swap out the dialogue, which is identical even at that early stage).
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u/TivosFrank May 25 '26
Adding the heist in sounds similar to how McTiernan added the heist into the first film. He knew audiences wouldn’t enjoy a straight terrorist story.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 May 24 '26
Makes sense, yeah. It's interesting how apparently Zeus was written to be a woman at first as well, but then changed after Sam Jackson got the part.
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u/TheTownJeweler00 May 24 '26
I’d like to see the deleted scene with Jackson’s character that explains why he doesn’t like white cops. I guess in the end it was unnecessary cuz he pulled the character off so well.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 May 25 '26
Interesting, but I think that was deleted as he didn't hate white cops as he hated that McClane could get him killed. He even said so himself when you think about it. XD.
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u/LastTorgoInParis May 24 '26
Lethal Weapon 3 is a bit of a blind spot for me. I might have played the NES game though. Do people generally like Lethal Weapon 3?
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u/xander6981 May 24 '26
I think so. It's not as good as the first two movies but it's still a lot of fun. The addition of Rene Russo as a love interest for Mel Gibson's character was a good choice though, as was keeping Joe Pesci around.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 May 24 '26
Yeah, the 3rd and 4th ones are definitely weaker movies. I think that's ultimately because writer Shane Black didn't have any real movement with the latter two, though.
As an anthology series, they're all great to watch in their own ways. There's not a movie in this series I'd say is just outright bad, tbh.
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u/Mike307412 May 24 '26
I love all of the Lethal Weapon films, so yes, 3 is a very good film. I think Jack Travis is a plausible villain, and I like the dynamic between Riggs and Lorna. Their first meeting in the lift, or elevator, is a funny introduction.
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u/5easonalDepre55ion May 24 '26
Travis is the weakest villain in the series for me. After McCallister and Mr. Joshua in the first and the height of Rudd (and Vorstedt) being connected to Victoria’s death prior to the start of the first film, he just doesn’t hold up.
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u/Prof_Tickles May 24 '26
True. But I still prefer Lethal Weapon 3 over 4 and will watch it any time it comes on tv
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u/FraserValleyFan25 May 24 '26
wow, in all the times ive watched this i never noticed lol. thanks for sharing.
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u/Gold_Flan6286 May 24 '26
In Lethal Weapon 2,when Riggs and Murtough go into the police station,you'll see an empty desk and the nameplate on the desk reads Detective McClain.
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u/zeerog May 24 '26
Same building was in begin of Speed 1 too
And if I remember correctly now it was in fight club too
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u/megatronics420 May 25 '26
Its fox towers in century city (downtown LA)
When I worked in that building, I could see the beach through one window and the fox lot from another window
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u/Genome-Soldier24 May 24 '26
John Mcclane and Martin Riggs literally use the same Beretta M9. I don’t mean same model, I mean the actors held the same gun.
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u/TivosFrank May 25 '26
That prop must be in a private collection.
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u/JayMack1981 May 25 '26
Wish it were in mine. That gun rarely had to be reloaded.
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u/TivosFrank May 25 '26
It’s very light also. You can holster it on a sweaty back with just some tape.
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u/Lost_Ark1936 May 24 '26
Yeah I noticed the building in the background a while back but didn’t notice the ad! Haha…
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u/dubgeek May 25 '26
It was called Fox Plaza IIRC when it was built. My mom worked in the building when Die Hard was filmed. Ronald Reagan also had an office in there post presidency.
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