Mel Gibson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Martin Riggs - Lethal Weapon 1-4 (1987-1998)

After the Mad Max trilogy came to an end, Mel Gibson jumped straight into what would turn out to be another iconic action franchise. Although the character's manic energy and demented unpredictability would be diluted throughout the course of the sequels, Martin Riggs remains one of the greatest and most iconic action heroes in Hollywood history, and the defining role of Gibson's career. Thanks to the sparkling chemistry between the two leads and Shane Black's brilliant script, Lethal Weapon is rightly regarded as one of the best and most influential action movies ever made. Gibson's performance completely convinces, painting Riggs as a man on the edge, devastated by the loss of his wife that holds no regard for his own safety and capable of turning into an unhinged lunatic at a moments notice. Lethal Weapon 2 is easily the best sequel of the bunch, and Gibson deepens his character by offering more backstory, motivations, humor and emotion, while still proving capable of bringing the crazy. Unfortunately the following two sequels watered down the character significantly, dialing down Riggs' unpredictable nature in favor of a heavier emphasis on comedy. By Lethal Weapon 4, the character was barely recognizable from the borderline-maniac that first thrilled audiences, now a wisecracking expectant father. Still, the easygoing chemistry between Gibson and Danny Glover elevated the final two installments above outright mediocrity, while the action scenes still showed Gibson had the physical chops to convince as an aging action hero.