12 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 13, 1998 'Lethal Weapon 4' a nice blend of the old and new By Span Bennett For the Daily During a summer when there are millions of dol- lars at stake to see who can con movie-goers into believing something is a summer blockbuster before it's even released, "Lethal Weapon 4" was everything it was cracked up to be, and then some. As usual, millions of dollars of hype was poured into a movie in which millions of dollars had already been spent in order to make many more mil- lions of dollars. But every cent (or at least most of every cent) was worth it for "Lethal Weapon 4." As in the prequels, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover play Riggs and Murtaugh - a bad cop, worse cop routine that has kept audiences laughing and crying during the two heroes' ups and downs. As before, the two blow up nearly everything in their path en route to taking out a ruthless villain, with Joe Pesci once more playing Leo Getz, a for- mer witness under protection, then Real Estate Realtor, now Private Eye, who adds a little extra to the comic element in the movie. , But unlike the other V "Lethal Weapons," a new Lethal formula for success has been Weapon 4 sought out to guarantee * returns at the box office. Chris Rock plays Det. At showcae Butters, a multi-talented and Briarwood comedian/actor whose recent HBO comedy special, s "Bring the Pain," earned him several awards and cat-4 apulted him to superstar- dom. But it doesn't end there. Jet Li, an amazing mar- tial arts superstar in his native China (second only to Jacky Chan, and the gap is closing) also joins the cast to play the bad guy for the very first time in his career, providing some of the most excellent fight choreography seen this side of the Pacific since "Enter the Dragon." (At the end of the fight scene in the Murtaugh home, the audience clapped.) In this latest "Lethal Weapon," Riggs and Murtaugh have been promoted to captains to keep them off the streets. The police department cannot get insurance because Riggs and Murtaugh keep blowing things up. After being promoted, the duo stumble upon a sinister plot. Jet Li, playing the leader of the Triad Gang here in America, is making counter- feit money to pay a corrupt Chinese general for the release of the Four Fathers, the main leaders of the Triad Gang imprisoned in China. Along the way, Murtaugh finds out that Det. Laugh with 'Ps By Michael Galloway F Daily Arts Editor Ever feel like the biggest fre aF history of humanity? Or feel lik the most obsessive/compulsive OF a you know? Well, laughter is medicine, or form of psycho FF and the new play being perfo the Performance Network pok FF neuroses and how they're treat "Psychopathia Sexualis" is the FF two couples and a rather interesting * friendship between the two men. Psycho Howard is a controlling busi- $G nessman recently Perfo "retired" from his job. Arthur is a July 16-1 neurotic and spine- less artist engaged to be married inl10 days to the untamed texas beauty Lucille. To make the wedding night run s Arthur has to have one thing in E "perform" -- his father's socks. 1 Unfortunately, Arthur's thera CIA Block, took them and will r RE: them back, and so ensues a 1 effort to retrieve the socks, unit Offset prinyi Phoocornie Butters (whom he suspects is gay) is really the father of his oldest daughter's husband and the father of her child, and Riggs decides whether he is ready to marry Lorna Cole (Renee Russo). With its formula of old and new, this movie had to succeed, and did. Not only was the action fan- tastic, but there was more comedy than most action movies care to bother with. The comic timing of Rock added to Pesci's act ing made for a hilarious bit about cellular tele- phones, and the hysterical interplay between Gibson and Glover starts from the first five min- utes and only ends into the credits. Renee Russo also adds her own blend of humor and does an excellent job as Cole, the hard-core but not hard- hearted Internal Affairs representative. The final product is pleasing. "Lethal Weapon 4" was quite a ride and, minus a few bumps, well worth the trip and the ticket price. it yourself ychopathia' and Lucille in holy matrimony, and attend to the mental health of all the ak in the players in involved. e you're Writer James Shanley's characters are e person rich and layered, and the dialogue is won- the best derful and insightful. The Performance itherapy, Network's production is not quite as fan- irmed at tastic, but J. Center gives a worthy per- es fun at formance as the unpredictable Dr. Block, ed. making the play work. Christine Huddle's story of Lucille is too fiery and feisty to. be ignored and is also praise worthy. Bill Mahoney (Howard) and Joanna Hastings (Howard's wife, Ellie) do wel pathia in serious scenes, but neither their pe formance, nor Scott Screws' (Arthur), is ,XUaSis as polished as Center's or Huddle's. irmance Still, the play is a better investment Network than most of the latest overhyped 9& 23-26 movie blockbusters, especially with Thursdays being pay-what-you-can night. And the nice thing about the Performance Network theater house is that its intimacy makes you feel involved with the production. A session with "Psychopath moothly, Sexualis" will let you laugh at your own order to anxieties, at the anxieties of others and at how they're treated. No matter your own pist, Dr. mental health, by the end of the play, not give you'll feel it was time well spent - hilarious something you may not feel after spend- e Arthur ing money on actual psychotherapy. ng , 5 Feeling creative? Feeling and smart? Stop by The Daily. Write° lc for Arts.