Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Diplomatic immunity can make criminals feel untouchable, until two cops who don't care much for rules come along. Richard Donner's "Lethal Weapon 2," written by Jeffrey Boam, brings back Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as mismatched Los Angeles detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. This time they're hunting a gang of South African drug smugglers led by a smug diplomat (Joss Ackland) and his cold-blooded enforcer (Derrick O'Connor), who hide behind diplomatic immunity while laundering money through their consulate. Assigned to protect Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), a fast-talking, hopelessly annoying accountant who helped launder the gang's cash and is now a federal witness, the partners find themselves in a war with killers who can't be arrested. Along the way, Riggs falls for Rika (Patsy Kensit), a lovely consulate secretary, and discovers a painful link between the villains and his late wife. Murtaugh, meanwhile, faces a very personal threat when a bomb is planted under his bathroom toilet. Pesci's motor-mouthed Leo nearly steals the show. With plenty of explosive action and humor, it takes a sharp jab at the apartheid regime of the era, and it's a worthy follow-up to the original.