The wheels haven't quite come off but there's a definite feeling of something loosening in this most recent installment in the Lethal Weapon series. The formula of this extremely successful juggernaut, mixing comedy with spectacular stunts and deafening explosions had begun to seem a little familiar, lacking the characterization that had made the initial episode so appealing. Danny Glover and the seemingly faster-aging Mel Gibson look like they might be ready for desk work. Hardcore fans of the series may still see some gas left in the tank, particularly in the comic interplay of Joe Pesci's feckless private investigator and Chris Rock's Lee Butters, a cop secretly married to Glover's daughter. Asian martial arts star Jet Li also makes a splash as an unusually sympathetic villain. Despite a virtually indecipherable plot, the stunts, explosions, and special effects are as sharply executed as ever.