"He's Shutting His Eyes": Mel Gibson's Gun Form In 1987 Oscar-Nominated Movie Is So "Cringeworthy" That Gun Experts Use It As Example Of What Not To Do

Over the decades, Gibson’s work has defined the action genre. He has collaborated with Hollywood icons like Danny Glover and Jodie Foster, helmed visceral war dramas, and portrayed unforgettable antiheroes, beginning with his breakout role as the titular wasteland drifter in George Miller's post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max. However, even the most celebrated stars aren’t immune to scrutiny. One particular sequence from the actor's earlier work has become infamous—not for its explosive action or memorable dialogue, but for its lackluster portrayal of firearms techniques.

Lethal Weapon's Shooting Range Scene Misses The Mark

Riggs' Gun Handling Is Far From Flawless

In the 1987 action classic Lethal Weapon, Gibson stars as Martin Riggs, a volatile and suicidal LAPD Narcotics Sergeant. Partnered with Danny Glover’s seasoned and straight-laced detective, Roger Murtaugh, the mismatched duo navigates explosive action to dismantle a deadly drug-smuggling operation. Directed by Richard Donner, the film became a cornerstone of the buddy-cop genre and spawned a successful franchise, with Lethal Weapon 5 on its way. One of the movie’s standout moments happens at a shooting range where Riggs demonstrates his prowess to Murtaugh by carving a smiley face into a target with his pistol.

In an action movie breakdown with Insider, firearms expert Patrick McNamara gave the Lethal Weapon scene a blistering 1 out of 10 for realism. While the shooting range sequence is undeniably entertaining, McNamara finds it far less impressive. According to the retired Spec Ops agent, the scene is riddled with issues that would make any professional marksman cringe. When Glover's Murtaugh took the first crack at a target with a heavy revolver, McNamara said the following:

The sights on the revolver are pretty miniscule. They’re not very defined. He takes very, very little time to aim after he draws, and he hits this target directly between the running lights, which probably is not going to happen because the accuracy is really not that good.

McNamara pulls no punches when describing the flaws in Riggs’ technique, pointing out a litany of errors that make the scene a standout example of what not to do with a firearm. From poor trigger discipline to flinching with every shot, he explains why the marksmanship on display is anything but realistic:

Rigg’s form is very, very cringeworthy. He’s slapping the heck out of the trigger. He’s going a million miles on that trigger, and he’s shutting his eyes at every shot, and his whole body is flinching with every single shot. It’s not rhythmic. There’s no metronome rhythm there. It’s just ripping rounds into the target. It’s a horrible pistol marksmanship scene.

There’s no way he’d be able to print a smiley face on that target. They backed that target way up. I could shoot a smiley face at a target like that at 20 yards. It’s going to take me about 30 seconds or so. It’s going to be well-aimed shots, not just ripping rounds into the target.

I think every gun handler in the world goes back to this movie and talks about this scene right here because it’s horrible as far as gun handling and marksmanship.

Our Take On Riggs’ Marksmanship Scene

Even Flawed Action Can Still Be Fun

The shooting range scene in Lethal Weapon may not win points for realism, but it captures the exaggerated bravado that defines Gibson’s portrayal of Riggs. His erratic technique and implausible accuracy make the moment feel larger than life—almost to a fault. However, it’s Gibson’s intense, unhinged energy paired with Glover’s grounded, exasperated presence that helped create an entire new genre of mismatched partners in law enforcement.

The chemistry between Gibson and Glover remains undeniable, giving the scene a charm that’s hard to ignore as a moment where the film’s over-the-top tendencies and its character dynamics collide. While the marksmanship on display is far from believable, the scene nonetheless portrays the balance of chaos and camaraderie that made Lethal Weapon a genre-defining hit.

Source: Insider