"LETHAL WEAPON 4" (1998)

LETHAL WEAPON 4

Screenplay by CHANNING GIBSON

Story by JOHNATHAN LEMKIN and ALFRED GOUGH & MILES MILLAR

Based on characters created by SHANE BLACK

May 1998 Final Draft

FOR EDUCATIONAL

PURPOSES ONLY

FADE IN:

An unmarked cop CAR GUNS through traffic, cherry top flashing. Slides through a turn. SCREECHES to a stop.

MARTIN RIGGS driving, ROGER MURTAUGH riding shotgun. Both stunned at what they're seeing.

Hell. A dozen different fires light the street. In the center of it all, two blocks away, walking away from them, squirting a flamethrower with one hand and FIRING an AK-47 with the other, a human tank wearing level-3, full-body armor, facemask, etc. He napalms another car.

Riggs FLOORS it at the guy.

The CAR SKIDS sideways as Riggs throws the wheel over. The human TANK OPENS UP on them. BULLETS SHRED the vehicle. Riggs and Murtaugh bail out and take cover behind the wheels. There's fire all around them.

The shooting stops. Riggs and Murtaugh pop up FIRING. SLUGS BOUNCE off the guy's body armor. They drop back.

Murtaugh rolls his eyes. Peeks. The human tank's walking toward them. MORE BULLETS. He torches a kiosk.

Riggs wasn't expecting that one.

Riggs peeks at the human tank, now standing a short distance away with his gun leveled. Riggs ducks back as BULLETS RAKE the car again. Murtaugh looks sick.

Beat. Murtaugh starts stripping.

Riggs looks. Murtaugh's wearing pink satin boxers.

Riggs drops it. They get set to move.

Murtaugh bolts from behind the car, flapping his arms and making noises like Riggs told him. The guy turns... and the sight does make him pause. Just long enough for Riggs to stand and SHOOT.

Riggs' slug tears off the stem of the flamethrower tank, releasing napalm in a high-pressure, burning jet that rockets the human tank off the ground and through the air toward a nearby gas station. He impacts a gas pump. Fuel ignites. The STATION EXPLODES. A tanker TRUCK offloading gas is BLOWN upward OUT OF FRAME.

Riggs and Murtaugh watch the inferno. Beat.

Something catches their eye. They look up.

RIGGS/MURTAUGH Oh, shit!

They start running. A moment later, the tanker drops from the sky behind them. A few tons of metal falling at 9.81 meters/second/second. Right onto their car... Riggs and Murtaugh get to safety. Look back. Beat.

AD LIBS: 1) Wasn't that a gas?

2) That's oil, folks.

MAIN TITLES.

A detail of Red Chinese soldiers waits outside the gates.

SUPERIMPOSE: NINE MONTHS LATER

The gates open. More PRC soldiers escort out four Chinese men wearing prisoners' shock belts. The oldest of the four is in his 70s, dignified. The youngest is 50ish and menacing, eye like a pit viper... They're led toward a vehicle in a waiting convoy. A young PRC soldier touches the older man's arm to help him in.In a flash, the pit viper strikes the soldier dead for the offense. Executes a gravity-defying flying double kick that snaps the soldier's neck. Another soldier quickly jabs a button on a remote control unit. 50,000 volts from the shock belts jolt the prisoner's bodies. Three of them drop instantly to the ground in agony... Not the pit viper... Incredibly, he stays on his feet. Teeth gritted. Muscles quivering from the punishing electric current. Staring back at his tormenter. A full ten seconds... The soldier releases the button. The flow of electricity stops... As the pit viper moves to help the old man up --

The four prisoners and the PRC Army guard detail board a large, commercial-type jet. The door's shut and sealed.

CLOSE ON a navigation plotter. Destination: L.A.

The jet takes off into the dark sky.

Murtaugh's boat bobs on the sea.

A 12-foot, live shark thrashes madly inside the cockpit, jaws snapping. REVEAL Riggs, Murtaugh, and LEO GETZ looking down at it from the tuna tower. Clearly, they've scrambled there to escape the furious beast.

Riggs and Murtaugh move to grab Leo. Leo moves away.

Leo moves off, down a hatch into the cabin.

The shark thrashes some more.

Leo pops his head out of the hatch.

Leo disappears again. Beat.

The two men share a long look. Leo pops up again.

Leo disappears again. Murtaugh turns back to Riggs.

REVEAL Leo's about to shoot the shark with a pistol.

Murtaugh jumps, wrests the gun from him.

Riggs tosses the gun in the sea. Blam! A GUNSHOT.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! From the other direction. They turn... and there's the bow of a two-hundred-foot freighter about to run them down. Leo screams. Murtaugh leaps to the helm. Jams the throttle ahead full. The boat jumps forward... and the freighter rushes by, inches away, snagging fishing lines, pulling poles from sockets. And then it's gone.

Riggs moves to the helm, jams down the THROTTLE.

Leo goes. Over the RADIO, we hear --

Leo reappears with badges and guns. Re: Riggs' pistol!--

He aims at Leo. A red laser dot appears on Leo's nose.

Then, to Riggs, as they pull in behind the ship --

Whereupon a searchlight on the ship suddenly illuminates them. Beat.

They hold up badges. Multiple WEAPONS OPEN UP on them. Murtaugh throws the helm over as Riggs FIRES BACK. Nails the searchlight. Keeps FIRING.

& &

One of the shooters takes a bullet. Knocks over the searchlight as he goes down FIRING. SLUGS PUNCTURE a stack of kerosene drums lashed topside. Leaking fuel reaches the broken searchlight, still sparking on the deck. The FUEL IGNITES. The DRUMS EXPLODE.

The Chinese captain looks back as another fuel DRUM EXPLODES. The stern's engulfed in flame. He yells to the crew (italics indicate Chinese) --

As people leave their positions to abandon ship --

A short distance away. Watching the fireworks on the freighter. No one's shooting at them now. They see a lifeboat lower from the freighter.

Beat. Murtaugh relents, steers for the ship.

Leo peeks out from somewhere.

Murtaugh pulls up alongside the lifeboat as it hits the water, still tethered to the ship. Riggs jumps aboard the bouncing craft, surprising two crewmen within.

They move to shoot Riggs. Riggs NAILS both. But a bullet parts one end of the line Riggs is holding -- a line rigged up to the ship -- and suddenly, Riggs is SHOOTING up into the air. In a flash, he's hauled to the davits, drops to --

in the midst of other heavily-armed crewmen.

Someone OPENS UP on him, and the GUNFIGHT's on.

The untended wheel turns slowly... pointing the ship toward the not-so-distant lights of L.A.

Murtaugh watches the freighter turn.

The ship approaches the shore. Riggs ends one GUNFIGHT and gets into another, finally engaging a gunman at the very tip of the ship's bow. The gunman's behind a large winch, pins Riggs down with an automatic weapon. Riggs can't hit him and can't run... when he sees the ship's metal gunwale converging behind the gunman. Quickly eyeballs the angles involved. Aims the laser down the gunwale. FIRES. Banks a slug off the steel. Takes out the gunman with a ricochet... whereupon the ship runs aground. The abrupt stop topples cranes, everything not fastened down, and tosses Riggs hard against a winch, knocking his gun away... Remaining crew throw lines over to jump ship. Riggs shakes off the blow from the winch. Catches the ship's Captain heading for the side. The Captain whips a kung fu move on him. K.O.s Riggs... The Captain moves toward a rope. Two crewmen are in line to go down. The Captain's not in a waiting mood. Pulls a GUN, SHOOTS them both off the ship. Grabs the rope and slides down.

Murtaugh's followed the freighter in, stays just beyond the surf line near the beached ship.

Leo regards the shark, now motionless in the cockpit.

BOOM! Another EXPLOSION up on the ship's deck. Murtaugh looks up to see a burning OIL DRUM blown high into the air. He follows the drum's trajectory.

Murtaugh shoves Leo off the boat... just as the heavy, fiery drum crushes it. The boat instantly begins sinking. Murtaugh bobs near Leo, looking on.

As the boat goes down, water begins to cover the shark and... revives it.

Murtaugh and Leo begin stroking madly as the shark swims free of the wreckage. Leo urges himself on.

Murtaugh sees the lifeboat, still tied to the freighter, drifting behind it. He swims over and climbs aboard. Then calls to Leo, paddling frantically nearby --

Leo sees Murtaugh, alters course for the boat. He glances back. The shark's coming for him.

The shark closes quickly on the little guy. It's about to nail him... when Murtaugh grabs Leo's shirt, hauls him into the lifeboat. They tumble onto the floorboards.

Murtaugh stands, watches his boat sink from sight. Beat.

Murtaugh sees a "Code 7" life ring floating next to the lifeboat. He picks it up. All that's left of his boat.

Riggs is slowly coming around from the karate chop. Finds his gun. Stands. There's a CREAK behind him. Riggs spins. A hatch is opening. Riggs aims. The laser pinpoints an old Chinese woman emerging. Behind her are more Chinese. Other hatches open. Riggs lowers his gun, watches, stunned, as seemingly endless numbers of ragged, tired, and frightened Chinese men, women, and children slowly emerge onto the deck.

Coast Guard, LAPD, LAFD, INS -- you name it, they're there, plus news crews and looky-loos. The Chinese have been corralled by INS near the boat.

Riggs, Murtaugh and an INS AGENT look down at the Chinese herded together on the beach.

We see the word register with Murtaugh.

He indicates the shot-up corpse of a Chinese man nearby.

Murtaugh regards the body a moment.

Beat. Riggs looks up, sees LEE BUTTERS approaching. Butters is a junior-grade detective, twenties, black.

Before Murtaugh can say "no" --

Someone hands him blankets. He gives both to Murtaugh.

A troubled look crosses Butters' face.

Butters crosses. Looks under the sheet.

Riggs and Murtaugh don't understand the sudden reaction.

Riggs and Murtaugh exchange a look.

Murtaugh just nods. He and Murtaugh head off.

Walking. Riggs groans from the karate chop.

The question hangs there. Murtaugh suddenly stops.

They share a look. Then Riggs heads off. Murtaugh goes to the beached lifeboat. Retrieves the "Code 7" life ring. In doing so, leans on the tarp covering the boat's forward half. A MUFFLED CRY. Beat. Murtaugh lifts the tarp, revealing ten Chinese -- men, women and children. Frightened stowaways, huddled together...

UNCLE BENNY CHAN's seventies, wearing all Ralph Lauren Polo. Sitting with Benny, slightly apart, is WAH SING KU, thirty, discerning, full of dangerous potentials we can only guess at right now. Dressed in Shanghai Tang, modern clothes with classical Chinese touches, qualities Ku possesses. Both men, plus an Uncle Benny enforcer, YEE, have their attention focused on GEORGE PROODY, a young State Department suit holding up a sheaf of papers.

He hands the papers to Benny.

Another enforcer, CHU, enters with information. Looks at Ku, who indicates it's okay for him to speak. (In Chinese (subtitles).

The look Ku gives Benny is shaming, and Benny feels it.

Benny nods to Yee. Yee hands Proody a bundle of cash. Proody scans it. He's satisfied. Beat.

Proody is suddenly wary of his situation. Knows he's vulnerable now. Knows they're killers. With an eye on the room, he goes... After which Ku pulls a loop of Buddhist prayer beads from a pocket and fingers them, lost in dark meditation, while no one else speaks.

Proody moves to a parked car. Watchful. Hand on a pistol we now see he's had stuck in his waistband.

He gets in. Puts his key in the ignition. Hesitates. Is it gonna blow? Takes his chances. The CAR STARTS without incident. Proody peels out. Sighs. Smiles. He's alive and ten thousand bucks richer.

Next to the L.A. River. Lights flash as the barricade lowers. In the distance, a train headlight. Proody's car pulls up and stops.

The train nearing. Proody dreaming about what he'll do with the bribe-money... when smash!... his CAR'S suddenly STRUCK hard from behind. Proody looks back. No headlights... Just the grill of a truck... He fumbles for the gun... Blinding light from the train fills the car. Proody can't react in time... The truck shoves him onto the tracks, in front of the speeding train.

The TRAIN SLAMS into Proody's car. Launches. it. The twisted wreckage flips through the air toward the concrete- contained river. Drops onto the cement bank. EXPLODES as it rolls into the water... As hundred-dollar bills scatter in the wind, the back seat window of the truck rolls down, revealing Ku. Ku regards the flaming wreck down the track a moment. Puts away his prayer beads. Rolls up the window... As the truck drives off --

Riggs pulls up in his truck. We see he's still aching from the karate chop as he moves to the front door. Eating French fries out of fast food sack.

Riggs unlocks the door, steps in, and... freezes mid- fry as a cocked pistol is put to his head. Beat.

REVEAL LORNA COLE, nightie, nine millimeter, nine months pregnant. She lowers the gun.

As they continue, we see the place has been transformed. Additions, wings, decks, etc. open out from the old trailer. A woman's touch everywhere. Their two dogs and one cat greet Riggs and vice versa. Lorna sees how dirty and banged up he is.

He feeds the dogs some fries.

Riggs sees into a newly-added room.

Riggs enters with Lorna, looks around. Baby to the max. Major puppy motif.

Beat. Riggs spins a mobile over the crib.

Lorna looks up at him. It could be a hopeful look.

Lorna emerges, goes to the kitchen. Riggs follows her out. The DOGS are BARKING at the door.

He opens the door, lets the dogs out.

A35 EXT. RIGGS' TRAILER A35

Riggs exits after the hounds. Sees a paperback romance on a chair and snags it. The author's "Ebony Clark." Riggs is reading a passage as Lorna emerges with cereal, milk, etc. Re the book --

A35 CONTINUED: A35

B35 EXT. RIGGS' TRAILER - LITTLE LATER B35

Riggs and Lorna are eating. Riggs keeps feeding the dogs surreptitiously.

B35 CONTINUED: B35

B35 CONTINUED: (2) B35

B35 CONTINUED: (3) B35

But we know what that smile means...

Riggs and Lorna enter as Murtaugh comes down the stairs. Murtaugh's a little flustered, in a hurry to leave.

Lorna surreptitiously jabs him.

Riggs glances into the living room -- on the floor are sleeping bags, etc. Murtaugh enters from the kitchen, a little flustered, in a hurry.

As he kisses her goodbye, a small Chinese boy peeks out from the kitchen door. Makes eye contact with Riggs. And disappears. Murtaugh hasn't seen him.

But Riggs is already heading for the kitchen. Murtaugh hurries to stop him.

He starts to go. Murtaugh stops him again.

Riggs opens the kitchen door. REVEAL the Chinese people from the lifeboat inside cooking food.

Riggs, Lorna, and Murtaugh enter.

The little boy's fascinated by Riggs. Stares at him.

Murtaugh goes to a forty-ish MAN.

RIGGS/LORNA/MURTAUGH No.

Riggs drags him out. Lorna eyes the Chinese food.

NICK and CARRIE MURTAUGH enter. "Hi's" all around.

Murtaugh reaches into his pocket, pulls out a large wad of cash. Riggs is surprised by the size of the roll.As Murtaugh doles it out to Nick and Carrie --

They head out. Murtaugh calls after them --

Murtaugh puts away the wad.

Beat. Riggs respects Murtaugh's commitment, but still... The PHONE RINGS. Murtaugh goes to answer it. Riggs heads back into --

Lorna's now scarfing a big bowl of chow mein.

Ping's still staring at Riggs. Riggs makes faces at him. Gets a big, gap-toothed grin in return. Murtaugh sticks his head in. Worried.

Riggs has a pair of chopsticks. Hands Ping an orange. Indicates for Ping to toss it in the air. Ping does... Riggs catches it with the chopsticks. Uses them to toss it back in the air. Changes his grip on the chopsticks. Spears the orange as it falls. Skewers it. Hands it back to Ping. Gets another big smile for it. He gives Lorna another peck, she mumbles goodbye, and then --

Heading for the door. Murtaugh's still worried.

TRISH MURTAUGH descends the stairs.

Two Chinese kids chase each other through.

RIANNE MURTAUGH enters from outside. Nine months pregnant. More "hello's." Then, to Rianne --

Rianne glances anxiously at Trish.

OFF Riggs' innocent expression, as he and Murtaugh go --

A41 EXT. MURTAUGH'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER A41

Riggs and Murtaugh emerge. Murtaugh's worried.

Riggs checks out the label. He's impressed.

A41 CONTINUED: A41

& &

A44 INT. LAPD - SQUAD ROOM - DAY A44

Riggs and Murtaugh enter. Murtaugh's eyes go to the bulletin board, on which we see posted a news photo and headline. The photo's of Murtaugh running in his satin undies, flapping his arms like a bird. The headline reads: "Bird Man Fowls Human Tank." He rips it down, yells to the squad room generally.

He and Riggs head to Murphy's office. Behind Murtaugh's back, someone pins up another copy of the photo.

Riggs and Murtaugh enter. CAPTAIN MURPHY'S there, staring out into the squad room.

Riggs and Murtaugh look at each other in disbelief.

Riggs and Murtaugh emerge. As they approach their desks, the other DETECTIVES turn towards them.

DETECTIVE #1 Captains Outrageous...

Everyone starts clapping.

DETECTIVE #2 Enjoy the rest from real police work.

People return to work. An LAPD CHOPPER PILOT and OBSERVER walks over.

They go. Butters approaches. Murtaugh's leery of him.

Butters goes. Riggs was watching.

Riggs goes. Just as Butters walks by again.

Murtaugh just watches him go... Across the room, Riggs catches up to WOODS, the PD shrink, walking through.

She turns. When she sees it's Riggs, her face falls.

She turns and goes. Beat. Riggs calls after her --

A46 OMITTED A46

AAA46 EXT. NATIONAL ANSCO (FORMERLY SC. A68) AAA46

A warehouse complex on the docks of the L.A. Harbor. Signs indicate the area's a U.S. Custom's-declared "Free Trade Zone."

A car drives in the front gate, where it's met by uniformed Chinese security guards. Ku gets out.

BAA46 INT. NATIONAL ANSCO WAREHOUSE (FORMERLY SC. AA68) BAA46

We see Chinese workers dismantling and crating large manufacturing machines.

Security guards drive Ku through the warehouse on an electric cart.

CAA46 INT. WAREHOUSE ROOM (FORMERLY SC. C68) CAA46

Ku's led in. We're in a temporary quarters of some kind. The occupants are the four men we saw escorted out of the Chinese prison. They're under guard. A PRC GENERAL meets Ku. In Chinese (subtitles) --

CAA46 CONTINUED: CAA46

Ku pulls a small case from his pocket. Hands it to the General, who opens it. A pair of glasses. Beat. The General hands them back. Nods his approval... Ku crosses to the four men. Pays his respect to each of them, beginning with the oldest... Reaching the Pit Viper, Ku makes his deferences, and then --

Ku turns, addresses them all. The concern we saw in his face earlier (in Benny Chan's restaurant) remains hidden.

Ku takes out the glasses, gives them to the oldest Four Father. As he does this, we see him also remove the lining to the case, and out of sight of the guards, pull out a bill of Chinese currency for the men to see... The bill's normal in all respects, except that where the portraits should be, there's only blank space... Having shown it to them, Ku then slides it back inside the lining of the case. Beat.

Another beat. Then, as Ku bows to them and goes --

AA46 INT. LAPD - MENS' ROOM - DAY (LATER) AA46

We FIND two sets of feet in adjoining stalls...

AA46 CONTINUED: AA46

As Murtaugh hands paper under the partition --

B46 INT. ASIAN ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT B46

Riggs and Murtaugh approach DET. PAUL NG, at his desk.

B46 CONTINUED: B46

He indicates his knees.

He hands it to Murtaugh.

B46 CONTINUED: (2) B46

The guys start off.

As Riggs and Murtaugh walk!--

C46 INT. SQUAD ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION C46

Riggs waves him over. When he's there --

But Riggs doesn't hand over the address he's holding.

Before Murtaugh can answer --

C46 CONTINUED: C46

C46 CONTINUED: (2) C46

Murtaugh pulls him aside.

RIGGS

Why?... Look, the kid could need backup, Rog. Somebody oughta be there. C'mon, grab your jacket.

Beat. Murtaugh relents. Moves for his jacket. Catches Butters looking at him with a big smile. OFF which --

Driving. Riggs and Murtaugh up front. Butters in the back. Beat.

Riggs sees something in the rearview mirror.

Murtaugh looks. There's Leo in his red Suburban.

Up ahead, we see the police sedan make a turn. Leo reaches the corner. Turns. No sign of the police car.

He reaches a stop light. Cranes his neck to see both ways down the intersecting street. Nothing. They've disappeared. Leo's bummed. Glances out his side window... There's Riggs and Murtaugh in the lane right next to him, looking over from the police car.

Riggs punches it.

A50 INT. BENNY CHAN'S OFFICE A50

Looking into the busy, second-floor restaurant through a window. In here, Uncle Benny's the object of Ku's wrath as Fan, Chu, and Yee look on. In Chinese (subtitles) --

A50 CONTINUED: A50

.. In Hong Kong, you'd already be dead.

They're interrupted by a TAPPING sound. Turn to find Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters looking in through the window into the restaurant. Riggs knocking on the glass.

A51 INT. RESTAURANT A51

On this side, the glass is a mirror. Riggs mimes various crap to Benny. Then he and Murtaugh start off. Butter is still checking his appearance out in the mirror. To himself --

A51 CONTINUED: A51

Murtaugh and Riggs exchange a look. Then --

As Riggs pulls Butters away --

A52 INT. BENNY'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER A52

Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters enter via office door.The MAITRE D' has failed to stop them.

He goes.

A52 CONTINUED: A52

During this, Riggs grabs some papers from Benny's desk, and Benny snaps a ruler across Riggs' knuckles.

A52 CONTINUED: (2) A52

Riggs has picked up on something out of the ordinary about Ku. Circles the room staring at him. Ku staring back, fingering his prayer beads.

Riggs reaches to flip Ku's "queue" with his fingers. Instantly, Ku grabs his wrist. Rigss is impressed.

Ku just looks at him. Beat. We're sensing this'd be a good fight to watch. Butters makes a move to help Riggs. Murtaugh stops him. To Riggs --

Another beat. Riggs lets go of Ku's clothes. Whereupon Ku releases him... Then --

A52 CONTINUED: (3) A52

Riggs moves toward the one-way glass.

Whereupon Riggs smacks the one-way glass with the butt of his pistol. SHATTERS the GLASS. Steps out. Murtaugh and Butters follow. When they're gone, to Riggs, under his breath and in English --

A53 INT. RESTAURANT A53

As Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters cross to the stairs, Riggs sees a panel marked "Sprinkler Emergency Switch" on a wall. Looks back at Benny.

Whereupon he pulls the alarm handle. A SIREN begins WAILING. Sprinklers erupt. Diners shriek. Back in his office, Uncle Benny's getting soaked, too. A man moves to shield Ku with a jacket... Riggs calls in --

A54 INT. RESTAURANT - STAIRWELL A54

We hear the commotion upstairs as Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters descend. Near the bottom of the stairs, out a window, Riggs sees the Captain of the freighter. The Captain's outside, approaching the restaurant with another Chinese man.

A54 CONTINUED: A54

Spots Riggs at the same instant. Starts to run --

Seeing Riggs' gun, the second man takes off on the heels of the Captain. Riggs is out the door right after them. Butters right behind him. Murtaugh last, calling --

B54 EXT. CHINESE RESTAURANT B54

Riggs leads Butters and Murtaugh down the street in pursuit of the two men.

The men cut across a street, dodge cars to the far side.

Two CARS COLLIDE in front of Riggs. He doesn't break stride. Makes a Starsky and Hutch hood-slide over one of the cars and keeps going.

Murtaugh, meanwhile, has been overtaken by Butters, who takes another angle on the fleeing suspects and dodges cars across the busy street. Murtaugh knows he can't keep up. Looks around. Sees a young man on a restaurant delivery bike. Pulls out his wad of cash.

Murtaugh hops on and pedals away.

C54 DOWN STREET C54

The suspects bang into people as they run up the sidewalk. Riggs and Butters weave through behind them. Murtaugh wheels along in traffic, catching up.

A55 EXT. SUN YAT SEN PLAZA A55

The two bad guys turn in. Riggs and Butters on their heels. The Captain runs toward Hill St., ahead. The other man breaks off to the left. Butters goes after him. Murtaugh swings in, chicken in XO sauce bouncing out of the basket, follows Riggs and the Captain.

B55 ANOTHER ANGLE B55

The Captain streaks PAST us and rounds a corner. Behind him, Murtaugh catches and passes Riggs, not a little surprised to see him on the bike.

A56 EXT. CHINATOWN MALL A56

The Captain runs into a glass-walled exterior elevator just as the doors are closing. Murtaugh SKIDS up a beat later. The doors close in his face. Riggs sees this. Spots a flight of stairs. Uses a bench and a moving cart to vault to the first landing, heads for level two.

Murtaugh dumps the bike, takes an alternate route using an exterior escalator.

B56 INT. ELEVATOR B56

The Captain looks out the glass back of the elevator and sees Riggs bounding up the stairs behind him. Realizes Riggs will make the top about the same time. Sees the elevator next to his going down. In desperation, pulls his GUN and BLOWS OUT the side WINDOW. Other people in the elevator scream in terror as he climbs out the window and leaps onto the top of the descending elevator.

Riggs reacts to this and must now run back down a flight and leap over the railing. In front of him, only yards away, the Captain jumps from the elevator. He lands, losing his gun, then gets up and takes off again with Riggs in pursuit.

Murtaugh, meanwhile, seeing what's happened, has reached a landing and now must turn and go down the "up" escalator. Shouts at the people in front of him.

Murtaugh reaches level ground, jumps on the bike again, and takes off.

A57 EXT. SUN YAT SEN PLAZA - SIDE STREET A57

Around a corner comes Butters' man with Butters right on his ass. They turn into a dead-end alley. The only way out's up a flight of stairs and into --

A58 INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - KITCHEN A58

The man blows through busy cooks, waiters, etc. Butters jukes through right behind him. The man turns into --

A59 INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - DINING ROOM A59

Bam! There goes a dim sum cart... The man gets to his feet. Looks back to see Butters emerge from the kitchen. Heads for a window at the front of the building. Pushes it open and starts to jump out as --

-- Butters heads for the stairs leading down to the front entrance directly below the window.

A60 EXT. CHINESE RESTAURANT A60

The man jumps from the second floor. Just as he hits the ground, the front doors fly open, and Butters tackles him to the ground. Handcuffing him --

He sticks the tin in his face. Points out the letters.

He jerks the man to his feet and pushes him off in the direction we last saw Riggs and Murtaugh go as --

A61 EXT. CHINATOWN STREET A61

The Captain races across Hill St. at an angle. He's heading for a narrow alley in mid-block. Anticipating where he's headed, Riggs yells to Murtaugh --

-- and then cuts up the street to head him off.

A62 EXT. CHINATOWN ALLEY A62

Chased by Murtaugh, the Captain heads up the alley where we see two old, wooden staircases that rise up from opposing directions and meet at a single landing... Riggs suddenly appears at the alley's far end.

A62 CONTINUED: A62

Trapped, the Captain starts up one flight of stairs. Riggs starts up the other one facing it. As they climb, face to face, they get closer.

They reach the landing, feet apart... when the Captain grabs a drainpipe and scuttles up. Riggs follows.

A63 EXT. CHINATOWN ROOFTOPS A63

They run across the roofs. Take one or two small jumps ... when a "seventeen"-foot span looms ahead.

The Captain leaps. Makes the rooftop of the building on the other side.

Murtaugh pedals along, watching from below. Screams for Riggs not to do it, but... we know Riggs. He plants. Pushes off. Launches himself through the air... Hits hard on the other side, off-balance. Starts slipping backwards and slides off the edge. Barely catches the ornate corner of the roof and is left hanging there. Murtaugh yells from below --

But Riggs is still struggling to hoise himself up and resume the chase. Urging himself on --

But he's not going anywhere. And Murtaugh knows it. Looks around. Spots a dumpster nearby. Runs to it.

Murtaugh starts pushing. The dumpster barely moves.

B63 ANOTHER ANGLE B63

Butters is just rounding the corner with his prisoner, who protests --

B63 CONTINUED: B63

At which point Butters sees Murtaugh with the dumpster.

Murtaugh nods up. Butters looks. Sees Riggs.

Butters goes to help Murtaugh. The dumpster's still barely rolling. Beckoning the Suspect --

The guy comes over.

Together, the three men move the dumpster under Riggs, just as he loses his grip. Luckily, the dumpster wasn't empty. Riggs climbs out.

B63 CONTINUED: (2) B63

Beat. Butters, Riggs, and Murtaugh share a look. Butters unlocks the handcuffs.

thru thru

Murtaugh drags in.

Murtaugh enters. Finds Trish playing a Chinese game with two of the Chinese women. Other Hongs iron clothes. Still more make dinner. Murtaugh gives Trish a look.

Murtaugh just shakes his head, goes into --

HONG's in Murtaugh's chair watching TV. Sees Murtaugh and jumps up, embarrassed to be taking liberties.

Hong sits. A moment. What do you say?...

As Murtaugh pours them each a glass, straight up --

Murtaugh hands him a glass. Hong raises it in a toast.

They toast, drink. Murtaugh looks to Hong for a reaction.

The tequila bottle's a lot emptier. Murtaugh and Hong're practically old buddies now.

Murtaugh's deep affection for Riggs is obvious. Hong pours them each another. Raises his glass.

They drink. Then --

Searching...

Murtaugh takes this in a moment, then --

Murtaugh and Hong share a big laugh at this... The laughs subside. Murtaugh regards Hong a moment... Then slips the watch off his own wrist.

Long beat... Then Hong takes the watch. Slides it on.

Murtaugh pours another round. Raises his glass.

A68 OMITTED A68 thru thru C68 C68

Riggs shadowboxes intently as Murtaugh works out nearby. GOMEZ, a young cop, calls from the boxing ring --

Murtaugh intercepts Riggs as he heads for the ring.

Riggs is getting killed... He loses another exchange... Suddenly grabs his shoulder in pain.

Murtaugh's helping him out of the ring. Sotto --

All smiles, Riggs goes in the locker room with Murtaugh.

As soon as the door closes, the smile leaves Riggs' face. He sags against the wall, winded, in pain.

Murtaugh starts undressing.

Riggs moves to a bench and sits down. Beat.

Murtaugh's doffing his sweat pants, when Butters appears.

Murtaugh hauls up his sweats. Butters continues through.

Murtaugh sees Riggs needs him. Sits.

There's a long beat. Then --

Riggs and Murtaugh walk in. Leo runs up behind them.

Leo comes up. He has deep scratches all over his face.

Under which, Leo spots Butters approaching.

He quickly turns away, acts busy with something as Butters walks up.

Murtaugh turns, reacts to Butter's closeness.

Butter's cell PHONE RINGS under this, and he answers.

At which point, Leo reveals himself.

Leo makes the sound of bad static.

Butters' PHONE RINGS. He answers it as he walks off.

MURTAUGH/RIGGS No.

Leo starts off.

Riggs just looks at him. Then --

Riggs goes. Someone comes by collecting for a pool.

Murtaugh pays, and the Detective goes. Riggs returns.

A police helicopter flies over L.A.

Riggs and Murtaugh riding back seat. Murtaugh's not enjoying himself. Riggs is a kid in a candy store.

The chopper flies overhead.

Murtaugh's eyes're closed. Riggs looks out the window.

Lorna emerges from the trailer, gets in her car and drives off.

Riggs addresses the pilots through his headset.

The helicopter banks over. Murtaugh hates it.

Lorna's eating donuts. The CAR PHONE RINGS.

Riggs is on a cell phone in the chopper, flying a little behind and to one side of Lorna. He observes her with high-power, zoom binoculars.

Lorna takes a hand off the wheel.

She is surprised again. Hand back on the wheel.

Riggs loves this.

Lorna regards the cup in her drink holder.

RIGGS' BINO POV

A bridal magazine lies on the seat next to the donuts.

RESUME INTERCUT

Lorna looks out. The chopper dips into her line of sight. Riggs waves from the helo.

A80 INT. POLICE CRUISER - DAY (LATER) A80

Riggs and Murtaugh in the back seat. Two cops up front. Murtaugh has a large coffee stain on his shirt.

Up ahead, a Suburban with darkened windows pulls out of Murtaugh's driveway and drives off.

B80 EXT. MURTAUGH'S HOUSE B80

The cruiser pulls over. Riggs and Murtaugh get out, thanking the cops, who drive off.

Riggs regards two cars parked in front of the house with Lorna's Explorer and Rianne's Pontiac: a black four-door Mercedes and a new, black Continental.

Riggs and Murtaugh hold a look.

A81 INT. MURTAUGH'S FRONT HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER A81

Murtaugh enters from outside, alone, nonchalant. Trish, Rianne and Lorna are there.

Five Chinese thugs, including Chu and Yee, suddenly appear from hiding. Guns on Murtaugh, guns on the girls. As Murtaugh's disarmed --

Murtaugh looks up to see Wah Sing Ku reveal himself at the top of the stairs.

At which point, one of the thugs sees a red laser dot on his nose... REVEAL Riggs, outside the back window, his 9mm in one hand, Murtaugh's ankle gun in the other.The two thugs he has the drop on surrender their guns. The rest follow suit. Lorna grabs a gun as Murtaugh gets his back and draws down on Ku. Riggs enters.

Riggs moves around to see Ku.

A thug makes his move. Flicks open an ice-pick stiletto as he grabs Lorna. Presses the point to her pregnant belly. Riggs is instantly compliant.

He drops his gun. Murtaugh drops his. The guy with the knife relaxes... when suddenly, Lorna arch-stomps him. Elbows him through the kitchen doorway. Slams the pocket door on his knife arm. Takes the knife. Jams it through the door, inches from the guy's face. And all hell breaks loose...

A81 CONTINUED: A81

Everybody's going for the pile of guns on the floor. Riggs has three guys to contend with. Guys with good kung fu. Riggs is at his outer limits. Kicks and punches and bites and scratches and nut-crushes.

Murtaugh's got one guy after him. The guy's swinging a standing lamp. Murtaugh's about to hit him with a porcelain bowl, when Trish yells --

Murtaugh puts it down, dispatches with a body slam against a wall.

Ku just watches from the stairs, eyes glued to Riggs as he fights off his three. Ku seeing what kind of stuff Riggs has, how good he is... until Riggs suddenly has a gun in his hand. About to swing it up... when Ku drops down through the stairwell... He can fly?... In a series of stunning moves, Ku disarms Riggs, and sweeps up the pistol. Pops up with it as Murtaugh pops up with his gun, and Riggs pops up again with his own Beretta. Two guns against one. Beat. Ku surrenders his. Another beat. Relief... And then Ku does something truly amazing. Fast as a bolt of lightning... reaches for Riggs' Beretta and in a single move disassembles it. Riggs is still holding the grip and trigger, but Ku has the entire barrel and slide mechanism. And he's not done... Cracks Murtaugh on the wrist with the slide and disarms him. Next a flying scissors kick. Riggs and Murtaugh hit the floor... It's over.

B81 INT. MURTAUGH'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER B81

Ku looks on as his men finish binding everyone. Riggs and Murtaugh wonder whether it'll be bullets in the head or the quiet work of the stiletto on neck arteries. It's neither. It's worse... Ku flicks ON a BUTANE LIGHTER. Turns the flame up high. Reaches for the curtains, which quickly catch fire. He lights more curtains. Papers on a desk. A lamp shade. Anything that burns. Then barks in Chinese to two of his men.

Ku, Yee and Chu go. The remaining two thugs stand guard as the flames spread. Soon, the house is an inferno. The smoke's choking. The thugs still don't budge. It looks like they're going up in flames, too... when they finally give each other a look, then turn and run out.

B81 CONTINUED: B81

Instantly, Riggs and Murtaugh mobilize, trying to get loose... They can't... Fire's everywhere... when a closet door under the stairs opens, and Ping emerges. He'd been hiding. The bad guys missed him... Ping sees everyone tied up in the living room... His eyes go to the children's scissors lying on the floor, where he'd been doing paper cut-outs earlier... Grabs the scissors... Begins cutting the tape binding Riggs... it's laborious; the tape's strong, the small, kid's scissors not meant for heavy-duty cutting... But slowly, the tape gives way... And then Riggs is loose... Riggs cuts Murtaugh free. Throws a chair through the front window. Then he and Murtaugh move Ping and the women out, not bothering to untie them.

thru thru B82 B82

They're all outside. Safe. Riggs cutting Lorna free as Murtaugh does the same for Trish and Rianne.

Riggs pulls Murtaugh away from the sight of his burning house. Getting in Rianne's Pontiac, Riggs realizes --

He moves to Lorna's Explorer. The door's locked. He BREAKS the GLASS. Grabs a portable police radio. Jumps back in with Murtaugh.

Nick and Carrie drive up. Murtaugh sees them, calls --

As they peel out --

Driving. Into the radio --

Riggs switches radio channels. Beat.

A84 EXT. SKIES OVER L.A. - DAY A84

A police chopper surveys the streets below.

B84 INT. RIANNE'S CAR - DAY B84

B84 CONTINUED: B84

Murtaugh floors it up the ramp and onto the freeway.

Hauling ass through traffic.

We see the black Mercedes ahead.

ANOTHER ANGLE

One half of a double-wide mobile home is under tow ahead. In a lane between the thugs and Riggs and Murtaugh.The open side of the mobile home is covered by clear plastic and is closer to Riggs and Murtaugh. The thugs are slowed on the other, aluminum-clad side of the mobile home by a car entering from an on-ramp.

Riggs is already on the move. Climbs into the back seat.

The driver's singing to the RADIO, oblivious to what's happening in his side mirror, where we see Murtaugh steering closer and closer to the mobile home... until Riggs opens the back door, and --

A88 EXT. RIANNE'S CAR/MOBILE HOME A88

Riggs grabs onto the mobile home. Swings out onto the back bumper. There's a WINDOW within reach. He SMASHES it, climbs into --

Somebody's house. Fully furnished. Riggs crosses to a window on the thugs' side and looks out.

There's the Mercedes.

Riggs moves to a side door. Opens it. Reaches through the open driver's window of the Mercedes. Grabs the unsuspecting driver and hauls him right out of his seat into the mobile home.

The driver's suddenly gone. The surprised passenger jumps for the wheel.

A92 INT. MOBILE HOME A92

Riggs is pounding the shit out of the thug... when the guy effects a reversal, nails Riggs back. The thug pulls his gun. Riggs knocks it away. Out the door and gone. From there, it's all fists and feet. In and out of rooms, over counters and furniture.

B92 EXT. MOBILE ROOM - MURTAUGH'S POV B92

THROUGH the plastic we can see Riggs and the kung-fu killer punching and kicking.

C92 BACK IN MOBILE HOME C92

Riggs heaves a side table at the thug. The thug ducks. The table slams against the plastic.

Riggs tackles the thug. Drives them both into the plastic. Now, they're fighting in a bowed-out bubble of Visqueen. Over pavement ripping by at 55 mph below them.

The plastic begins tearing away... Rips loose.

Both men tumble out and --

D92 EXT. FREEWAY D92

-- land on the upside-down side table. Slide along the freeway atop the length of the plastic, still attached to the moving trailer... And there, on the flipped-over table skimming over the road, the fight continues... The thug's choking Riggs... until Riggs makes a desperate move. Knocks the guy off.

D92 CONTINUED: D92

Grabs the plastic just before the table slides off and into traffic, which is exactly where the thug finds himself after tumbling to a stop. Face to bumper with the Express bus. For the last second of his life.

Murtaugh speeds up to get the truck driver's attention. HONKS. Trying to get him to pull over. No luck.

And Riggs isn't just ski-boarding behind the mobile home, either. The remaining thug has now dropped back in the Mercedes guns it after him... Riggs is trying to pull himself toward the mobile home. Sees the Mercedes about to crush him. Breaks a leg off the table. Hurls it backward and --

-- THROUGH the thug's WINDSHIELD, where it stops, inches from the guy's nose. He yanks it through. Goes after Riggs again... Closes in... He's about to run Riggs over... when Murtaugh suddenly SLAMS Rianne's CAR against the flank of the Mercedes. Drives him sideways away from Riggs.

Murtaugh tries to maneuver the cop car close enough to the sliding table so that Riggs can climb in, as --

-- the Mercedes now pulls around the other side of Murtaugh. SLAMS into Murtaugh, driving him towards Riggs, who gets his feet up just in time to fend the car off.

The thug pulls his PISTOL, FIRES at Murtaugh, who ducks just in time... And then the thug has a choice: keep firing or worry about the CHERRY-TOPS approaching fast from behind. He FIRES one last SHOT, then opts for saving his ass. Punches it.

Murtaugh maneuvers close to Riggs. Riggs reaches. This is bad. But the plastic's ripping. Bad's better than worse... Riggs grabs the sedan... Abandons the table... Drags... Hauls himself in the open window and --

E92 INT. RIANNE'S CAR E92

Riggs lands in the seat... Murtaugh's relieved.

Riggs jams his foot atop Murtaugh's on the accelerator.

F92 EXT. FREEWAY F92

Riggs and Murtaugh pursue the Mercedes... Close in... The thug suddenly veers from the fast lane all the way across the freeway. Takes an exit. Hoping Riggs and Murtaugh won't make it. They almost don't.

The ramp curves around a ten-story glass office building. The ramp's also under construction... The thug crashes a barricade. Narrowly misses a worker.

No such luck for Riggs and Murtaugh. They're gonna plow through the entire Caltrans crew... Murtaugh swerves. Into a pile of lumber... The car's launched into the air ... Off the ram... Through the air... Toward the office building...

G92 INT. OFFICE BUILDING - OFFICES G92

You're at your desk, playing Free Cell and watching out for the boss. You realize there's a car coming through your window. Straight at you. A few stories up.

Riggs and Murtaugh land inside the open-plan office in a SHOWER of TEMPERED GLASS. People dive aside. The CAR snags computers and copiers and every other thing as it ROARS past cubicles... when --

-- Riggs sees the Mercedes moving along next to them outside on the ramp. Keeps his foot on Murtaugh's.

They're flying down a corridor. Out windows to the side, we can see the exit ramp inclining toward an intersection below. Fast approaching ahead is the other exterior side of the glass building.

H92 EXT. OFFICE BUILDING H92

Crash! The car bursts through... arcs through the air... Lands on the exit ramp behind the Mercedes. BLOWING TIRES, SKIDDING all over.

I-92 INT. MERCEDES I-92

The thug can't believe what he's seeing in the mirror behind him. He's distracted. Approaching the intersection at the bottom of the ramp, where --

J92 EXT. INTERSECTION J92

-- an 18-wheeler suddenly emerges from a tunnel under the freeway... the T-bone COLLISION is monstrous. For the driver of the Mercedes, it's fatal.

K92 INT. EIGHTEEN WHEELER K92

The trucker yanks on the AIR BRAKES.

L92 INT. RIANNE'S CAR L92

Riggs and Murtaugh see the 18-wheeler locking its brakes. Right in front of them.

M92 THREE FEET M92

Two of Murtaugh's, one of Riggs', mash down on the brake pedal.

N92 EXT. INTERSECTION N92

Rianne's car swerves... Spins out... Slams broadside into the rear of the stopped semi. Murtaugh's side. Every- thing above the doors ripped all to hell.

O-92 INT. RIANNE'S CAR O-92

REVEAL Murtaugh. In Riggs' lap. Safe... No sound except the ENGINE HISSING, overheated. And a CLOSEUP VIEW of a sticker on the truck's rear bumper, which reads: "If you can read this, you're too close."

P92 INT. WAREHOUSE - SMALL ROOM - DAY (FORMERLY SC. A107) P92

The Hongs wait for whatever's next. Scared and confused... A door opens. Chu steps in. Motions for Hong to come with him. Beat. Hong goes.

Q92 INT. WAREHOUSE - LARGE ROOM (FORMERLY SC. B107) Q92

Containing an enormous printing press. Stacks of paper next to it. A number of workers readying the press for operation, loading ink, etc. Hong enters with Chu. Ku is there. Standing near an older Chinese man who's bent over a table, meticulously engraving a metal plate.Ku taps the man. Indicates Hong. The man turns. Hong's surprised to see who it is. In Chinese (subtitles) --

Q92 CONTINUED: Q92

He and the uncle, CHUNG, go to each other. Embrace.

Ku nods to Chu. As Chu moves to take Hong out, Hong and the uncle exchange a look that communicates Hong's fear to the old man. Chung grows worried. To Ku --

Whereupon Ku's pent-up frustration and anger explode. The attack is vicious, swift. The victim slammed backward across Ku's knee. His neck snapped. Just like that... And then Hong's dead eyes staring off at nothing... Ku drops him to the floor. To Chung --

OFF Chung, no choice and Hong dead in front of him --

& &

LAFD's on scene, but there's nothing to do but hose down the smoldering embers as Lorna, Trish, Rianne, Nick, Carrie, and Ping look on... Another cop car drops off Riggs and Murtaugh. Murtaugh just stares at the devasta- tion as he gets out and moves to Trish's side. Lorna looks to Riggs. His expression tells her they failed. Ping's looking at Riggs, too, and can also read his face. Riggs kneels in front of him.

Ping's eyes are full of tears. Another beat. Riggs draws the boy close. Hugs him tight. Maybe not too nuts to be someone's father, as --

-- Murtaugh, Trish, Rianne, Nick, and Carrie stand, arms around each other, eyes filled with tears, watching firefighters wet down the remains of their home.

Murtaugh looks at his wife. Her eyes meet his.

Trish loves him for saying it. Whether he means it or not... Under which, Butters arrives and joins them.

A look between Murtaugh and Riggs. Answer:

As someone hands him a cell phone, and he dials --

A95 INT. BUTTERS' POLICE SEDAN - DAY A95

Butters is driving. Murtaugh sits up front with him. After a few minutes --

Murtaugh glances towards Riggs, seated in back.

A95 CONTINUED: A95

Murtaugh sees Riggs smiling in back.

A95 CONTINUED: (2) A95

thru thru

MUSAK. Uncle Benny's bodyguard, Yee, waits. The door opens. Leo enters. Moaning loudly. Holding his jaw. In pain. He goes to the DENTAL RECEPTIONIST.

MUSAK. Uncle Benny's undergoing a procedure by DR. SAMUEL CHENG, D.D.S., when the Receptionist enters.

Cheng excuses himself to Benny in Chinese, and goes.

Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters wait.

MUSAK. Cheng and his staff seat Leo, still moaning.

Cheng barely touches Leo's cheek. He howls in pain.

Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters hear the howl.

MUSAK. Riggs peeks in a back door marked "Private."No one's there. Everyone's busy with the moaning Leo. Riggs enters with Murtaugh and Butters. They find Uncle Benny's exam room. See him sitting in the dental chair, his back to the door. They hold a quick conference. After which Riggs and Murtaugh pull out handcuffs, and --

MUSAK. Leo's moaning continues O.S. As Butters shuts the door, Riggs and Murtaugh move up behind Uncle Benny.

Swiftly grab his arms, pull them back, and handcuff them to the dental chair. Too fast for Benny to react. He's pinned in the chair. Opens his mouth to yell... when Butters sticks a gun in his face.

The .45 stops him. Riggs and Murtaugh move to face him.

Benny says nothing. Then relaxes. Regains his composure. He'll play this out.

Beat. Murtaugh picks up a wicked-looking dental tool.

Uncle Benny's legs suddenly flick out at them in a quick succession of kicks. Surprisingly fast and agile for an old man. Riggs sees a nitrous oxide tank. Turns it on full blast. Clamps the mask over Benny's face.

Benny struggles against the mask. Holds his breath.

Riggs jabs him in the gut, causing him to gulp nitrous... Benny slowly succumbs. Beat.

Benny starts SINGING a Chinese children's song.

Riggs removes the nitrous mask from Benny's face. Hands it to Butters as he regards the warbling tong boss.

CLOSEUP - NITROUS MASK

We hear the GAS continue to HISS.

ANGLE BACK

Benny doesn't answer. Beat. Riggs leans close. Makes a funny face at him. Breaks Benny up.

Benny goes on laughing.

Benny finds that funny, too.

That really cracks Benny up. Beat... Then Riggs suddenly starts laughing... Murtaugh just looks at Riggs a moment... Then a smile breaks out on Murtaugh's face, too... And then Butters is laughing.

Benny laughs. Meanwhile, Butters has found a huge dental syringe.

Whereupon Murtaugh sees something. To Butters --

Butters raises the hand holding his gun.

He raises it. There's the NITROUS MASK. Still HISSING.

Beat. Murtaugh stops laughing... Did he hear right?

Murtaugh's confused. Looks back at Riggs.

At which point the dentist, Cheng, enters. Stops.

Leo sticks his head in.

Cheng turns off the nitrous.

Everyone gets on. The doors close.

The elevator doors open. We hear a punch. Riggs comes flying out. Onto the floor. Raises up. Shakes it off.

Murtaugh goes. Leo helps Riggs up.

A107 OMITTED A107 thru thru

A110 EXT. BUTTERS' POLICE SEDAN - DUSK A110

Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters listen to the POLICE RADIO.

Ng's on a portable police radio.

INTERCUT Ng and our guys. Into the radio --

Murtaugh takes the mike.

A111 OMITTED A111 thru thru A117 A117

A sheriff's car's parked by Lorna's Explorer. Butters' car pulls up. Riggs and Murtaugh get out.

Riggs and Murtaugh enter. A sheriff's DEPUTY watches over Lorna, Ping and Trish.

As Riggs gets his coat and guns for him and Lorna --

Trish is nailed. She and Murtaugh go. Riggs starts to explain to Lorna. She punches him.

He does. And as they go --

A119 IN A SERIES OF SHOTS A119

Hong's family waits inside their warehouse room.

In the other room, with Ku and Benny looking on, Hong's uncle, Chung, finishes engraving a plate.

The plate is fitted to a large printing press.

Sheets of currency paper, on which are already printed the other elements of a Chinese bill, are run through the press. The engraved plate adds the final element.

The first sheets are inspected. Ku's satisfied. The press starts hammering out the rest of the sheets. As it does this, and the money's cut and packaged --

-- Ku kills the uncle, Chung.

Uncle Benny's next. Strangled by a wire garrote hidden inside Ku's Buddhist prayer beads.

Ping sits in the front seat with Riggs and Lorna. Up ahead, lights flash and the barricade lowers at a train crossing. Riggs slows, stops. A train approaches in the distance. Beat. Something's on Riggs' mind...

Beat. Lorna doesn't say anything.

They look at each other a long time... When up ahead, lights flash, and the barricade lowers at a train crossing. Riggs slows, stops at the barricade. A train approaches in the distance. Lorna feels her tummy.

Riggs reaches over and feels... so does Ping.

The TRAIN'S HORN sounds for the crossing. The bright headlight illuminates the car... What happens next happens very quickly... BAM! Riggs' truck is struck from behind. Shoved through the crossing arm. Being pushed in front of the train... Riggs sees what's happening. Throws it in reverse. Stomps on it.

Riggs' rear tires smoke in reverse. But the truck behind has more leverage going forward. Riggs' truck keeps sliding ahead toward the train track.

Accelerator on the floor. Still moving into the path of the train... Riggs and Lorna both draw their guns. Turn. FIRE backward, through the rear WINDOW.

A122 INT. SUBURBAN A122

Yee's the driver. Another Chinese guy with him. They both duck below the dashboard as BULLETS SHATTER the WINDSHIELD. Yee never letting his foot off the gas.

B122 INT. POLICE SEDAN B122

Riggs and Lorna FIRE out. They're still being pushed forward. Blinding light fills the car... They're a second from annihilation... when Riggs slams the shifter into "drive." Floors it.

Riggs' truck shoots through the crossing. The truck behind, accelerator still down but now relieved from pushing any weight, automatically shoots ahead, as well. Too late to clear the tracks... BOOM! The locomotive nails the truck's ass end. Flips them. Spins them. But doesn't kill them... A second locomotive does that. Coming down a parallel set of tracks.

Skidding to a stop. Riggs turns to Lorna and Ping.

A124 EXT. POLICE SEDAN A124

Riggs gets out. The Suburban's a fireball down the tracks. In b.g., we hear the POLICE RADIO. Then, from inside the car!--

Riggs takes the mike.

B124 INT. N.D. POLICE SEDAN B124

Murtaugh's riding with Butters.

INTERCUT Riggs and Murtaugh.

B124 CONTINUED: B124

& &

Murtaugh turns it over in his hands. REVEAL he's in --

Across the room, Riggs enters with Lorna. They cross to Murtaugh.

Butters, Ng, and Tony are there. Riggs, Lorna and Murtaugh enter.

Butters walks up.

Riggs regards the money. It's a sheet of renminbi still missing the engraved portraits.

Lorna suddenly spots Ping in the other room approaching the doorway into this room. She quickly moves to inter- cept him, takes him back outside.

A129 EXT. WAREHOUSE A129

They emerge. Lorna's with Ping. Riggs' eyes meet hers.

She couldn't stop him if she wanted.

OFF Lorna, as Riggs and the others drive off --

B129 EXT. L.A. STREETS - NIGHT B129

As the cop car with our guys guns toward a showdown --

As it scans a Chinese bill. Intricacies of the bill's design are displayed on a screen. REVEAL we're in --

Ku and a dozen Triad gangsters, including Fan and Chu, face the PRC General and thirty armed soldiers holding The Four Fathers. All in suspended animation while a PRC egghead operates the scanner. The scan's complete. The egghead signals the bill's good. The General nods to his men to release the Four Fathers... when we hear a CAR HORN HONKING "shave and a haircut." Everyone turns to see Riggs and Murtaugh driving in. Slowly. Butters, Ng, and Tony following in their car. The soldiers' automatics swinging over onto them... Riggs and Murtaugh stop. Get out. No guns. Nonchalant.

Riggs surveys the situation.

Riggs hands over the faceless renminbi.

As the General checks the renminbi --

Whereupon the General pulls a GUN and SHOOTS two Four Fathers in the head. Fan kills him before he SHOOTS the oldest Father and the pit viper (Ku's father). Hits him with a BURST... And all hell breaks loose.

The battle pits the Triad against Riggs, Murtaugh, Butters, Ng, Tony, and the PRC Army. It rapidly divides into separate skirmishes that sometimes overlap. It's a war. Most important, we're counting the bullets. The PRC guys have, at most, three thirty- five round mags. In real life, set on full auto, that goes fast. The Triad guys are slightly less well-armed. Riggs, Murtaugh, et al have their pistols and a couple extra mags each. What this means is, as people run out of ammo, they're first diving after dead guys' guns, and then they're going to hands and feet and whatever they can grab to hit with or throw. The gun battle will transform into a realistic martial arts melee.

During the fight:

Ku's goal's to protect the two remaining Four Fathers and get them out. In the process, he takes on multiple opponents, armed and not.

We see the two remaining Four Fathers' martial arts skills on display.

Riggs suffers an early flesh wound. It slows him but doesn't stop him.

Tony's killed. Ng and Butters both nail the shooter.

Riggs and Murtaugh end up behind the stack of renminbi. Out of breath. Nicked here and there. As they check their ammo --

A Triad guy appears. Murtaugh SHOOTS him TWICE.

BULLETS RIP the stack of money. Bills float down around them. Beat. Then --

Murtaugh looks sick. It must be bad. A long beat.

Beat. More GUNFIRE.

Beat. Then more GUNFIRE. This time, they're driven from cover and have to split up.

In the midst of the fighting, Riggs meets Ng.

They spot Ku and the pit viper moving by in the distance.

Riggs heads off in Ku's direction.

Across the room, Murtaugh FIRES TWO of his four... when a Triad guy he doesn't see draws a bead on him. FIRES ... And suddenly Butters is there. Knocks Murtaugh down. Takes the bullet himself. Murtaugh comes off the ground, POPS the shooter, and moves to Butters.

The wound shouldn't kill him.

Ng comes over as Murtaugh moves on. Checks the cylinder as he goes. One bullet left... when the old Four Father is there. Drives a kick into Murtaugh's kidneys. A monkey fist in the neck. Murtaugh fights unconsciousness. Sees him moving in again. Finds a paint spray gun at hand. Sees the old man's glasses. Sprays... A pink mist covers the lenses. The old guy has to take them off. Losing his glasses doesn't change his kung fu -- it's as good as ever -- it's just now all his blows're landing half a foot short. Which Murtaugh realizes. Stays out of range. Waits for an opening. Then clonks him with the butt of his revolver.

Riggs FIRES his last two. Meets Chu mano-a-mano...

Chu makes Riggs suffer... when a PRC Army guy appears and takes Chu out... A moment of acknowledgement between him and Riggs. Then Ku and his father end the moment. Strike like a lightning. Ku drops Riggs as the father kills the soldier... Ku moves to kill Riggs with a punch.

Across the room, Murtaugh sees Ku about to kill Riggs. Raises his GUN. It's a long shot. Murtaugh pauses. Cricks his neck. FIRES.

An instinct alerts Ku. He sees Murtaugh fire. Moves just enough to avoid the slug... Murtaugh keeps pulling the trigger. The hammer falling on empty chambers... Ku senses something behind him. Turns to find his father's taken Murtaugh's slug and bleeds profusely from the hole it made in his pericardium. Ku moves to him. Catches him as he falls. Supports him as he heads for a door. Finds himself engaged by a PRC soldier. Dispatches him despite the burden of his father's body. And exits.

Murtaugh moves to Riggs. They're both bruised and beat-up. Exhausted. The battle's basically over. Bodies everywhere. Murtaugh hoists Riggs to his feet.

Out on a fucked-up, old pier. Ku supporting his father as he looks for an escape... when the father sags, drops to the ground... Ku bends over him. Their eyes meet. They hold the look for a long time... Father and son... And then the father's eyes roll back.

A DOOR BANGS OPEN a SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. Riggs and Murtaugh stumble out of the warehouse. See Ku kneeling next to the body. Bowed. His brow touching his father's ... Ku lifts his head. Sees Riggs and Murtaugh... Ku has nothing left to live for now. Nothing except to kill the two men responsible for his failure, for his father's death... Ku stands. Starts walking toward them. Slowly. Inexorably.

Riggs and Murtaugh watch as Ku approaches. They're alone. They're out of bullets. They're shot up, tired, and generally hurting...

The two men hold a long look. Beat. SIRENS APPROACH IN the DISTANCE.

Murtaugh's not a little relieved. They turn, start off.

They keep walking... Two more steps. Then stop. Look at each other. It's a long look. Murtaugh sighs...

They turn back. Start walking toward Ku. Ku keeps coming... The distance closes... Then, in English!--

.. No tomorrow...

And Riggs and Murtaugh charge... Ku knocks them both down... Then they're up. And the fight's on...

What follows goes beyond what we've seen so far. Ku has the skill; Riggs and Murtaugh have the heart and the will. Ku's methodical; they're animal, unstructured, spitting, tearing, howling. And taking massive punishment. When Ku's about to deliver the death blow to Murtaugh, Riggs intercedes. Murtaugh does the same for Riggs, barreling into Ku. Fighting the way a grizzly fights... The battle's nasty, brutish, and long.

Murtaugh's beaten, a mess... In the end, it's up to Riggs. To reach deeper into himself than he already has. To become, despite age and attrition, something he once was. Insane. For all or zero... Twelve years melt away... This is the kid who jumped off buildings and killed Mr. Joshua. The demon-product of an idiotic war and dark memories and desperation... The Lethal Weapon...

It's not that Riggs is, finally, better than Ku. He's just switched into a gear Ku isn't expecting. Taking punishment Ku and we would never think possible... Driving Ku back. Unleashing all his fury... when Murtaugh suddenly spears Ku with a piece of steel rebar. Front to back... Ku knocks Murtaugh unconscious for it... He'd kill Murtaugh next. If Riggs didn't grab the bar, a hand on either end, and whip Ku around... Riggs doesn't let go either. Grips the steel tight, uses it to maneuver Ku and inflict massive pain... when suddenly, Ku flicks his foot over his own shoulder and stuns Riggs. And the two men tumble off the pier...

A132 UNDERWATER A132

Riggs and Ku sink to the bottom, still locked in battle, lit by the headlights of a car that Chu has driven off the pier after being shot dead trying to escape...

A132 CONTINUED: A132

The odds shift back into Ku's favor again. He's nailed Riggs with the kick and now begins to punish him underwater, not caring if he himself dies, as long as Riggs dies, too... when Riggs' hand finds an AK-47 inside the car with Chu. He pulls it out. Sticks it in Ku's belly... Ku tries to shove the barrel away... And Riggs OPENS UP on FULL AUTO. GUN flashes light silt-stirred water. Shell casings eject in SLO-MO through fluid resistance. And a magazine of AK SLUGS RIP UP Ku's guts... Blood fills the water. Ku's eyes meet Riggs'. Then his hand releases the gun barrel. And Ku drifts to the harbor floor... Riggs doesn't see him hit, though. He's heading topside for oxygen.

B132 EXT. PIER B132

Riggs breaks the surface. Gasping for air. He's won. To Ku, somewhere below him!--

He swims to a ladder fixed to a piling. Grabs a rung. Starts to hoist himself out... when Ku explodes up out of the water. Whips the garrote in his Buddhist prayer beads over Riggs' head and draws it tight.

The wire bites into Riggs' neck. The weight of Ku's bloody body pulls on him. Riggs white-knuckles the rung with one hand, tries to fight Ku off with the other... We see a ladder begin to pull away from the rotting wood and concrete of the pier... when Riggs finds the rebar still sticking through Ku's side and yanks it out... The searing pain causes Ku to loosen the garrote slightly. Enough for Riggs to get the rebar wedged inside it. To slide the rebar up alongside his face and begin to lever the garrote away from his neck... Slowly, he manages to slide the wire noose up over his head. And then, in a sudden reversal, whips the loop off his own head and back over Ku's... The ladder's hanging by a bolt now... Riggs tightens the garrote around Ku's neck... As the last bolt holding the ladder lets go, Riggs whips the garrote around a steel hook protruding from the ladder's side, and the ladder, still connected to a large chunk of concrete, drops into the depths, carrying Ku with it... He won't be coming back from that one... Whereupon Riggs reaches up for a piece of concrete and rebar hanging off the pier. Grabs it... And it breaks away on top of him. And Riggs, too, is gone. Plunged to the bottom... Not coming up.

On the pier, Murtaugh comes to. Looks around. No one.

B132 CONTINUED: B132

He drags himself to his feet.

Murtaugh moves to the dry dock. Small waves are still rebounding off the walls. But that's all. No bubbles. When the waves disappear, it's just still black water. Murtaugh screams now, looking down into the water.

Nothing. Moving along the edge of the dry dock now, still calling down into the water --

Beat. Beat. Murtaugh's eyes suddenly swing to a spot in the water. Like he's heard something. He runs. A few strides along the edge. Then dives to the spot.

Murtaugh swims down... Deeper and deeper... and... there, next to Ku's dead body and the ladder, is Riggs... Pinned under the large chunk of concrete and steel. Breath running out. Desperate eyes bugged, pleading with Murtaugh... It's hopeless for Murtaugh to try and shift such an enormous weight. Except that Murtaugh's gonna try. Gets his hands under the concrete. Plants his feet on the bottom of the dry dock. Lifts. Strains. Maxes every fiber in his body. Muscles burning from oxygen debt... until... the mass slowly begins to move ... More and more... And then Riggs is free. Murtaugh hauls his friend up toward the dim moonlight shimmering above them.

They break the surface. Suck air and choke water. Alive. Barely. Murtaugh holding Riggs up so he can breathe. Tears in Murtaugh's eyes as he holds him...

thru thru

A banged-up Riggs walks down a row of headstones until he finally stops. Kneels at a simple marker, just a name and dates: Victoria Lynn Riggs, 1953-1984. Brushing away some leaves!--

Riggs lays a hand on the stone. Closes his eyes... Re- living memories of the woman he'd loved and wed and buried... Stays that way a long time. Then opens his eyes again.

There's a beat...

ANOTHER ANGLE

As Leo appears, looking for something... when he sees Riggs, kneeling at the headstone. Leo stops. Suddenly uncomfortable. Realizing he's stumbled onto Riggs in a very private moment. Begins backing away. Steps on a TWIG. Riggs whirling around at the SNAPPING sound, gun in hand...

And Leo, realizing he's intruded on something private!--

But he doesn't right away. Regarding the headstone!--

Leo turns, starts off. Takes a few steps. Then stops. Turns back.

There's a long beat. After which, Leo turns, starts to go again. Then turns back...

Riggs' BEEPER GOES OFF.

Leo goes. Riggs looks down at the headstone again.A long beat. He reaches into a pocket. Pulls out a gold wedding band. Looks at it a moment. Then, to Vicki!--

Another beat. Then Riggs puts the ring back in his pocket. Stands. Heads off.

thru thru

TWO NURSES are trying to wheel Lorna down the hall on a gurney, but Lorna keeps grabbing things, doors whatever she can to stop being moved.

NURSE #1 Ma'am, please.

NURSE #2 (trying to pry her loose) Ma'am, please...

The Nurses get her loose. Whereupon Lorna grabs hold of an elderly patient wheeling an I.V. stand.

NURSE #1 Will you stop it?

Riggs and Leo arrive.

NURSE #1 You're the husband?

NURSE #2 Thank god.

NURSE #2 Yeah.

Leo edges away from the elderly patient. Lorna looks back at Riggs. Meets his eyes.

NURSE #1 ... Will you let go of the patient, now?

Lorna lets go. To Riggs, as they roll on --

NURSE #2 You're gonna have it soon.

NURSE #1 You're about to pop, lady.

NURSE #1 (to Riggs) This could be an aspect of the transition phase.

They're entering a delivery toom. Lorna grabs the jambs.

Leo takes off. Turning back to Lorna --

NURSE #1 ... This wasn't even supposed to be my shift...

Leo returns dragging a man wearing a yamulka.

The Rabbi just looks at them a beat.

NURSE #1 She's a cop. Probably shoot you if you don't.

Another beat. Then --

NURSE #1 Fast forward, Rabbi. Baby's in the home stretch.

Riggs and Lorna kiss. Then she turns to the nurse --

He looks around, sees an old gent in patient's garb walking by with a glass specimen jar. Leo grabs it.

Leo pours it out into a nearby drinking fountain.

Having rinsed the jar, Leo brings it over, puts it on the ground by Riggs, and puts his hat over it.

Riggs does. Breaks the glass.

LEO/RABBI Mazeltov!

Lorna's in. Riggs follows. So does Leo. Riggs stops him.

Rows of babies in isolettes positioned near the viewing window. The CAMERA looking out as Riggs and Leo appear at the window. Riggs showing Leo the new arrival. Knocks on the window to get the attention of the NURSERY NURSE. Holds up his badge. The Nurse nods, moves to an islolette containing a swaddled baby, its head obscured by the blanket. She wheels the isolette to the window. Unwraps the blanket, revealing... A BLACK BABY GIRL. Double-takes all around... when there's a tap on Riggs' shoulder, and he turns to see Butters and Murtaugh. Butters holding up his badge for the nurse. And now everybody's starting to understand the mix-up. The nurse goes to get another isolette as we WATCH BUT CAN'T HEAR Riggs, Butters, Murtaugh, and Leo. It's clear Rianne's just had her baby, too. Congratulations all around. Then the nurse wheels up the second isolette, pulls back the blanket... and reveals RIGGS BABY BOY. OFF the men, looking in, making faces at the kids --

Leo's trying to buy a throw-away camera from a camera vending machine. The machine keeps rejecting his rumpled dollar bills.

REVEAL Riggs, Lorna, and their baby, and Murtaugh, Trish, Nick, Carrie, Butters, Rianne, and their baby. Lorna and Rianne are in wheelchairs.

The machine rejects another bill.

MURTAUGH/RIGGS Leo.

Captain Murphy enters carrying two presents.

He takes the presents to Rianne and Lorna.

He takes two badges out of his jacket.

Leo finally has the camera.

As they all tighten up for the shot, and Leo figures out the flash, Rianne and Butters exchange a loving look. She hands him their daughter to hold. Butters looks at the baby a moment. Then looks at Murtaugh standing next to him. Extends the baby to Murtaugh. Murtaugh looks at Butters. The cop who took his daughter. The one thing Murtaugh didn't want. Reach- ing out to Murtaugh. Offering the baby, but asking for something more. Acceptance... It's a yes... Murtaugh takes the bundle from Butters. Cradles his granddaughter.

Murphy moves to join the group. Leo tries to get everybody in frame.

Leo backs up.

Whereupon Leo's backed through a set of automatic hospital doors, which now slam in his face.

The doors re-open.

He hands the camera to a passing HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE.

Leo moves over to join the group. The Hospital Employee looks them over, directing them --

The Hospital Employee aims the camera.

At which Riggs and Murtaugh exchange a look.

FLASH. And WE FREEZE... On twelve faces that will smile those smiles on their family picture shelves forever... A dozen people we've grown to love. People we hate to say goodbye to... But it's that time... And so, off them, all together, frozen in time, we...