Lethal Weapon is a 1987 action-comedy film, and the first in the Lethal Weapon series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives who are hell bent on protecting and serving despite their differences. The series falls into the action-comedy and thriller genres, and is generally considered to typify the "buddy cop" plot device. The first Lethal Weapon, along with Die Hard, is credited with setting new standards for urban action films.