Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is a family man cop who is about to turn fifty. Cautious by nature, he is less than happy to be paired with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) when he is assigned to investigate Californian drug baron 'The General' (Mitchell Ryan). Following the death of his wife, Riggs has become a manic loner who no longer cares whether he lives or dies; an approach which causes more than a few problems as he and Murtaugh attempt to bring the General to justice.