“Lethal Weapon 2” (リーサル・ウェポン2 炎の約束), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1989, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA473
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1989 for the first Japanese release of Lethal Weapon 2, directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Patsy Kensit, and Joss Ackland. As the explosive follow-up to the hugely successful 1987 original, the film helped establish Lethal Weapon as one of the defining action franchises of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Film background
Released in 1989, Lethal Weapon 2 reunites Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh as they become entangled with a South African diplomatic racket, escalating the first film’s buddy-cop formula into something bigger, louder, and more commercially confident. The film deepened the chemistry between Gibson and Glover, introduced Joe Pesci’s memorable Leo Getz, and balanced action, humour, and emotional stakes in a way that made it one of the era’s most popular studio action sequels.
For collectors, it represents the moment when the franchise fully entered blockbuster status, and original Japanese release posters from this period have a distinctive graphic force quite different from their American counterparts.
Poster design
This is a bold and highly displayable Japanese design. The composition is dominated by a large image of Mel Gibson as Riggs, seated amid smoke and wreckage with submachine gun in hand, creating an immediate sense of danger and late-1980s action-movie swagger. Below, smaller action scenes featuring Danny Glover and Patsy Kensit widen the narrative field and reinforce the film’s mix of urban menace, spectacle, and star power.
The Japanese title treatment is especially strong, with the large red リーサル・ウェポン2 title and orange subtitle 炎の約束 giving the sheet real impact. The overall effect is exactly what collectors want from period action paper: vivid, dramatic, and unmistakably tied to the high-energy style of the late 1980s.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photo—it shows the exact poster for sale.
It is over 37 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
