Lethal Weapon

After first teaming for the acclaimed BBC television series Edge of Darkness, composer Michael Kamen and guitar god Eric Clapton reunited to score Richard Donner's 1987 action blockbuster Lethal Weapon, and while Clapton's six-string pyrotechnics generated the lion's share of attention upon the soundtrack's official release, it's Kamen's dramatic, razor-edged orchestrations that proved most influential, anticipating his landmark Die Hard score by a year. Kamen's relentless melodies boast the epic scope that would define popcorn-movie action in the years to follow, but unlike so many of his rivals he never sacrifices complexity for bombast. Even the most chaotic themes reveal an inner logic and purpose. Warner Bros.' original 1987 soundtrack is woefully incomplete, but in 2002 Kamen oversaw a comprehensive reissue on the Bacchus label that remains Lethal Weapon's definitive release. ~ Jason Ankeny