12 Best Richard Donner Movies, Ranked

When you look in the movie dictionary under "journeyman director," you'll see a picture of Richard Donner. Okay, no such dictionary exists, but if it did, Donner would be there, and deservedly so. While the "auteur theory" gets deployed by critics (*cough* film snobs *cough*), far less attention is paid to the journeyman directors like Donner. These are filmmakers who don't see themselves as "artists" infusing their work with similar styles or themes, but as hard-working craftsmen who want to make a good movie. And when you look over Donner's 20-plus film career, and the remarkable diversity of pictures he produced, you'll see he did just that.

Okay, sure, he made a few duds, but the dude started working when President Eisenhower was still in office, so cut him some slack. During his 60-plus-year run, he launched the superhero genre, reinvented action movies, created movie stars, worked in multiple genres, and gave us plenty of all-time greats, even if moviegoers loved him more than awards shows or critics groups. Donner never won an Oscar (he was never even nominated), but he earned something far more prestigious: Our gratitude. Let's honor the man and his work by looking at his 12 best movies.

Richard Donner reinvigorated the buddy cop action-comedy with the "Lethal Weapon" series, while Bruce Willis became a movie star playing a world-weary, wisecracking cop with the "Die Hard" films. Despite their shared skills at crowd-pleasing cop movies, Donner and Willis didn't work together until 2006's "16 Blocks." While I would have loved to see a proper Donner-Willis collaboration when both dudes were in their A-list primes, "16 Blocks" does a solid job of making up for lost time.

Willis plays a hard-drinking, burnt-out NYPD detective named Jake "Don't Call Me John McClane" Mosley who gets saddled with an assignment nobody else wants: Transporting a smart-aleck witness named Eddie (Mos Def) 16 blocks to the courthouse to testify. Easy enough, except those "16 Blocks" turn into a gauntlet through hell as crooked cops try to silence Eddie to keep him from spilling the beans on their misdeeds. If "16 Blocks" were released in 1992, it'd top the box office charts, but in 2006, it only managed $65 million. While the audience moved on, they missed out on a solid action flick that showed the 76-year-old Donner still had it.

There are four "Lethal Weapon" movies, and "Lethal Weapon 3" is one of them, which is not an insult when you love this series as much as I do. If you're wondering, "Wait, which one was this?," it's the first one with Rene Russo and the second with Joe Pesci. Oh, you want the story? Well, it's also the "Lethal Weapon" where Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover, once again dreaming of retirement) find themselves busted back to patrol duty after blowing up a building. They work on an internal affairs case with Det. Lorna Cole (Russo) involving black market "cop killer" weapons peddled by a crooked cop/shady arms dealer. 

While the 1987 original was 100% an action movie through and through with some peppering of Shane Black's gallows humor thrown in to lighten the mood, by movie No. 3, the "Lethal Weapon" series belonged in the comedy section of Blockbuster. Which isn't to say the action isn't darn impressive, as Donner could direct an exciting car chase or gun fight in his sleep. While there's no denying the "Lethal Weapon" series saw diminishing returns, there's also no disputing that each movie is a fun romp that delivers the goods.

In 1980, Richard Donner was still very much the "director-for-hire," albeit with two blockbuster hits to his name: "The Omen" and "Superman: The Movie." Alas, he was also suffering from the indignity of being fired from "Superman II" ("Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" is excellent, but I didn't include it on this list because it wasn't released theatrically.) The director licked his wounds on a much smaller film, "Inside Moves." 

While Donner would cement his status as a director who was gifted at blending action with comedy, "Inside Moves" is a capital "D" drama, reminding us that he could capably direct whatever he set his mind to. After a failed suicide attempt leaves him crippled, a depressed and isolated man name Roary (John Savage) finds solace in a local dive bar favored by handicapped people. The bar becomes a sort of "Cheers" for Roary, as he finds the community he had been seeking all along. 

"Inside Moves" may not be an in-depth character study or deep dive into the inner trauma of disability, but it's a sensitive and accessible melodrama that feels triumphant without becoming treacly. While never an inward-looking "suffering artist," Donner admitted he directed "Inside Moves" to take his mind off his own public humiliation following "Superman II." He showed us a man could fly; now he showed how broken people can heal.

Richard Donner and Mel Gibson may not rank among the greatest actor-director collaborators ever, but all six of their movies are darn enjoyable, which even the best can't say. Their first movie outside the "Lethal Weapon" series was the 1994 western comedy, "Maverick." Mel Gibson plays the titular card maven Bret Maverick in this quasi-remake/sequel to the TV show starring James Garner that ran first in the 1950s-1960s, and was rebooted in the early 1980s — proving Hollywood's addiction to pre-existing properties isn't new.

The conniving Maverick hopes to make a massive payday in a poker game, but has to earn the cash to enter. So he does what any fine, upstanding con artist would do and scams a few of his fellow contestants. One (Alfred Molina) wants him dead, while the other (Jodie Foster) may also want him dead, but also kinda just wants him, period. Oh, and Maverick is also being pursued by a U.S. Marshal (James Garner), who's later revealed to be the OG Maverick. Maverick is enjoyable to watch and obviously was to shoot as well, as everybody is clearly having a blast, especially Gibson and Foster, who show terrific chemistry. "Maverick" isn't made to stand the test of time, but it'll make you have a good time, which nobody did better than Donner.

"Ladyhawke" isn't as good as it could have been, but what it could have been makes up for what it isn't. Does that make sense? It will if you see the movie. Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer play a noble knight and his maiden faire who are cursed by a wicked clergyman to spend their lives together, but forever apart; at night, he becomes a wolf, while by day, she transforms into the titular hawk. "Ladyhawke" is told from the perspective of a pickpocket (Matthew Broderick) whose covetous ways frequently get the group into trouble, but ultimately save the day. 

"Ladyhawke" sounds like a tale that bards would sing for centuries, yet the movie is a wee bit dated thanks to a few of Richard Donner's decisions. Firstly, he directs Broderick to give a warmup performance as Ferris Bueller — winky, comical, and self-aware. More problematic, he uses a score that favors "modern" style over melodic substance, abandoning the orchestral grandeur of John Williams and James Horner for a pop-infused soundtrack that elicits not awe, but unintended laughs. 

Still, I liked "Ladyhawke," both for the story and especially for committed performances from Pfeiffer, Hauer, and Leo McKern as a disgraced monk seeking redemption. Ironically, the thing that makes "Ladyhawke" fun to watch is that it's such a throwback to 1985. "Ladyhawke" could have been a timeless classic, but I'll still settle for a time capsule cult classic.

Your crazy uncle who wants to yammer about "the way things really are" is probably a big fan of "Conspiracy Theory," Richard Donner and Mel Gibson's fifth of six collaborations. "Conspiracy Theory" boasts one of the best ten-second elevator pitches in movies: "What happens when one of a crazy man's conspiracy theories turns out to be true, and the only way to save himself is to figure out which one?" Sold. 

Gibson plays New York cabbie Jerry, who spends his free time obsessing over his crackpot newsletter and over a government lawyer named Alice (Julia Roberts), whom he rescued from a mugging. But when Jerry is kidnapped and tortured by the psychotic Dr. Jonas (Patrick Stewart), he has to figure out who the bad guys are and what they want — and Alice has to determine if Jerry's on the level or just bonkers.

"Conspiracy Theory" harkens back to the paranoid thrillers of the 1970s, only this time with a '90s, big-budget sensibility. Thus, it's less bleak, more blockbuster, which may stretch credulity for some. Still, nobody plays nuts better than Mel Gibson (I'll let you decide whether he's acting or not), so "Conspiracy Theory" is tailor-made for his talents. Meanwhile, Donner's talent for blending funny with frenzy makes "Conspiracy Theory" the kind of fast-paced action-comedy-thriller that they just don't make anymore, and I wish they still did. Your uncle would certainly agree.

"Lethal Weapon" pitted our heroes, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), against a hidden enemy who operated in the shadows. "Lethal Weapon 2" has them facing off against bad guys who operate right out in the open, but are protected by diplomatic immunity. South African diplomats arrive in Los Angeles but use their immunity to engage in criminal activities. Riggs and Murtaugh are on their trail, but are taken off the case and forced to protect a witness named Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), who it turns out has secrets on the South African smugglers the bad guys are willing to kill for.

The poster for the 1989 sequel simply says, "the magic is back," and that pretty much sums up the appeal. Gibson and Glover have such great chemistry that they could bottle it up and sell it, while Richard Donner skillfully supports his two leads' skills while bringing his own penchant for big laughs and bigger explosions (including a toilet bomb). Adding another element to this proven dynamic was risky, but Pesci proves to be the perfect addition, playing the meek Leo Getz as masterfully as he did the ultra-violent Tommy DeVito one year later in "Goodfellas." Some may argue that "Lethal Weapon 2" is the rare sequel that's better than the original. I won't go that far, but I will say "Lethal Weapon 2" gives us even more of what we loved from the first film, proving the magic was indeed back.

"Scrooged" sadly doesn't make as many people's "Christmas Comedy Checklists" as the similarly ribald laugh riots "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and "Bad Santa." No knock on those movies, but that's a darn shame, as this retelling of "A Christmas Carol" is not only one of the funniest Christmas movies, but one of the most clever retellings of Charles Dickens' classic. Murray plays the mercurial and merciless Frank Cross, the acid-tongued television executive who's putting his career on the line to produce a live production of Charles Dickens' "Scrooge" on Christmas Eve — while also being visited by three spirits who warn him to change his selfish ways. 

Bill Murray wasn't crazy about "Scrooged" or working with Richard Donner, saying the rushed production kept them from making a "really, really good movie," and that Donner's direction amounted to telling him to do things "louder, louder, louder." Perhaps a personality clash was inevitable, as Donner was extremely efficient, while Murray ... could be difficult. Even so, "Scrooged" stands on its own. Sandwiched between "Lethal Weapon" and "Lethal Weapon 2," the 1988 movie showed Donner was as good at infusing fantasy into comedy as he was at mixing humor with action. Meanwhile, Murray is at his acerbic best, giving one of his greatest (and certainly most underrated) performances. Throw in the ever-charming Karen Allen as Cross' love that got away, plus a supporting cast of '80s comedy heavyweights, and you have a Christmas comedy that belongs on any person's holiday watchlist.

Everybody has their "Mount Rushmore of 80s Movies," and for millions of Gen X moviegoers, "The Goonies" belongs on the mountaintop. Why? Because "Goonies never say die," that's why. Released in 1985, "The Goonies" was one of the many "Steven Spielberg Presents" movies of the 1980s — films he produced but didn't direct, including flicks like "Gremlins," "The Land Before Time," and the year's big box-office winner, "Back To The Future." One suspects Spielberg had a particular fondness for "The Goonies," as he developed the story. However, he outsourced directorial duties to Richard Donner, who managed to direct child actors every bit as capably as he did grown-ups, and arguably even as well as Spielberg himself.

"The Goonies" is the name of a group of friends who spend their days getting into wacky adventures, just like kids used to do before helicopter parenting (at least in the movies). When two of the crew are at risk of losing their family home, "The Goonies" band together to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure to save it ... as one does. Despite Donner directing, "The Goonies" is certainly Spielbergian, which just proves how gifted Donner was at handling any assignment he was given. No matter how old you are, watching "The Goodies" makes you feel like a kid — and makes you wish Donner directed more movies specifically targeting young audiences.

The Devil was big business following the blockbuster "The Exorcist" in 1973. But while that film was about a mere demonic underling named Pazuzu, "The Omen" said, "Hold my pitchfork," and told a story about the son of Satan himself. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick play U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn and his wife Katherine, a childless couple who adopt a baby named Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), whose mother died in childbirth. Seems noble enough, but things get sketchy when the child turns five and the Thorn family begins being plagued by a series of supernatural phenomena, including the arrival a mysterious Rottweiler who protects Damien, a suicidal nanny, her homicidal replacement, and the horrific deaths of anybody who dares utter the truth; that Damien is the Antichrist, the bastard seed of Satan and a jackal. Not going to ask how that conception happened, but okay. 

If it all sounds a bit much, "The Omen" far exceeds its grindhouse horror trappings because of Richard Donner's insistence on not treating it like a horror film, but as a thriller. That approach was enough to convince Gregory Peck, the Oscar-winning Hollywood legend with several masterpieces under his belt, to sign onto a film he might have otherwise considered base and crass. Peck and Remick's movie star gravitas elevates the material, while Donner's focus on spine-tingling suspense over indulgent gore makes "The Omen" the rare horror film that still holds up 50 years later, and the start of a franchise that continues to this day.

"Lethal Weapon" didn't invent the buddy-cop, action-comedy — it just did it better than any other film in the genre has before or since. The reason is pretty simple: Mel Gibson and Danny Glover have near-perfect chemistry as Detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. Given the series became more comedic as it went on, it's easy to forget the title "Lethal Weapon" refers to Riggs, a John Rambo-like special forces officer in Vietnam, whose well-honed killer instincts were held in check by his beloved wife. But we meet Riggs after she has already died in a car wreck. Buried in the throes of despair, Riggs is ready to take his own life, and that of anyone who stands in his way. 

Naturally, he's paired with a boy scout cop who's looking forward to hanging up his boots and spending his days on his fishing boat. What starts as an odd couple pairing turns into a "ride-or-die" brotherhood as the two face off against an underground drug-trafficking ring run by a defunct paramilitary CIA squad. Screenwriter Shane Black wrote the script, which bears his hallmarks, though his paranoid tendencies are kept in check by Richard Donner's mainstream storytelling sensibilities. The result is a genre-defining, humor-tinged action movie that not only redefined the cop genre but whose influence can also be felt in the humorous tones of everything from the Monsterverse to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Lethal Weapon" is many things, and under Donner's direction, it does all of them magnificently.

While it came out nearly 50 years ago, it's no exaggeration to say "Superman: The Movie" launched the modern superhero genre. It's even less exaggeration to say it's still one of the genre's best, almost half a century since its 1978 release. Pretty impressive, considering director Richard Donner only set out to make moviegoers believe a man could fly. But even that was a tall order in the late 1970s, long before CGI made anything a filmmaker could fantasize possible ... but not necessarily believable. Therein lies the secret to this movie's continued timelessness: It makes you believe what you see. This isn't some cynical corporate product hastily assembled on a computer, but a capital-M movie painstakingly put together by a master craftsman who deeply understood the medium of film.

Bigger-budgeted superhero movies have clogged up the marketplace in the decades since; precious few have this film's heart, gravitas, and deep, abiding affection for its star character, not even movies with "Superman" in the title. Kudos go to John Williams for his triumphant score, and most of all to the brilliant Christopher Reeve, who shows us that an invincible man's only weakness is his love for the people he protects. But it all comes together thanks to Richard Donner manning the ship and directing a masterpiece. To this day, "Superman: The Movie" continues to excite, delight, make us laugh, make us smile, and most of all, make us believe that a man can fly.