Dredd review
Karl Urban takes on the role of Mega-City One's iconic justice dispenser. Here's our review of Dredd…
For every one of the problems with Dredd – and there are a few we’ll eventually get to – there’s really quite a lot to admire. Not least that it feels like the project started with a firm understanding of how its central character should be depicted, something that remains completely intact in the final cut.
Easily the hardest-edged comic book adaptation we’ve seen in a long, long time, this second attempt to bring Dredd to the big screen is a far more faithful beast than the oft-maligned 1995 movie. Right from the off, we're dragged into the future world of Mega City One. It's a horrible, dirty, sprawling rats’ nest of crime, full of endless concrete. It's also overseen by a series of Judges, who act as judge, jury and executioner as they attempt to bring order to the city. If you’re looking for a definition of ‘unwinnable war’, what the Judges face in Mega-City One is a good place to start.
But that doesn’t stop them trying, and thus we meet Judge Dredd, played by Karl Urban – and unlike Sylvester Stallone’s take on the character, his helmet remains on his head for the entire movie. Urban’s Dredd channels Clint Eastwood (pre-empty chair incident), barking out words only when necessary, and never betraying the slightest hint of emotion. It's an excellent performance from someone who clearly understands the role. The focus of the film itself is effectively on one day in Judge Dredd's life, marrying up elements of Training Day and The Raid as it does so.
The premise here is that Dredd has this single day to find out whether new rookie Anderson has got what it takes to be a judge. Unfortunately, it's also the day they end up in a 200-story building under the rule of drug baron Ma-Ma. She's peddling a narcotic by the name of Slo-Mo, and Dredd and Anderson soon find themselves imprisoned in the block, fighting to bring the criminals within it to justice.
It’s a simple setup, and quite a wise one. After all, this Dredd doesn’t have the budget of its contemporaries, and the money thus has to be spent very wisely. There’s some solid effects work to establish the perspective and tone of the city, but more interestingly, they filmmakers have spent the cash on details. Graphic displays, make-up, signs, little things in the background that give more realism and texture to a world than a computer graphic can generally give you.
The flip side to all of this, though, is there’s not actually a lot of story. Furthermore, even though Olivia Thirlby’s excellent Anderson (again, captured faithfully from the comics) – effectively in the Doctor Who companion role, narratively – carries the emotional burden of the film (not least in a sequence where she meets one of the block’s residents), there’s no real opportunity to get under the skin of the main characters. It boils down, then, to a simple case of law enforcers versus criminals, and not a lot more than that.
But it does commit to what it's trying to do, and the world it's trying to represent. Alex Garland’s sparse dialogue is harsh, and true to both Dredd and the original 2000AD strips. Furthermore, there’s no attempt whatsoever to soften the film. This is a brutal piece of work, and director Pete Travis doesn’t shy away from that at all. Blood splatters, people die in horrible circumstances, and the effects of Slo-Mo are ever present (although this does mean we get a few over-extended slow-motion scenes which outstay their welcomea little).
Credit, too, to Lena Headey, who’s already shown that she can be a complicated antagonist in Game Of Thrones. There isn’t the same depth to her character in Dredd, but as Ma-Ma, she’s a convincing villain, and there’s little doubting her commitment to the role. You're never in any doubt at all that her character is a nasty, ruthless individual, living in a nasty, ruthless world.
Dredd is rough, loud and brash, then, a film that doesn’t get everything right, and has seen some of its thunder stolen by The Raid earlier this year. But it’s a movie you can’t help but commend.
Consider this: when Spider-Man 3 disappointed, Sony took the safe option with its following film of the webslinger, cutting all the edges off and making as conventional a movie as possible in The Amazing Spider-Man. The first Judge Dredd film, appreciating it was much further back, also disappointed, but the team behind Dredd have gone in the other direction. While others are looking to make comic book movies that appeal to the largest audience possible, those behind Dredd went right back to the darkness of the source material, and instead brought that to the screen. As a result, in the UK the film has an 18 certificate, and there's no doubt whatsoever that it deserves it.
Dredd might not always make for the most even and enjoyable of films (and its box office returns will inevitably be dwarfed by the Batmans and Spider-Mans of the world). Yet when it sparks into life, when you see just how much care and passion is behind it, and when it all hangs together, it becomes clear that it’s not just a film that deserves to be seen, it’s one that deserves to be supported and applauded, too.
Dredd is the kind of comic-book movie that they weren’t supposed to be making anymore. Luckily for us, someone decided to ignore that.
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A decent and fair review, all things considered, and one I can't contend with as I haven't seen the film yet, but it's very interesting to note that 'Dredd' has yet to receive a SINGLE bad or unfavorable review anywhere... when's the last time that happened with a British genre film?
'Dredd' is never going to be able to compete with the hundred-million-dollar-plus Marvel and DC movies, but it still can (and very well may) do enough business at the box-office to make it a resounding success, I'm hoping it will do at least $120m worldwide (a very realistic and reasonable target), in which case, a sequel (hopefully two) is highly likely... and the thought of eventually seeing the Dark Judges on the big screen is too exciting for words, quite frankly!
If this reviewer was on RT he'd have ruined the films 100% fresh rating !
I'm looking forward to seeing the film so I'll hold off on reading the review until that time
this says it for me..
QUOTE
"Dredd is the kind of comic-book movie that they weren’t supposed to be making anymore. Luckily for us, someone decided to ignore that. "
Watching it Thursday/Friday Grudd Generally we all want at least 3 movies this'll be the 1st.. . . . . Credo #
It's actually a very even-handed and mostly positive review (for some reason Dredd seems to be attracting a fair few 3 star reviews that read like 4 stars - see also Total Film and Empire). 3 stars can mean a lot of different things. In the case of Prometheus, a huge let-down. In this case it's a solid, enjoyable film. It would definitely qualify as a 'fresh'.
Let's hope so! I saw the film at a fan screening the other night, and trust me when I say; it's great. I think for most people it'll be a solid, fun experience - a high end 3 star, or 4 star memorable action movie and definitely worth seeing. But for fans of Dredd and 2000ad, it's a 5 star smash (the response from the fan screening was phenomenal - no one had a bad word to say about it other than a few very minor niggles), the only problem is it leaves you wanting more! Fingers crossed for those sequels.
If they've gotten the real heart of it correct, Dredd and his world, then that's the most important thing. So long as the film does well enough, and I hope it does, then those are the solid building blocks they can...well...build on.
Visually (superficially), this isn't EXACTLY the Dredd and Mega-City we know from the comics - we've all seen the trailer and the publicity photos - but speaking as someone who has seen the actual film I can tell you that Urban IS Dredd. The gruffness, the tightly wound aggression, the absurd matter-of-fact way he deals with everything - even that trademark Wagner-esque dry humour. It really is spot on. It's uncanny how well they have captured Dredd on the screen.
A guy with a helmet on, who hardly speaks is hard to empathise with?
Blow me down.
"..it becomes clear that it’s not just a film that deserves to be seen, it’s one that deserves to be supported and applauded, too." - Surely for this reason is deserves another star DOG? Somebody said on this post thread that ur review reads like 4 star recommendation. I agree with that sentiment. U owe the film another star GOG. Ur a 'geek' website not Total Film or Empire! Sort it out people!
Terrific film and fair review. I'd liken it to Taken, very simple and straightforward, but executed excellently
I'm a fan but feel it rated a 4. .more fun than DKR, dark exciting, edge of seat...
Dredd is indeed a tricky one to gauge. The comic has a huge following,
but when that translates to the kind of numbers needed to make studio
executives happy, there's some doubt as to whether the fan base is big
enough.
First things first, Karl Urban is a great choice, he's up and coming and
fits the role after Red and whichever Bourne film it was. However...I
couldn't help but feel disappointed with Mega City 1.
It was more like Super City 1 and hadn't quite achieved Mega status yet.
Is this Dredd: The Early Cases..? Not with Anderson being there it
isn't. I wanted - and was expecting - something equally as gritty as we
got, but with a more...Bladerunner-esque sprawling metropolis. Something
truly like we see in the comic books - which as ashamed as I am to
admit - the Stallone version attempted to do.
Is this Super City 1 a subconscious Garland metaphor for the world we
live in today? A suggestion that perhaps we are closer to the 'horrible, dirty, sprawling rats’ nest of crime, full of endless concrete' than we think?
This plot would've made a page-turning story in 2000AD, the fact that it
doesn't equate to a great deal more than Judge Dredd vs Lots of Thugs
on the big screen should present a positive learning experience for the
writers.
I also agree with Simon Brew regarding the Slo-Mo sequences. You can't
help but feel like these were written into the script purely to make it
visually effective in HD and 3D.
On the plus side, Anderson was excellent, I liked the mind games
sequence and the fact that she executed that woman's husband - which we
saw...and then moved on without dwelling. Nice.
I hope with all of my heart that this film does well; well enough to
generate a bigger budget for the sequel and finally a perfected Dredd
movie.
I thought this film was brilliant! Although the end felt abit rushed, I preferred it to TDKR! I might even go again!
The film to me IS DREDD, I saw an interview before seeing the film, is said that when the producer saw the first script, he said. "Dredd says too much half it". So the script went away, and then when Karl Urban saw it, he said, "dredd says to much half it again!" And so from what Karl said Dredd says the bare minimum, and it comes across as the Dredd from 200ad.
And I have to agree with that, Mega city one looks great and to base the movie on a block war was an inspired choice. People who have read 200ad know how nasty block wars can be, and so it worked out very well.
They have said this is the first of three movies, and that 'maybe' Judge death is coming to the second, which I hope is true. After all who can beat the iconic line of.....
Judeg Death...... "Look into the face of death"
Dredd ........"Look into the first of dredd!"
actually it was Judge Fear he said that line to. I agree though it is Dredd, and it is Anderson (inspired). It wasn't quite Mega City One but the block felt like a proper block - though it wasn't a block war as only one block was involved : Excellent film overall and one I will go and see again - I missed the Chopper graffiti first time round :)