Dredd (2012)

Just watched it on blu-ray. I'm not an expert on the source material, I never read much of the comic books, but I was encouraged by some of the reviews here. So I bought it at a discount, watched it, and...

I love it. No, it's not a masterpiece. No brilliance in the story, no $200M effects budget, no complex characters. Instead, it reeks of testosterone. It smells like victory. It tastes like the good old times of Robocop and Die Hard. It feels totally uncompromised and rare in today's cinema.

I like the simple construct of this movie. When "Dredd" begins, you're thrown straight into the story. When the story ends, the movie ends too, no hugs or aftermath. The setting is somewhat contained, smallish in scale and makes the movie intense. The small effects budget is used well, practical visual effects mixed with CGI in an interesting manner. The uniforms are wonderful and the world is bleak in just the right way. This simple story is well-paced and never gets boring. Also, "Dredd" doesn't pretend to be anything else, anything more than it is. It's honest and uncompromising, It's merciless and it's solid.

Karl Urban has got the perfect voice and chin (with that little frown) for this character. That's right, the helmet stays on. He plays the main character in a certain wooden way that absolutely fits. I don't remember much about the comics, but I remember enough that Urban does the character justice. He's a very convincing Dredd and I loved watching him. My respect for him as an actor skyrocketed. He isn't here to promote himself. He isn't here to just "play" Dredd. He is Dredd. Well done, Karl.

Olivia Thirlby is Anderson, Dredd's sidekick. Don't worry, because she's not a female version of Rob Schneider, a forced love interest or some useless Megan Fox. No, instead Olivia's character is useful, humane, interesting and brings a perfect contrast to Dredd - the balance is wonderful. Thirlby can act, and yes she is beautiful too. She's simply adorable. Thumbs up.

Lena Headey makes an excellent villain. She's not your cardboard cutout villain, she's more like a nihilistic drug addict. The fear she strikes into her minions (especially Domhnall Gleeson's wonderfully played character) is not only believable but exciting to watch. Fine job.

This movie works so well because there is nothing in it to distract you from what the movie is really about. There is nothing forced. No sentimentality, no token romance, no questioning of morals, no needless twists. On top of that, "Dredd" needed to be a really, really violent movie. And that's exactly what it is. It's brutally unforgiving in just the right way. It doesn't quite turn into a gore fest, but the violence is effective and very satisfying. These things alone warrant a great deal of respect. We live in a time where everything is PG13, bland and full of some moral or political propaganda (of which some people wrongly accuse Dredd). For once, we got the real thing.

What are the negatives then? I don't know. I can't find any significant flaws. Perhaps the soundtrack could've been more to my personal taste, perhaps the weapons could've sounded "bigger", perhaps some of the CGI blood could've been done in the old-fashioned way...see? I can only think of minor gripes. I wouldn't even ask for a more ambitious storyline or a huge parade of special effects because I like how c

Fmovies: Seventeen years ago, a Sylvester Stallone sci-fi action vehicle was released into the world under the title 'Judge Dredd'. Based on the character from the popular 2000AD comic book series, the film was a huge disappointment with critics and a source of much heartache for Dredd devotees in the way it seemed to blatantly disregard crucial aspects of the source mythology both in look and tone. Fast forward to present day, a world in which comic book characters mean big money for film studios, surely enough time has passed to give the old Judge another crack of the whip right? I'm happy to say fans of the comic book should be able to relax and enjoy this much darker and tougher representation of their much loved character. Although the film, and it's (permanently) helmeted protagonist is a straightforward and simple beast, it actually works all the better for it. Dredd isn't given a back story or imbued with much in the way of humanity, he's instead portrayed more as the mysterious 'man with no name' whose dialogue is limited to one-liners that usually precedes some serious ass kicking. Where the 1995 Judge film was light and comedic, this version is hardcore and extremely violent with some surprising explosions of brutality meted out in a world that's long since gone to hell. As is pleasingly more and more the case in mainstream action cinema, we have strong female representation in Olvia Thirlby as Dredd's rookie sidekick and a nasty Lena Headey on form and fresh from bad girl duties in the celebrated TV series Game Of Thrones. Dredd 3D can't and won't be considered a classic of the genre, but it's a huge step-up from the Stallone version and should satisfy any and all sci-fi action fans looking for a fun Friday night thrill. Visually arresting and with a sensible running time, Dredd rocks. 3.5/5

In 1995 when Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone in the title role hit theatres; critics derided it, audiences dismissed it as "dumb" and it failed to achieve commercial success. Even though this film has gained a cult following, it just wasn't the Judge Dredd movie fans wanted. Now a low key British film company has had another crack at bringing Dredd to the silver screen, and the result is a great science fiction action film that holds no punches and gives the audience a gritty, gory and surprisingly relatable take on the comic book hero.

Karl Urban plays the titular "Dredd", not the most recognisable or bankable actor working, but certainly one of the most versatile. He has a far better hold on the role than Stallone did, Stallone gave a performance that was robotic and almost comical. Stallone would growl and maintain an immovable fanaticism to upholding the law, strutting about in his ostentatious costume. There was very little humanity to the character and it was difficult to relate to him, he was basically playing Robocop.

Urban brings more humanity into it, when innocent bystanders get caught in the mayhem he's sombre and vengeful. He treats upholding the law more as a burden, he would rather issue a life sentence than gun a criminal down. Only when the odds are stacked against him and he has to defend himself against armed goons does he act violently. Urban gets as much out this character as possible with half his face covered up. It's not just an improvement on Stallone's take on the character it's an expansion of the comic book character too.

The supporting cast are all excellent, and they all give great performances and have strong characters to work with. Olivia Thirlby as rookie judge Anderson deserves praise, playing a character with psychic powers is not easy, her approach on the role makes you believe everything her character can do. She is not a weak female role either she is never once the damsel in distress and there is no attempt and sexualisation. Lena Headey as the villain Ma-Ma steals every scene she's in, a crazy blood crazed woman who almost seems to enjoy going toe-to-toe with someone as lethal as Judge Dredd. She doesn't care who gets in the way she just loves the thrill of it all. An insane villain who is ready to just about pull anything is captivating and intense to watch, i really wish she had been in the film more.

The Megacity in this movie is not the Blade-Runner-Esque city seen in the 1995 film, it resembles a modern day overpopulated inner city slum. This gritty realism is one of the films biggest strengths. Dredd himself is not a superhero, he gets shot and bleeds like everyone else this feeling of vulnerability makes it easier to relate to the character.

There's no Rob Schneider in this movie, oh no, no desperate comedy at all there's just no laughs to be had whatsoever. This film is gritty to the extreme, people are seen being shot to ribbons, blown up, set alight, crushed, splattered, skinned, tortured etc etc etc. Yet it never feel over exploitative, just the right amount. It's just how this stuff would happen in real life, once again coming back to the films visceral reality.

The film is not without its flaws, coming off the heels of The Raid a similar film in premise about law enforcers scaling a tower block to get someone at the top floor makes one draw comparisons watching it. The Raid had amazing martial arts to make up for its slower parts and was consistently upping itse

Dredd fmovies. This is the dredd film you've been waiting for. It will not disappoint and it's close to the source material. If you're looking for a bad ass action hero and want some entertainment, then this is it.

You don't really care for much of the characters except for the villain (MaMa) and hero (dredd). Dredd is the focus point and he is a bad ass. The director did a great job on the city and you really feel like it is a corrupt and decadent city where law enforcement officers can judge, jury and execute criminals on the spot.

As I watched the film I was being surprised again and again. They really outdid themselves and it's a large improvement over the 1995 film with stallone. The plot is there, it fits in perfect and you won't question the plot or the motives of what each character does in the film. It is somewhat simple. I think this has a better plot than The Expendables 2 so if you were thinking it might be the same, then the plot is a bit better than that.

The acting is average. It's good but there's nothing worth noting or exciting nor is there any acting that is bad. It's just okay and the only acting you need to care for is Dredd and Karl Urban nailed his performance as Judge Dredd.

The film has a good pace and the action length was on the spot. I never felt bored while the action was going on or I didn't stop caring after a while when the action becomes too long. But this film was perfect in the action.

The 3D affects were surprisingly good for once with the slow motion affects and this is coming from someone who is not fond of 3D. If you are a comic book fan of Judge Dredd and want to see a good judge dredd movie then, this is it.

In a dystopian future, the world is devastated. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the last word in Law & Order within Mega-City One. Judge Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) is his junior partner. They are battling drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) who is operating out of a massive apartment block.

The previous version of Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sly is a campy affair. Consider that it had Rob Schneider in it. 'nuff said. This one brings us into the comics once again but this time, they drop the camp. It is well written probably because they had Alex Garland who also wrote 28 Days Later... and Sunshine among others. Karl Urban is not as imposing as Sly but he does a solid job. Most importantly, he's not impersonating Sly. Olivia Thirlby is great as a foil or conscience to Dredd. Their relationship is the heart of the movie. Lena Headey does a good job as the baddie. It's an interesting unusual choice. It's certainly not your average muscle bound villain.

I did have 2 problems. First, Slo-Mo happens too many times. The first couple of times are interesting. I'm sure it's cool 3D fun, but even that would get tiresome. It's a balancing act between pace and cool and the climax needs pace more than cool. Second problem is the ending. The final fight with Lena Headey is not as climatic as needed. It's a bit of a letdown. Overall, this is super-fun despite the minor problems.

Let me start by saying, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, as in my opinion, it did everything right. Sure, it had no real substance of a story line (hence the 8/10) but that didn't take much away from the film. The simplistic story also had its advantages, as more time could be dedicated to Dredd doing what Dredd does best, instead of messing around in lengthy conversations. Besides, a detailed emotional story might have made this film a flop, as the cold, ruthless character of Dredd would have been somewhat diminished if that had been the case.

So what made this film for me? Simple, the fact that they weren't afraid to make it an 18. This lends strong evidence to the argument that if you want to make an action film that raises the bar, it has to contain all of the shots that just aren't allowed in a 15 rated film. The drug, SLO- M0, that is used by the junkies in this film to slow their perception of time, allows for stunning, and brutal, scenes that also look great in 3D. The 18 rating also allowed for the director to create villains that you despise and you can understand why the other innocent characters fear them, which engages us as an audience.

The film's script is cheesy, but if you've seen the other Judge Dredd film, that'll hardly be a surprise. And I must admit that Karl Urban does a fantastic job of making the lines still sound good. And overall, the acting is good, which is a relief after seeing so many action films where even the main character can't act..

Overall, a great film. Possibly not the best film to watch on a first date, but if you know what you're getting yourself in for and just want some entertaining action, I really don't think Dredd will disappoint.