Directed by:
Pete TravisScreenplay:
Alex GarlandCinematography:
Anthony Dod MantleComposer:
Paul Leonard-MorganCast:
Karl Urban, Lena Headey, Olivia Thirlby, Langley Kirkwood, Warrick Grier, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson, Wood Harris, Scott Sparrow, Deobia Oparei, Karl Thaning (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
The future America is an irradiated wasteland. On its East Coast lies Mega City One - a vast violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge jury and instant executioner. The ultimate Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is tasked with ridding the city of its latest scourge -a dangerous drug and the sadistic prostitute turned drug pusher who is using it to take over the city. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (12)
Formally stylized, it is a bold and confident B-movie, well acted, straightforward enough, with a simple plot outline. Conquering the floors of a mega-building like in The Raid, only in the American way, is a rewarding variation in the action genre. And just when you think it's over, a reference to Blade Runner subtly winks at you.
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If the creators’ goal was to fix Dredd’s movie reputation after the ’95 fiasco, then… It went from bad to worse to the very worst. At least they stayed true to the original. But what good does that do when not even the greatest film talent would be able to create a movie (not to mention a good one) out of a display of unashamed gore and ultra-annoying ultra-slow-motion shots. Let alone a predictable bore like Travis.
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Bloodbath. It really reminded me of The Raid, but without the martial arts. Instead we got neat shooters with all the ammo modifications imaginable (a little and big boy’s dream) and classic fisticuffs... right down somebody’s throat. Urban makes a perfect Dredd, better than Sly in reeling off great lines, commanding greater respect. Lena Headey as Ma-Ma is a decent opponent and the new girl makes for pleasant viewing. Slo-mo was in charge of the visually powerful scenes (evidently low-budget) and the 3D might have looked good if only those bastard distributors had put it on general release. If it doesn’t earn, it doesn’t earn. More bodies for recycling.
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It's hard to find a better subject for a demonstration of the technological advances of high-frequency cameras than a fascist enforcer, where even a guy like Almódovar could have a go at psychology. Which is nicely hinted at, among other things, by the scene where the telepath declares that she feels something like-... and is promptly cut off by her superior, and the film never returns to this theme throughout. Who wants it to, either, when Dredd's means of expression is catered for throughout the running time by his trusty hand cannon, which has a small black hole in the ammunition chamber, so he can mow down an entire house with one handheld multi-function pistol (OBI Fall 2012/Winter 2013 catalogue), which he explains in advance to all the occupants with the courtesy of a civil servant. Then one will forgive even the fact that Karl Urban's helmet is a tad large. Dredd is a cinephilic B-movie, fondling every shot, creating the effectiveness of the action sequences not by editing but by framing the shot, and most importantly a film in which the use of spectacular slow motion is grounded in a narrative structure that is simply revolutionary. And Lena Headey is nipping cruelly at the heels of Batman's Bane as one of this year’s baddies.
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From start to finish, a sough-after bit of nonsense that unwittingly joins hands with its inept predecessor from the 90s. It is all the more amusing that it strives so hard not to be such an unnecessary addition. And yet Karl Urban goes unused, the attractive Olivia Thirlby has a thankless role as a talented rookie, Lena Headey as the main attraction never steps out of the box of the anonymous antagonist, and the brutal action becomes boring after the third shootout. I don't understand what happened to Alex Garland's creative talent, which he obviously possesses in spades. Most of the time Dredd only hints at its world, showcasing only a few fragments and instead giving far more space to blatantly inaccessible scenes, and slow-motion shots that are, forgive me, plain stupid (without which this movie would have lasted no more than a weak hour).
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Gallery (188)
Photo © Lionsgate
![Dredd - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/041/160041838_f901a5.jpg)
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