Review: Dredd 2012

[Joelist]

Dredd 2012: Dredd done right

Dredd 2012 is a new film – the second film made about the iconic comic character Judge Dredd. It stars Karl Urban in the title role, with Olivia Thirlby as trainee Judge Anderson (also a character from the Dredd comics) and Lena Headley (of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame) as the villain.

Before getting to the movie itself, let me lead in with a few words about first the Judge Dredd comics then the first attempt at making it a movie – the 1995 big budget film starring Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider.

The Comics

Judge Dredd was conceived as a semi-futuristic lawman that took the character “Dirty Harry” to its logical extreme. A whole comic book series (2000 AD) arose around this with a full dystopian world populated with characters both good and bad. It is considered a seminal comic series and indeed the Dredd universe and character and the Judge system have even been invoked in discussions of real world questions about governance and the administration of justice.

The 1995 film

In 1995 a big budget film based on Judge Dredd was made. It starred Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider. I did a more detailed review of that film here:

http://www.gatefans.net/gforums/thr...e-dredd-stallone-1995-film.26164/#post-832579

Basically, while the 1995 film did okay with its visuals it got the characters wrong. Stallone hideously overacting the Dredd role didn’t help either. Plus, his Dredd did not come across at all like the logical endpoint of Dirty Harry – he was just a typical Stallone overblown action hero role. And unfortunately that horrid performance colored the thinking of those who had not read the comics on the whole Dredd character and universe.

The 2012 film

With the background in place, let’s look at this new Dredd film.

The first thing to note is that the budget here was smaller. However it is still VERY effective visually. The city in this film has a properly grungy look and the megablock towers are very effectively realized. The action choreography is first rate and almost poetic at times. This film looks a lot more expensive than it really was.

Second, these characters are done right. Dredd in this film is gruff, taciturn and is indeed the logical endpoint of the character concepts underlying Dirty Harry. Anderson is a mutant psychic trainee judge and again her character is true to the comics. The villain (Lena Headley) is a vicious druglord named MaMa – while this is not a character from the comics the STYLE and TONE of the character are.

Not only are the characters written very well, the performances are outstanding.

Karl Urban does it again – in Star Trek 09 he nailed Doctor McCoy so precisely it seemed like he was channeling DeForrest Kelley. Here he gives a similarly outstanding performance – he IS Dredd. What makes it all the more impressive is he conveys this without our ever being able to see his eyes or upper face – this Dredd keeps his helmet on like he is supposed to.

Olivia Thirlby is new to me as an actress. I gather she was in Juno but I never saw that film. All I can say here is that she turns in an effective performance as the rookie judge. She has psionic powers (just like in the comics) and uses them one time to horrific effect. Part of the film is her character does have an arc – she changes a good deal from her “day on the street” with Dredd.

Lena Headley is great as the villain – the sadistic druglord MaMa. A frequent issue in these types of hero-villain films is that the villain is not a foe worthy of the hero. That is not the case here. MaMa is vicious and sadistic but also intelligent. She is even given a backstory that elicits a little bit of sympathy over her past and how it may have had a role in turning her into a monster.

With strong characters performed well, the next question is: does it work? Well, I say yes it does. This film is what is known as a “small set story”. It basically all takes place in one building and really there are only three main plotlines and they are all related. This gives the film focus. And that keeps the story moving and the tension present. All in all it is well directed. As the story was written by Alex Garland (who also wrote 28 Days Later) I was not surprised it was well structured.

All in all, I liked this new Dredd film. I hope you do as well.

 

[shavedape]

Well written review!

I'm so turned off by Stalone that I probably just heard the title of this one and said 'forget it', that's how badly he stigmatizes things for me. But, based on this review, I'd actually see this one. Karl Urban in the lead role is a plus.

 

[YJ02]

the best part of the 95 film was probably Diane Lanes appearance in her form fitting judge uniform (always get that confused with Sandra Bullocks "uni-firm" uniform appearance in "Demo Man")

ok, my moment of perversion is over

 

[Overmind One]

the best part of the 95 film was probably Diane Lanes appearance in her form fitting judge uniform (always get that confused with Sandra Bullocks "uni-firm" uniform appearance in "Demo Man")

ok, my moment of perversion is over

That uni-firm on Sandra was unforgettable for me. I love Sandra Bullock and her quirky/sexy persona. One of a kind! A joy joy body to be sure.

 

[Joelist]

The funny thing is that in Demolition Man, Stallone's performance actually hit most of the right notes and he was not an issue. In the 95 Dredd (as stated before) his performance was really bad and created issues in the movie. Not to mention even the concept of Rob Schneider in the 95 film was idiotic - who on earth would think JUDGE DREDD should have a comic sidekick of all people? His schtick totally ruins any idea of the film having any tension or mood to it.

Back however to the 2012 Dredd, Urban hits all the Dredd notes correctly and the tone and feel of the film is in line with the comics. If I had to pick a nit with the 2012 film it would be the same one I did with Daybreakers - this film is GORY. But like I said that is a nit - everything else is spot on.

 

[OMNI]

Dredd 2012: Dredd done right

Dredd 2012 is a new film – the second film made about the iconic comic character Judge Dredd. It stars Karl Urban in the title role, with Olivia Thirlby as trainee Judge Anderson (also a character from the Dredd comics) and Lena Headley (of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame) as the villain.

Before getting to the movie itself, let me lead in with a few words about first the Judge Dredd comics then the first attempt at making it a movie – the 1995 big budget film starring Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider.

The Comics

Judge Dredd was conceived as a semi-futuristic lawman that took the character “Dirty Harry” to its logical extreme. A whole comic book series (2000 AD) arose around this with a full dystopian world populated with characters both good and bad. It is considered a seminal comic series and indeed the Dredd universe and character and the Judge system have even been invoked in discussions of real world questions about governance and the administration of justice.

The 1995 film

In 1995 a big budget film based on Judge Dredd was made. It starred Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider. I did a more detailed review of that film here:

http://www.gatefans.net/gforums/thr...e-dredd-stallone-1995-film.26164/#post-832579

Basically, while the 1995 film did okay with its visuals it got the characters wrong. Stallone hideously overacting the Dredd role didn’t help either. Plus, his Dredd did not come across at all like the logical endpoint of Dirty Harry – he was just a typical Stallone overblown action hero role. And unfortunately that horrid performance colored the thinking of those who had not read the comics on the whole Dredd character and universe.

The 2012 film

With the background in place, let’s look at this new Dredd film.

The first thing to note is that the budget here was smaller. However it is still VERY effective visually. The city in this film has a properly grungy look and the megablock towers are very effectively realized. The action choreography is first rate and almost poetic at times. This film looks a lot more expensive than it really was.

Second, these characters are done right. Dredd in this film is gruff, taciturn and is indeed the logical endpoint of the character concepts underlying Dirty Harry. Anderson is a mutant psychic trainee judge and again her character is true to the comics. The villain (Lena Headley) is a vicious druglord named MaMa – while this is not a character from the comics the STYLE and TONE of the character are.

Not only are the characters written very well, the performances are outstanding.

Karl Urban does it again – in Star Trek 09 he nailed Doctor McCoy so precisely it seemed like he was channeling DeForrest Kelley. Here he gives a similarly outstanding performance – he IS Dredd. What makes it all the more impressive is he conveys this without our ever being able to see his eyes or upper face – this Dredd keeps his helmet on like he is supposed to.

Olivia Thirlby is new to me as an actress. I gather she was in Juno but I never saw that film. All I can say here is that she turns in an effective performance as the rookie judge. She has psionic powers (just like in the comics) and uses them one time to horrific effect. Part of the film is her character does have an arc – she changes a good deal from her “day on the street” with Dredd.

Lena Headley is great as the villain – the sadistic druglord MaMa. A frequent issue in these types of hero-villain films is that the villain is not a foe worthy of the hero. That is not the case here. MaMa is vicious and sadistic but also intelligent. She is even given a backstory that elicits a little bit of sympathy over her past and how it may have had a role in turning her into a monster.

With strong characters performed well, the next question is: does it work? Well, I say yes it does. This film is what is known as a “small set story”. It basically all takes place in one building and really there are only three main plotlines and they are all related. This gives the film focus. And that keeps the story moving and the tension present. All in all it is well directed. As the story was written by Alex Garland (who also wrote 28 Days Later) I was not surprised it was well structured.

All in all, I liked this new Dredd film. I hope you do as well.

wow im shocked ..really.

 

[Joelist]

wow im shocked ..really.

I know I don't always go for heavily gory films. I think seeing Dredd played properly was a factor in pushing me over the line to liking it. It's all cool - we have differing tastes.

 

[YJ02]

The funny thing is that in Demolition Man, Stallone's performance actually hit most of the right notes and he was not an issue. In the 95 Dredd (as stated before) his performance was really bad and created issues in the movie. Not to mention even the concept of Rob Schneider in the 95 film was idiotic - who on earth would think JUDGE DREDD should have a comic sidekick of all people? His schtick totally ruins any idea of the film having any tension or mood to it.

Back however to the 2012 Dredd, Urban hits all the Dredd notes correctly and the tone and feel of the film is in line with the comics. If I had to pick a nit with the 2012 film it would be the same one I did with Daybreakers - this film is GORY. But like I said that is a nit - everything else is spot on.

i always believed that some TPTB for the 95 Dredd owed something to Schneider to get him in the film. Either that or Schneider had some nasty pic's of someone doing something they were not supposed to do.

Or he just threatened to bring new light on Stallone's porno past.

 

[shavedape]

i always believed that some TPTB for the 95 Dredd owed something to Schneider to get him in the film. Either that or Schneider had some nasty pic's of someone doing something they were not supposed to do.

Or he just threatened to bring new light on Stallone's porno past.

Yeah I often wonder why they cast such numb-nuts to play the buddy roles. The whole wise cracking thing is just so damn tired. Often the smart ass best buddy is the first one I want to see performing fellatio on a rifle muzzle in those movies. Sadly, I never get what I want.

 

[YJ02]

That uni-firm on Sandra was unforgettable for me. I love Sandra Bullock and her quirky/sexy persona. One of a kind! A joy joy body to be sure.

Could you imagine how long it took her to get into those pants? Or either Beckingsdale or Mitra in Underworld?

Just wondering--when we were younger--and a lot thinner-my wife had a fad with "skinny jeans" (yes this is at least the 2nd iteration of the fad), watching her getting them on was painful--and she was only about 105lbs then.

nothing important-just sayin'

 

[Joelist]

i always believed that some TPTB for the 95 Dredd owed something to Schneider to get him in the film. Either that or Schneider had some nasty pic's of someone doing something they were not supposed to do.

Or he just threatened to bring new light on Stallone's porno past.

It's not just Schneider in particular but even the idea of giving Dredd a comic sidekick that is stupid. If you do see the 2012 Dredd, note that the character of Judge Anderson is FAR from comical she is naive and idealistic but also very grim in her own right.

 

[Overmind One]

By: Joelist

Dredd 2012: Dredd done right


Dredd 2012 is a new film – the second film made about the iconic comic character Judge Dredd. It stars Karl Urban in the title role, with Olivia Thirlby as trainee Judge Anderson (also a character from the Dredd comics) and Lena Headley (of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame) as the villain.

Before getting to the movie itself, let me lead in with a few words about first the Judge Dredd comics then the first attempt at making it a movie – the 1995 big budget film starring Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider.

The Comics

Judge Dredd was conceived as a semi-futuristic lawman that took the character “Dirty Harry” to its logical extreme. A whole comic book series (2000 AD) arose around this with a full dystopian world populated with characters both good and bad. It is considered a seminal comic series and indeed the Dredd universe and character and the Judge system have even been invoked in discussions of real world questions about governance and the administration of justice.

The 1995 film

In 1995 a big budget film based on Judge Dredd was made. It starred Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider. I did a more detailed review of that film here:

http://www.gatefans.net/gforums/thr...e-dredd-stallone-1995-film.26164/#post-832579

Basically, while the 1995 film did okay with its visuals it got the characters wrong. Stallone hideously overacting the Dredd role didn’t help either. Plus, his Dredd did not come across at all like the logical endpoint of Dirty Harry – he was just a typical Stallone overblown action hero role. And unfortunately that horrid performance colored the thinking of those who had not read the comics on the whole Dredd character and universe.

The 2012 film

With the background in place, let’s look at this new Dredd film.

The first thing to note is that the budget here was smaller. However it is still VERY effective visually. The city in this film has a properly grungy look and the megablock towers are very effectively realized. The action choreography is first rate and almost poetic at times. This film looks a lot more expensive than it really was.

Second, these characters are done right. Dredd in this film is gruff, taciturn and is indeed the logical endpoint of the character concepts underlying Dirty Harry. Anderson is a mutant psychic trainee judge and again her character is true to the comics. The villain (Lena Headley) is a vicious druglord named MaMa – while this is not a character from the comics the STYLE and TONE of the character are.

Not only are the characters written very well, the performances are outstanding.

Karl Urban does it again – in Star Trek 09 he nailed Doctor McCoy so precisely it seemed like he was channeling DeForrest Kelley. Here he gives a similarly outstanding performance – he IS Dredd. What makes it all the more impressive is he conveys this without our ever being able to see his eyes or upper face – this Dredd keeps his helmet on like he is supposed to.

Olivia Thirlby is new to me as an actress. I gather she was in Juno but I never saw that film. All I can say here is that she turns in an effective performance as the rookie judge. She has psionic powers (just like in the comics) and uses them one time to horrific effect. Part of the film is her character does have an arc – she changes a good deal from her “day on the street” with Dredd.

Lena Headley is great as the villain – the sadistic druglord MaMa. A frequent issue in these types of hero-villain films is that the villain is not a foe worthy of the hero. That is not the case here. MaMa is vicious and sadistic but also intelligent. She is even given a backstory that elicits a little bit of sympathy over her past and how it may have had a role in turning her into a monster.

With strong characters performed well, the next question is: does it work? Well, I say yes it does. This film is what is known as a “small set story”. It basically all takes place in one building and really there are only three main plotlines and they are all related. This gives the film focus. And that keeps the story moving and the tension present. All in all it is well directed. As the story was written by Alex Garland (who also wrote 28 Days Later) I was not surprised it was well structured.

All in all, I liked this new Dredd film. I hope you do as well.

View the Post on the Blog

 

[Joelist]

Very clever - I see now how the blog connection from the forums operates.

 

[Overmind One]

This has been published as a front page story. Excellent reviews like this should be published there. Your forums credentials will log you in there from here. Let me know...The review is published under my name but you are credited as the author.

 

[Overmind One]

Very clever - I see now how the blog connection from the forums operates.

You need to know how that works. If you had published your review there first, it would have posted here automatically. Comments here would automatically appear on Wordpress.

 

[Overmind One]

http://www.gatefans.net/review-dredd-2012/

 

[Joelist]

I'm flattered. I admit that doing things like writing these reviews provides useful practice to me in presenting my thoughts in an organized written style. It comes in handy at work and other places.

 

[Joelist]

I see.

If I may I would add a small postscript to the review.

Dredd 2012 is a very bloody film - be prepared for a lot of gore. Just making sure viewers are aware.

 

[Overmind One]

I see.

If I may I would add a small postscript to the review.

Dredd 2012 is a very bloody film - be prepared for a lot of gore. Just making sure viewers are aware.

I need to merge the threads, because the comments on the one I published are going into Wordpress as well.

 

[Overmind One]

By: Joelist

Dredd 2012: Dredd done right


Dredd 2012 is a new film – the second film made about the iconic comic character Judge Dredd. It stars Karl Urban in the title role, with Olivia Thirlby as trainee Judge Anderson (also a character from the Dredd comics) and Lena Headley (of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame) as the villain.

Before getting to the movie itself, let me lead in with a few words about first the Judge Dredd comics then the first attempt at making it a movie – the 1995 big budget film starring Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider.

The Comics

Judge Dredd was conceived as a semi-futuristic lawman that took the character “Dirty Harry” to its logical extreme. A whole comic book series (2000 AD) arose around this with a full dystopian world populated with characters both good and bad. It is considered a seminal comic series and indeed the Dredd universe and character and the Judge system have even been invoked in discussions of real world questions about governance and the administration of justice.

The 1995 film

In 1995 a big budget film based on Judge Dredd was made. It starred Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider. I did a more detailed review of that film here:

http://www.gatefans.net/gforums/thr...e-dredd-stallone-1995-film.26164/#post-832579

Basically, while the 1995 film did okay with its visuals it got the characters wrong. Stallone hideously overacting the Dredd role didn’t help either. Plus, his Dredd did not come across at all like the logical endpoint of Dirty Harry – he was just a typical Stallone overblown action hero role. And unfortunately that horrid performance colored the thinking of those who had not read the comics on the whole Dredd character and universe.

The 2012 film

With the background in place, let’s look at this new Dredd film.

The first thing to note is that the budget here was smaller. However it is still VERY effective visually. The city in this film has a properly grungy look and the megablock towers are very effectively realized. The action choreography is first rate and almost poetic at times. This film looks a lot more expensive than it really was.

Second, these characters are done right. Dredd in this film is gruff, taciturn and is indeed the logical endpoint of the character concepts underlying Dirty Harry. Anderson is a mutant psychic trainee judge and again her character is true to the comics. The villain (Lena Headley) is a vicious druglord named MaMa – while this is not a character from the comics the STYLE and TONE of the character are.

Not only are the characters written very well, the performances are outstanding.

Karl Urban does it again – in Star Trek 09 he nailed Doctor McCoy so precisely it seemed like he was channeling DeForrest Kelley. Here he gives a similarly outstanding performance – he IS Dredd. What makes it all the more impressive is he conveys this without our ever being able to see his eyes or upper face – this Dredd keeps his helmet on like he is supposed to.

Olivia Thirlby is new to me as an actress. I gather she was in Juno but I never saw that film. All I can say here is that she turns in an effective performance as the rookie judge. She has psionic powers (just like in the comics) and uses them one time to horrific effect. Part of the film is her character does have an arc – she changes a good deal from her “day on the street” with Dredd.

Lena Headley is great as the villain – the sadistic druglord MaMa. A frequent issue in these types of hero-villain films is that the villain is not a foe worthy of the hero. That is not the case here. MaMa is vicious and sadistic but also intelligent. She is even given a backstory that elicits a little bit of sympathy over her past and how it may have had a role in turning her into a monster.

With strong characters performed well, the next question is: does it work? Well, I say yes it does. This film is what is known as a “small set story”. It basically all takes place in one building and really there are only three main plotlines and they are all related. This gives the film focus. And that keeps the story moving and the tension present. All in all it is well directed. As the story was written by Alex Garland (who also wrote 28 Days Later) I was not surprised it was well structured.

All in all, I liked this new Dredd film. I hope you do as well.

View the Post on the Blog