"Dredd" (2012)
Staring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thrilby, and Lena Headey
Synopsis: (Courtesy of IMDB) In a Violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
When I first heard they were releasing an updated version of "Judge Dredd" I was a bit apprehensive. Sure while the original Sylvester Stallone film entertained me, it was by no means a great film. I have also seen how reboots have turned out over the last few years (Nightmare on Elm St. anybody?) So alas I did not drop the dough to see this film in all its 3D glory.
That was a terrible decision....
After my recent viewing of this film, I can only say... It was great!! "Dredd" has a completely different feel from the original, which now seems like absolute trash.
The filming of "Dredd" is much darker and grittier then the original, more along the lines of "The Crow" and "Dark Knight." The city feels desolate and hopeless. The people are scared and will cooperate with the criminals out of pure fear of what will happen if they don't. It really sets the tone for the whole movie.
Karl Urban gives Dredd a bit more personality, while keeping the tough guy action hero persona going. This was a bit of a surprise for me as he never removes his helmet during the entirety of the film. Yet, he is able to portray everything he needs to through his voice and body language.
While the story is simplistic, (and I can't believe I'm going to say this but...) the story is exactly what it needs to be. The action is where this movie thrives. While in the original we explored Dredd's origins and traveled through a post-apocalyptic world. "Dredd" focuses on what we care about, Dredd dealing justice to criminals. After the initial beginning of the film and character setup, it quickly turns into a non stop action film reminiscent of "Die Hard" as the characters become trapped in an apartment complex controlled by a ruthless drug cartel. These high action scenes may be the reason to pick up the 3D Blu-Ray of "Dredd."
Now I guess I should clarify one thing. While I have been praising the heck out of this movie, I do not want to give you the false impression that it is a great film. While I did compare different features of this film to classics like "Dark Knight" and "Die Hard," I must admit it is not on the same level as those films. This film is a check your brain at the door, high action movie, which is personally what I love. So if that is not your cup of tea, I won't blame you for passing this one up, but I will warn, you are missing out on some pure fun.
I give "Dredd" 4 out of 5 Dredd justice badges:
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