While preview night at SDCC was a bust, the night did not end in disappointment. Lionsgate ha a special screening of the upcoming film Dredd, which is a reboot of the 1994 stinker that featured Sylvester Stallone. While I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the film, I’m glad to say that Lionsgate did a hell of a job with this version and brought the Judge Dredd people loved from the comics to the big screen.
In a violent, futuristic city where the population lives in places known as Megacities, the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner in order to maintain what little order the is left in the world. With a new drug on the streets known as SLO-MO, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) and his trainee Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) respond to a triple homicide at one of the Mega buildings know as Peach Trees. Once inside they soon realize that this was more then just a homicide and was a message to the rest of the residences inside peach Trees that no one is allowed to sell SLO-MO besides MA-MA’s men. Ma-Ma (Lena Headey ) is the leader of a gang within Peach Trees and is the producer and distributor of the drug. Dredd and Anderson attempt to take one of her men in for questioning but soon finds themselves locked into the building, forced to make their way to the top and take out both Ma-Ma and the SLO-MO drug once in for all.
The film was shown in 3D and while I’m not a huge fan of the technology, I strongly recommend everyone see the film this way. Some of the scenes will blow you away and provide you with a visual treat. Now lets get to the actual film. Hands down this film gives Judge Dredd the justice it deserved and is spot on with what fans have loved about the comic series for so many years. Karl Urban’s portrayal of Dredd was extremely enjoyable and his snarky one lines really make the film.
The film was written and monitored by the original creator of the Judge Dredd comics, John Wagner, so you know he wouldn’t let Karl take that helmet off. There are multiple scenes in the film where characters inhale the drug SLO-MO and everything on the screen slows dow drastically, which was my favorite aspect about the film. It was cinematically beautiful, as strange as that seems, to see the violence and gun fire happening in slow motion and watching the bullets come from the guns and knowing someone was screwed. The film is rated R and let me just say it earns it. The elaborate death scenes are along the lines of something the Crank directors would do or something you’d see in a Tarantino flick. Does this take away from the film itself, absolutely not, it only adds t
hat much more to it.
While people are concerned that the trailers make it seem like they are ripping of the recently popular film, The Raid, you can rest easy. Yes the film takes place in one building and Dredd and Anderson and forced to work their way up each level with new dangers and challenges on each floor, however, this film has been in the works since 2008, way before The Raid was on anyones radar. If I was to compare the film to others out there, I would say take The Raid and mix it with some Crank and Kill Bill, and you will sort of scratch the surface of Dredd.
Overall, if you are a fan of the comics, violent action films or just looking for a kick-ass time, then you will love Dredd. Lionsgate and director Pete Travis have done a phenomenal job with the film and I look forward to future installments of this version with Karl Urban. Will that happen? That will all depends on box office numbers, but I don’t have a doubt that we will be seeing a sequel in the future!
Rating: Intense action and violence will leave you on the edge of your seat. Judge Dredd is back and he makes damn sure you know who the Law is (8/10)
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