Dredd

Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Hedey, Jason Cope, Rakie Ayola, Warrick Grier, Wood Harris
Directed by: Pete Travis
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Crime, Science Fiction
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) teams with a rookie officer (Olivia Thirlby) to battle a drug syndicate in a futuristic city.

Review:

Tim: We haven't had a Judge Dredd film since Sylvester Stallone's slightly disappointing Judge Dredd in 1995. I have to admit, I wasn't overly enthusiastic about this film. The whole remake thing is really getting annoying, and this remake felt a bit unnecessary. The original film wasn't exactly a classic, why did this film need to be made? I went into it a bit skeptical.

As I started the movie, I expected the typical story- Dredd battles the bad guys and saves the world. I was not prepared for how much of a smaller scale this film took. I actually mean that in a very, very good way. This film is basically just a cop film set in the future. Our heroes are battling an illegal drug maker. The film isn't about saving the world, it's basically just a couple of cops out on duty, and the really rough day they have. I loved the smaller scope of this film- it made the whole thing feel more believable. The smaller story allowed the characters to take center stage. I loved this approach- it was brilliant.

I also have to say that Karl Urban did a fantastic job as Dredd. Stallone was such a big star when he made his film that it's not surprising he had ample opportunities to take his mask off and show his famous face. While that works for Stallone, it's not true to the Judge Dredd character. Urban never takes his mask off here- we never see his eyes. That's crazy, in a sense, because Urban disappears into the character and gets almost no credit (most of the audience will have no idea who played Dredd). However, this was true to the character, and I applaud Urban for that. He manages to give a very, very good performance with all the limitations that come from wearing the helment.

I really loved the casting of Olivia Thirlby. She was recognizable, as I've seen a few of her films, but I was never overly impressed with her. That all changed her. Thirlby is the rookie, and it's through her eyes that we access this crazy futuristic world. She grounds the film in reality, and she does this superbly. She works well with Urban, and overall, gave the best performance of the whole film. She was incredible in this movie, and is one of the main reasons I liked it so much. I did not, however, like Lena Headey very much. Her performance was far too forced, and I just did not care for her performance very much.

The action sequences are pretty impressive here. While the film features a smaller scale, the action scenes are all very well done. There's explosions, gunfights, and everything we would expect from a hardcore, R-rated Dredd film. The action never overshadows the characters, but it makes its mark. There's almost nonstop action, and it always helps push the story forward. I also loved the scenes with the drug, SLO-MO, which gives the mind the impression that everything is slowed down immensely. It's crazy to see bullets slowly rip through people. That was crazy.

Dredd is not a film I was looking forward to, but it really surprised me. I actually think this is a better movie than Judge Dredd, and it deserves a sequel. Unfortunately, audiences stayed away from this film, and the disappointing box office likely means it'll be another decade before another Dredd movie. That's a shame, because this film was entertaining. I wouldn't say I loved this film by any stretch, but it was much better than expected. This is a film that is well worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Judge Dredd