Director Pete Travis & screenwriter Alex Garland bring John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra's Judge Dredd character from 2000 AD to the big screen in the aptly titled Dredd.
Garland intelligently scales down the size of the usual comic book movie and opts for a day in the life of Dredd instead of a overblown epic tale that's become all too common and tiresome. While it is gritty, violent and loud as one would expect, the biting satire of it's source material is buried a bit too far in the background to make an impact. However it's Karl Urban and Lena Headey's straight-faced campy performances that make it all the worthwhile.
3 face meets concrete out of 5
4 comments:
I liked how this wasn't a remake of the Stallone one. Sort of a do-over instead. Also enjoyed the fact that he never removes his helmet. All his allure and mystique is gained through subtle head gestures and pauses. At first I thought the slo-mo sequences looked bad but that last one was just a piece of art.
3.5 out of 5 from me
They did a fine job with the tone on the film.
Alex Garland did a great job with the story and the idea of not doing with much it, instead focusing on setting up the world and it's characters. By doing that, I think it'll give any potential sequels more of a punch.
I don't recall the slo-mo sequences. Not a fan of them so I didn't take note.
Olivia Thirlby was great too. I should tell her that she's allowed to sleep with me too.
The casting was great. I loved the colours, and the pacing. Garland’s story didn't shit the bed at the end like some of his others.
3½ shifting parameters out of 5.
Plus, it gets an extra half point on my personal fan-boy scale for Urban channelling Eastwood, and having ‘Chopper’ and ‘Kenny Who?’ graffiti on the walls.
Watched this again on TV last night.
Great stuff.
I never mentioned how much I love the general setting of the Peach Trees tower block and how it's almost a character all it's own.
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