Directed by:
Pete TravisScreenplay:
Alex GarlandCinematography:
Anthony Dod MantleComposer:
Paul Leonard-MorganCast:
Karl Urban, Lena Headey, Olivia Thirlby, Langley Kirkwood, Warrick Grier, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson, Wood Harris, Scott Sparrow, Deobia Oparei, Karl Thaning (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
The future America is an irradiated wasteland. On its East Coast lies Mega City One - a vast violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge jury and instant executioner. The ultimate Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is tasked with ridding the city of its latest scourge -a dangerous drug and the sadistic prostitute turned drug pusher who is using it to take over the city. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (13)
I’d been meaning to watch Dredd for ages and, honestly, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. It’s an absolute blast—a straightforward, action-packed ride where Karl Urban absolutely owns the role of Judge Dredd, clearly having the time of his life. Olivia Thirlby as his rookie sidekick is also fantastic, looking way more badass here than in any of her Google pics. And let’s not forget Lena Headey, who crushes it as the deranged villain. The whole film has this gritty cyberpunk vibe, though with its tight budget, it feels more like a South African slum than some sleek futuristic dystopia.
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It cannot in any case be denied that the new Dredd movie is a knock-off of the Indonesian film The Raid, but the plagiaristic practices at its core at least appropriately recall the fact that this is pure-blooded B-movie trash. British film production is not trying to jump on the current Hollywood cash cow of comic-book movies as the equivalent of action blockbusters for the new millennium. On the contrary, it is quite blatantly staying at the level of trash that’s inaccessible to young people. However, that doesn’t mean that the filmmakers have given up on having any kind of ambition. Dredd is actually captivating with the inventiveness with which it embellishes the straightforward story and the purely artificial and, in many cases, entirely unjustified attraction of 3D. These days, stereoscopic projections are nothing more than an excuse to entice audiences into cinemas and pull a little more money out of their pockets than usual, but only a few such films contain at least slightly memorable sequences that somehow employ the illusion of three-dimensionality. Dredd offers up the entirely trivial attraction of slow-motion money shots, which it simply but all the more effectively and cleverly justifies in the narrative with a parallel storyline involving a drug aptly called Slo-Mo. As a result, however, the film is most surprising in that Dredd himself comes off as a bundle of sympathetically amusing clichés and would-be tough-guy lines unconvincingly delivered with appropriate woodenness by Karl Urban, who has zero charisma or personality. On the other hand, that enables the two main female character, portrayed by the perfectly type cast Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey, to stand out all the more in comparison with him. Thanks to that, Dredd is not just another eighties macho throwback or a Marvel-esque would-be dramatic blockbuster faking depth, but a dynamic trash flick with enticing female characters.
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Bloodbath. It really reminded me of The Raid, but without the martial arts. Instead we got neat shooters with all the ammo modifications imaginable (a little and big boy’s dream) and classic fisticuffs... right down somebody’s throat. Urban makes a perfect Dredd, better than Sly in reeling off great lines, commanding greater respect. Lena Headey as Ma-Ma is a decent opponent and the new girl makes for pleasant viewing. Slo-mo was in charge of the visually powerful scenes (evidently low-budget) and the 3D might have looked good if only those bastard distributors had put it on general release. If it doesn’t earn, it doesn’t earn. More bodies for recycling.
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From start to finish, a sough-after bit of nonsense that unwittingly joins hands with its inept predecessor from the 90s. It is all the more amusing that it strives so hard not to be such an unnecessary addition. And yet Karl Urban goes unused, the attractive Olivia Thirlby has a thankless role as a talented rookie, Lena Headey as the main attraction never steps out of the box of the anonymous antagonist, and the brutal action becomes boring after the third shootout. I don't understand what happened to Alex Garland's creative talent, which he obviously possesses in spades. Most of the time Dredd only hints at its world, showcasing only a few fragments and instead giving far more space to blatantly inaccessible scenes, and slow-motion shots that are, forgive me, plain stupid (without which this movie would have lasted no more than a weak hour).
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Dredd lacks dynamism in terms of action, but the grimy postapocalyptic atmosphere and impressive staging make up for it. This movie is not afraid to go its own way, ignore the mainstream and overflow with ideas. Plus it has a great A-list actress as the main badass. It’s like the best installment of Resident Evil, minus all the zombies and monsters. Everything I wanted as a 14-year-old from Blade Runner and failed to get, given my expectations and demands at that age :-)
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