Dredd (2012)

 

Comic book adaptations are often hit and miss. Usually they fail because studios really don't get what made the comics so great and then try and appeal to the largest common denominator, thus diluting the core; or they just don't get it. That last definitely happened with the first adaptation of the absolutely brutal 'Judge Dredd' comics when they tried with Sylvester Stallone. 

Well, that film did have an ABC Warrior in it, so hurrah, I guess?

But then there's this one: a faithful, tough as nails and brutally balls to the wall version that did the character justice and kicks all sorts of ass. 

So obviously it didn't make enough money to get a sequel, but it's not for lack of trying. 

Karl Urban plays Dredd, one of the best police officers in MegaCity 1, a massive sprawling mess of buildings that survived after a nuclear war. On the outside, there's only a wasteland. Alas, there is also rampant crime, and the Judges are both Judge, Jury and Executioner. Dredd has grown rather cynical about the world, but he is still one of the best at his job. 

Dredd gets tasked to evaluate a rookie officer, who actually just fell short of passing the police academy, but because she is a psychic (thanks to mutation) the top brass thinks she might be useful. They both get called to a massive tower block called Peach Trees for a triple homicide, but it turns out this block is controlled by Ma-Ma, a ruthless druglord who rules with an iron fist and who wants the Judges dead. She locks down the entire building and the hunt is on... 

This film gets so much absolutely right: the apocalyptic, grimy look of the city, the outfits of the Judges that look and feel used; the ultra-violence...

Yes, this film pulls no punches in the 'brutal' department. You get plenty of gunshot wounds and explosions and whatnot and all in glorious detail. The triple homicide is actually guys getting skinned and dropped almost a kilometre up and you get to witness it all. 

Nice.

The main actors are also really good. Karl Urban is pretty much perfect as Dredd. He has the scowl down, never takes off his helmet and is a total badass. Opposite of that, you need a good baddie and Lena Heady works very well as Ma-Ma, a woman who has become ruthless and cold because everything that happened during her life made her this way. The supporting cast is decent, but you are definitely watching the main actors duke it out all the time. 

The drug that is new in the story is called Slo-Mo, because it makes you feel as though time slows to a crawl and they use that idea a couple of times, mostly to great effect. This way, we get to see bullets rip people apart in slow motion, or people falling to their death and splattering on the ground. It is absolutely spot on. 

Is the story a bit thin? Sure, but in all fairness: this won't be the reason you enjoy this. It's that sweet, sweet violence. If you haven't seen this yet, you really should. It is a very effective action/siege film, even if you don't know the source material.