Dredd - Grade, Review, Discuss, Spoilers

[Mr. Adventure]

I thought I posted this earlier but don't see it now, if you saw this before I apologize.

I rented this the other day and thought it was OK but I didn't really get anything that felt really unique to the Dredd property and not some other future action movie like Lockout or the Total Recall remake (the violence and slomo was stylish but not necessarily "Dredd"). Taking this movie strictly on its own terms I don't know that there's more to explore. Sure Dredd didn't take his helmet off but why?

The old Dredd had Rob Schneider but it seemed to do a better job showing the world of the Judges. I'm curious to watch that again, it's been a lo-o-ong time, and compare.

[The Wormhole]

Mr. Adventure wrote:

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Taking this movie strictly on its own terms I don't know that there's more to explore. Sure Dredd didn't take his helmet off but why?

Because Dredd's helmet does not come off. Okay, seriously, he is briefly seen without the helmet in the opening scene showing him getting the gear on. Of course, the scene isn't well lit and the helmet-less Dredd is shot from behind. It's my understanding that whenever Dredd has his helmet off in the comics, similar tricks are done to avoid seeing his face.

I imagine a protential sequel could focus on the Cursed Earth, which I think is mentioned in Dredd's opening narration.

The old Dredd had Rob Schneider but it seemed to do a better job showing the world of the Judges. I'm curious to watch that again, it's been a lo-o-ong time, and compare.

Well, the main problem I have with the Stallone movie is that it took too much from the comics and crammed it into one movie that was barely an hour and a half. Considering the target audience were American filmgoers who likely likely had no idea there were Judge Dredd comics since the 1970s I can see a lot of people being confused by the movie and having difficulty following it.

Although really, the Stallone movie isn't really that bad and is a lot more faithful than most give it credit for. People always call the movie cheesy, but really the Dredd comics have their degree of silliness to them. Robotic butler, oranguatan mayor, a goldfish being named a Judge. Does anything in the Stallone movie really seem any more outrageous than any of that?

The problem is they screwed on a lot of key things that are unique to the Dredd-verse. Yeah, I know it's unlikely they could get an actor of Stallone's pay grade to agree to a movie where his face would have been hidden for most of it, and indeed Arnold backed out of it for that very reason. So I can let the whole helmet thing slide. But then there's also the fact that Judges are forbidden from having relationships with each other (or at all, really). Yet this movie has Dredd and Hershey falling in love like the male and female leads of all Hollywood movies are expected to.

Also, I found Dredd himself came off as nothing more than a mean-spirited bully. Granted, Dredd is never a nice guy, and I'm sure the terms mean-spirited and bully have been applied to him in the comics to some degree of accuracy. But based on my (admittedly very limited) knowledge of the character based on Karl Urban's take on the character and some Judge Dredd novels I've read Dredd seems more like someone who tries to do the right thing and be a decent person, he just doesn't believe in social niceties or having any kind of manners or redeeming personality traits. Stallone's take on the character is basically just "Ha ha, I'm a tough guy who can kick your ass and get away with it and if you have a problem with that I will kick your ass."

[bullethead]

The Wormhole wrote:

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Also, I found Dredd himswlf came off as nothing more than a mean-spirited bully. Granted, Dredd is never a nice guy, and I'm sure the terms mean-spirited and bully have been applied to him in the comics to some degree of accuracy. But based on my (admittedly very limited) knowledge of the character based on Karl Urban's take on the character and some Judge Dredd novels I've read Dredd seems more like someone who tries to do the right thing and be a decent person, he just doesn't believe in social niceties or having any kind of manners or redeeming personality traits. Stallone's take on the character is basically just "Ha ha, I I'm a tough who can kick your ass and get away with it and if you have a problem with that I will kick your ass."

There are Dredd novels? But yeah, for the most part, that assessment of the Dredd character (at least until the lead up to the Necropolis story arc and that one storyline with the mutants).

[The Wormhole]

bullethead wrote:

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There are Dredd novels?

I read this book which takes three Dredd novels from about ten years ago and re-prints them in one volume to tie in with the release of Dredd. They're pretty good, and perfect for Dredd noobs.

[Mr. Adventure]

The Wormhole wrote:

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Because Dredd's helmet does not come off. Okay, seriously, he is briefly seen without the helmet in the opening scene showing him getting the gear on. Of course, the scene isn't well lit and the helmet-less Dredd is shot from behind. It's my understanding that whenever Dredd has his helmet off in the comics, similar tricks are done to avoid seeing his face.

I probably should've switched the order of those lines. I wasn't suggesting it was something to explore but more a failing of this movie that it didn't sell me on his commitment and what not as to always having it on. It was enjoyable but I didn't get a sense of the bigger picture.

[therealsb63]

At least the original film had Diane Lane in it...



That always makes things better...

[Captain Craig]

Diane Lane is a quality actress all around and I count myself a fan.

I did find Olivia Thirlby to be very good as Judge Anderson. I really think she carries the film, it is about her rookie day and she's being evaluated to see if she's got the chops for the job. Had her performance not been great I think the film loses most of it's charm and becomes just a blood laden shoot 'em up with no heart at it's core.

[Captaindemotion]

therealsb63 wrote:

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At least the original film had Diane Lane in it...



That always makes things better...

Hershey travelled back in time, changed her name to Martha and married a man called Jonathan Kent. They have an adopted son called Clark.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Eh? Which version of Martha Kent was ever played by Diane Lane?

[The Wormhole]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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^ Eh? Which version of Martha Kent was ever played by Diane Lane?

Man of Steele, the movie coming out this summer.

[Starkers]

DVD was waiting for me when I got home saturday, watched saturday night

[Gaith]

Starkers wrote:

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DVD was waiting for me when I got home saturday, watched saturday night

Stop the presses! Somebody watched a dvd two nights ago!

[Starkers]

Yeah I probably should have said more

I still love it. though the slo-mo scenes are more annoying in 2D, but luckily they don't stick around too much...

[The Wormhole]

Having only seen the movie in 2D, I'll agree the slow-mo scenes are very annoying. Granted most are near the beginning, but having three or four slow-mo scenes clustered in the movie's first half hour is very grating.

[Starkers]

Yeah, in 3D they are visually interesting, but you're right there's too many clustered together, at least they only do that early on!