I'm very late to this thread but glad I finally saw this film yesterday afternoon. Apologies in advance for any repeated thoughts.
Grade: A- / Excellent
I know very little of Judge Dredd and I'm a comic book geek. I've just never fully gotten into him. The stories I've read have always involved a crossover. The
Batman/Dredd ones are the ones that stand out. Despite thinning out my monthly comic reading I may try the
IDW Judge Dredd series hitting shelves in the coming weeks, due November.
I'm to understand that the original tone of the comic had a certain campiness to it and that's why the comic relief in the '95 Stallone version with Rob Schneider's character in tow as the sidekick was supposed to be accepted. I don't hate that film but I don't love it either.
So Karl Urban is doing this film in the starring role of Dredd and Lena Heady as the drug pushing lead foe has me curious. I was surprised that the RottenTomatoes meter had it at
77% and felt that the population who uses that meter as a guide would turn out to a respectable level---they didn't. Odd, they rushed to
Taken 2 with 20% RT score.
I saw this yesterday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the film. People like to pretend as if
The Raid is the first movie ever to utilized the concept done again in this film. Maybe the first one for the whole film, I'll grant that, but the final third of
Punisher War Zone is this same premise. People on movie sites forget that, quality of the film is irrelevant--it does the building siege premise for 1/3 of the film.
I was surprised by how much this film made you care about and empathize with Judge Anderson's character imo. Also, despite Urban being nearly fully covered under the mask he conveyed with his available facial tone and body posture his shift in attitude towards her.
One could say the movie is actually about Judge Anderson and Olivia Thirlby who I've never really noticed before, in such films as
No Strings Attached or
Juno cause she was just the friend of the main lead, really shines in this role to my surprise.
As of my review, some 19 days after release the film has only managed to muster up $12.8m US domestic. It should've made that it's OW to be honest. It's
WW total is $22.9m on a $50m budget. I predict this film will find a cult status on home video but it's too bad cause I think more films, in this world, with Urban and Thrilby as Dredd & Anderson would be great fun. Those involved said another film would've explored life outside the walls, in the Scorched Earth. I'd like to have seen that.
While you still can,
GO--SEE-THIS MOVIE---NOW!!
I doubt DVD/BR sales will save this and allow for a sequel sadly.