So first question to get out of the way: is this movie better than the 90s version with Stallone? Answer: yes, by leaps and bounds. After all, any film is generally improved by the absence of Rob Schneider, who is to comedy what cancer generally is to a healthy human body. Now don't mistake me on this point, I'm not saying Rob Schneider single-handedly ruined Judge Dredd, although he is fully capable of such a feat. The 90s version was simply cheesy in general, which is not bad all by itself, but this is a comparison inevitably and I'm not going to waste time with quibbling.
So getting right down to it: Dredd is gritty, brutal and totally unapologetic. It pulls no punches and doesn't shy away from its deservedly harsh subject matter. After all, I would expect law enforcement after a near breakdown of society following a nuclear world war to be pretty brutal. I understand that there's an entire concept of realism vs. reality (where sometimes real life truly is stranger than fiction), but in films the audience really does have to feel like they can believe the premise of a film or at the very least suspend their disbelief. In this case I feel that Dredd very neatly satisfies the criteria of realism as far as movies are concerned. The story is believable, the characters are convincing, and I was very impressed with the set design which managed to convey the sense of heavily populated chaos that defines the mega city.
So, for the acting: Karl Urban is phenomenal as Dredd. His taciturn performance and amazing chronic scowl really sold the character of Dredd for me. Judge Joseph Dredd is a hardcore badass and doesn't waste any time saying anything that isn't absolutely essential. His body language, his attitude, his general demeanor all point to a man who is wholly committed to his duty and is utterly unflinching in carrying out that duty. Olivia Thirlby turns in a respectable performance as the rookie Anderson and while I never read the comic books, I think her portrayal makes perfect sense for someone in her position in the Dredd universe. Lena Headey does an excellent job as the primary villain Mama and really does sell the idea of a crime boss who is smart, vicious, and more than a little psychotic.
The story is actually pretty compelling combining equal parts desperate struggle for survival, crime drama, and over-the-top explosive action. I can't really say much about the 3D, even though I went to see it in 3D. The theater I went to didn't have their cameras focused properly for 3D so that messed things up for me a bit and I was actually a bit miffed by that. I generally like 3D in movies where it's done well, but I understand a lot of people aren't really big on it, so just make up your own mind on that. Although I will say that the parts where the movie was doing the portrayal of the Slo-Mo drug were particularly interesting to see with a curious opalescent effect that I think would have looked even better if the theaters projector had been properly focused. Those Slo-Mo moments were also just kinda cool in general.
I was actually quite surprised by the level of extremely realistic gore in the film. I'm not talking ridiculous unbelievable movie magic crap that's obviously fake, I mean blood spray and organ damage that matches up with my understanding of crime scene forensics and ballistic wound behavior. I haven't seen blood spray this convincing since Stallone's Rambo and as twisted as it may sound I found it refreshing. It seems the current trend in films is to shy away from anything that might offend anyone which translates into toning down any language, violence, and gore. This is fine in general, but honestly if you're trying to make a film that gets across ideas like brutality, horror, and violent desperation, a PG-13 approach really isn't particularly convincing.
So final analysis: this film is good, but most definitely not for the kids. If you have a problem with gore, this isn't the movie for you. If you actually read the comic books, from what I've heard around the web you will probably like this a lot.
Peace out folks.
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