RIP Michael Clarke Duncan

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Dredd review



I'm just going to come out and say it: Dredd is a goddamn great flick. Go out and see it and tell your friends.

This is a rare comic-book adaptation that I have very little knowledge of. I mean, I'm aware of the Judge Dredd comic books and I've read at least one issue (a Batman and Dredd team-up), but beyond the homework I've done and the last wonderfully terrible Judge Dredd movie (with Stallone of course - yes, the two are related, at least in name only), I'm mostly clueless to the world. So to be fair I can't really tell you if this is truthful or honorable to the roots of the series - it definitely appears to be, but I am without firsthand knowledge. Nor do I really care either way.

Dredd is set in a dystopian future where most of the Earth is unlivable, so the few remaining areas that haven't been destroyed are jam-packed full of people in what are called Mega Cities. To deal with the ever climbing population, the law enforcement of the time have been made capable of acting as judge, jury, and when needs be - executioner. Judge Dredd is a highly competent officer who is tasked with breaking in a rookie that happens to have psychic powers. They respond to a call to one of the city's various HUGE urban complexes (think a city within a giant building) and thus enter a Die Hard situation when the building's drug lord locks down the place and tasks the residences to kill the Judges (all to stop them from stumbling on to a massive drug manufacturing plant within the building).

The following film is a collage of badassery that is gloriously violent, fun, and unrelenting. Dredd is a hard kick in the teeth to anyone making an action-movie in our completely PC and disapproving of blood and gore culture. It is the ethereally gorgeous child of classic Verhoeven fare like Robocop and Total Recall (the original, dumbass). Steeped in 80's tradition with all the sensibilities and look of a modern film, THIS is the action movie you've been waiting for with bated breath.




Furthermore, the casts rocks all kinds of shit. I've been a huge fan of Karl Urban's for years. The guy is truly a chameleon whether he's playing Bones in the new Star Trek series, rocking an awesome Tommy Lee Jones impersonation in the Lonesome Dove prequel Comanche Moon, or playing a proud warrior from Rohan in the Lord of the Rings series - he's a damn fine actor. Insisting on wearing the helmet throughout Dredd is another profoundly humbling action (Dredd in the comics has never taken off his helm) in the history of this man's credentials.

Meanwhile, Olvia Thirlby takes the role of the psychic Anderson and runs with it. She should be annoying...in most films this role would be. She's innocent and untested so of course she's supposed to hesitate and dwell agonizingly on every right decision she makes (i.e. executions) that is perhaps questionable to the Liberally-leaning viewer - except she doesn't. Sure, she's scared and unsure at times, but the mission itself is a huge testing ground for her character so instead of playing the victim, she steps up and builds on her role and allows her trials to strengthen her instead of making her constantly question herself. Her continuing resolve and growing maturity allows her relationship with Dredd to be vastly interesting and satisfying. The two truly compliment each other, and I'm left thinking - if I were Dredd - that I'd want her to watch my back any day of the week. That says a lot...usually I find female law enforcement officers to be a joke, ESPECIALLY on film. Not here.




Of course, I can't end this review without talking about the director. I'm left remembering how I felt about the Dawn of the Dead remake by Zach Snyder. Within fifteen minutes of that movie, I realized I was watching something amazing and needed to remember who the director was so that I could follow his career - and I have, JOYFULLY.

Pete Travis directed Dredd, and while I am unfamiliar with his previous work, I resolve to remedy that immediately. This guy made a phenomenal action-flick that was (by all accounts) true to it's comic roots while being highly entertaining in the face of a studio system that said it could not be done. He took a sub-genre character and storyline and put together a film that is both fun and interesting. The pace is smooth but fast, the look is perfect for the setting, and the characters and actors soak up the atmosphere in a way that is almost contradictory. It's rare that you get both, a well made film and good performances. It's usually one or the other. There is a drug in the movie that's called slo-mo that makes the brain feel like everything is happening at 1% it's usual rate - this is shown in the trailers. A shitty director would have used this a ton, but Travis uses it fleetingly. However, when he does use the effect it's impact is gold. You're almost left wanting more - which is exactly how it should be.

As if you couldn't tell, I loved Dredd. This is EXACTLY the sort of movie I want us all to support. I wants me a sequel! So go out and see it! NOW! I am the law!


10 / 10

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