Reviewed by: Carl DeBeer and Sean Rocaway
Carl: Dredd 3D takes the mega-crime, mega-grime, Mega-City and pours on the Ultra Violence. The film stars Karl Urban as the renowned Judge Dredd — judge, jury, and executioner on the streets of Mega-City. He has the right to sentence any criminal without the need of a trial. Dredd gets lumped with a rookie Judge who didn’t pass her exams yet is allowed to join the Hall of Justice due to extensive psychic powers. The two of them investigate a triple homicide at one of the Megablocks, 200-story-tall apartment complexes, named Peach Trees. The local gang locks down the entire building and Dredd and the rookie Anderson must fight floor by floor searching for justice.
Rocaway on Movie V. Comic: In correlation to the graphic novels and comic book series this Judge Dredd movie holds no punches. Minus a few liberties here and there, this Judge Dredd movie would do any fan of the comic series justice. The casual movie watcher will not understand the basis of most of the humor or the gore, but at it essence that is what Dredd fans have come to enjoy from the franchise and was not present in the 1995 Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone.
Carl: The level of violence in Dredd is ridiculously over the top. The movie makes use of the patented slow-motion violence scenes with bullets moving through cheeks at a tenth the speed of time. The story works in these slow-mo death scenes by explaining that a new drug slows down the users perception of time — a bit weak, but acceptably enough for the moviegoer. The instant judging of criminals rings with the current protests over legal rights of citizens, terrorists, and juveniles.
Rocaway on Plot V. Gore: When you have one you really don’t need the other. Dredd finds a mixture of both and uses it to propel the store forward. Some will debate the plot of the movie, but in line with it rebirthing the franchise and attempting to stand apart from its 1995 predecessor, Dredd (2012) does both well.
Carl: As a remake, I was worried that this movie would simply be the old film but with new and improved graphics. Dredd embraced the same mythos that the original used, but adapted a different story from the Judge Dredd comics. Overall I found the movie entertaining and fun. The acting was decent enough, especially when Karl Urban only had the lower third of his face to use to express the three emotions Dredd feels – anger, condescension, and disgust. I give this film 3 and a half stars.
