Dredd

 

I sit waiting, a little bit nervous. I shouldn't be nervous this has nothing to do with me apart from the fact that I am a fan and that I've dragged a good friend along and I don't want to inflict an awful movie on someone else. I'd like to say that the lights go down and the movie starts but we are 'treated' to a load of adverts and trailers for upcoming attractions. One of which is for the new Resident Evil. I don't recall what number we are on now in the series, and I don't care, it seems that the only redeeming aspect for the movie is the 3D element because from what I saw it looks a mess. Finally after what seems like a long time the main feature starts. From the first moment you notice the difference from the other one. Maybe at this point we should pause and talk about the other one.

In 1995 Sylvester Stallone got off a bike and shouted the words 'I am the law!'. This was the start of the long awaited live action version of the British comic book Judge Dredd. The comic had been running since 1977 and had gained a very loyal fan base. The movie looked ok, but as it went on the foundations started to crumble and eventually fell apart completely when Stallone did the unthinkable, he removed the helmet. The movie on a whole left fans angry and let down and it was placed on a shelve to gather dust.

Its now 2012 and here I am again watching another Judge Dredd movie. Not a sequel but a reboot, the fact is that even the film makers want to forget the other movie so this one is just called DREDD hoping that people will not be put off by the horrible memoirs.

To the actual movie, the plot is simple it relies on one of the oldest plot lines in movie history the 'storming the castle' story. But this is not a bad thing it helps build the characters quickly and more importantly it brings the action into a close personal environment. The action is what this movie is all about and when people say its violent they are not wrong, but this is perfect for the Dredd/2000ad universe. Karl Urban is the judge this time and he doesn’t remove his helmet, main box ticked. I don't want to spoil the movie so I won't go into detail. Fact is the 3D works due to the crafty use of a story element called 'slo-mo', a drug taken by the scum of Mega city 1. The acting is good and Urban nails Dredd with the right amount of dry one liners and menace.

So does the movie work? Yes it does, I've read a lot of Judge Dredd stories and this is a fair representation of the 2000ad universe. The fact is that this movie needs to make $50 mil' in the US to get a sequel, now before you start this would be part of a story arch much like the Batman movies, and I feel that we need to see more, the rumour has it that if that happens there might be a chance of Judge Death turning up.....fingers crossed.