Customer Reviews

Dredd (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This film is an introduction to a day in the life of Dredd, it doesn't need to be complex, it just needs to show one Judge's belief in getting the job done...and that's what DREDD has done. The pre-release interviews state it's for the fans and the comics were always about Dredd dealing with situations, no character building only Justice.

For the reviewers stating this film has an anti-climax, you really didn't get it.....OK there was no "boss fight", but that was the point, to Dredd, Ma-Ma was just another Perp in an everyday event in Mega City One, she derserved no more screen time at the finale than Dredd gave her, his job is to enforce Judgement to Criminals, that's what he did, then went straight back out to tackle more scum in Mega City's crime ridden existence. He is old Stoney Face, and his committment to the Justice Dept. is his chartacter, this film has always been for the fans, I for one am glad of the low budget and lack of interference from the Hollywood Gloss and Dross.

A fantastic screen realisation of a brilliant character. Stripped down, gritty and action packed: THIS is how you make a Judge Dredd movie.

The only drawback is that poor box office means it's doubtful a studio would greenlight a sequel. So this is what we do.

a) Buy this DVD/Blu-ray. Duh.
b) Start a kickstarter campaign to fan fund a sequel.
c) Um, I don't know. Write to your MP or something. Damnit it all I want a Judge Cal and Dark Judges sequel!

I went to see the film simply because I loved the character from reading the comics when I was a kid.
I saw the first attempt but thought the story line for the stalone movie was ok and the effects of the time were good but he didnt come accross as the real Judge from the comics. So I was very suprised and impressed when I watched this version. It focused in the day in the life of Judge Dredd and was graphically violent and used every setting in his gun to take down a perp or 10. There was also a few funny moments in it depending how warped your humour is. I thought the use of the slow mo was good to show off the special effects and the 3D effect simply enhanced how the effect of the narcotic had on its user - simply brilliant.

If I had to be negative about this film I'd say that I didnt imagine JD would feel the need to hold his gun with 2 hands on times and he looked over misserable on times to the point of straining his face - it wasnt necessary. Also the Judge bikes were still not up to the mark.

If anyone gives this a 1 then all I can say is stick with Marry Poppins.

Best action film I've seen in years. Short of starring Clint Eastwood in his prime you could not wish for a better Dredd than Karl Urban. He is Dredd.
And it is not a horrible PG watered down action film either. It's proper blood spraying old school violent. The soundtrack is great too.

Trust me folk's, there will be a sequel to Dredd at some point sooner or later. The Movie has had a great response from both critics and Cinema-goers alike, and I believe that if a sequel was to be made, then it would do extremely well at the Box-Office next time around. Alright, Dredd didn't do too well takings wise, but that was not due to it being a bad Movie. But morons online stating that Dredd is a "remake" of the poor 1995 Stallone Film before it's release, probably didn't help matters much. Along with the fact that the new film probably wasn't marketed hard enough in time for it's release either. (Even though the films two main stars did do a lot of interviews for Dredd) Many people didn't even know a new Dredd film was even on the way at all. And by the way, Dredd is not a remake of the Stallone film, it's a completely new, fresh start for the character. It's a re-boot rather than a remake. A brand new story, a brand new Mega City One, and a brand new Judge Dredd. I have a strong feeling that "word of mouth" will play a big part in whether or not there will be a Dredd 2, plus it's probably all down to how the film sells on Blu-Ray and DVD across the coming year also. I'm positive that the possibility of a Dredd 2 in the next few years will not be overlooked by all the parties concerned, providing Dredd does indeed do well on the home market. Looking forward to getting hold of the new Blu-Ray, and fingers crossed for a Dredd 2 in the not too distant future.

The movie is based on the comic, some comic fans tend to agree this movie Dredd is close to it's actual comic character but I shall base this movie on my view. There is another movie called The Raid, which is based on a similar settings, ie police, get trapped in a block of flats, bad guys, corrupt cops, which was a brutal movie.

DREDD, emotionless, only cares for the law & justice, intriguingly the character who plays Dredd keeps his helmet on at all times, only his mouth is visible, but yet you sense his angst, by his simply body language & mouth expressions. His character has many other features which the viewer will see.

Anderson, shows the hearty side a soul with good emotions & others as the viewer will discover.

MAMA, a former prostitute & a product of society, filled with hate. She says very little but its all in her looks.

The movie itself is very entertaining, realistic, gritty, brutal & simple, yet this movie is greater value then the so called mega movies.

I never take critiques seriously here is another example why.

First thing's first - forget the flabby, dull as dishwater EXPENDABLES films, if you're after a proper tribute to late eighties/early nineties action cinema, then DREDD is the film you want. If you're a fan of ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (the originals rather than the rubbish remakes!) - THIS is the film for you. They really don't make 'em like this any more!

DREDD's deceptively simple narrative has led many to accuse it of having 'no plot', which is a huge disservice to Alex Garland, the film's screenwriter and producer, who has done an incredible job of crafting and honing a clever, lean, muscular and deftly written slice of genre storytelling. No line of dialogue is wasted, there is no obvious exposition - the audience are given the minimal amount of setup, then the rest of the story is told through action. It's a blisteringly tight script that lacks an ounce of fat, and shows up many modern blockbusters - I'm looking at you THE DARK KNIGHT RISES/IRON MAN 2/PROMETHEUS - for the overwrought, overlong, indulgent messes they are. It really is a fantastic film - relentlessly paced with an exhilarating action beat or glorious, glib line of dialogue from the man himself every minute or two for the entire running time, which clocks in around the magic 90 minute mark. Because of this, it is a film that stands up extremely well on repeat viewings, and it's future as a cult classic and staple of midnight screenings the world over seems assured.

Simply put - Karl Urban IS Wagner and Ezquerra's Judge Dredd brought to life. He gives an incredibly measured physical performance built on posture and body language, on not speaking in sentences when a single word will do, on giving us brief glimpses of a deeper character beneath the jet black visor. The rest of the principal cast are also excellent - Lena Headey matches the finely-judged restraint of Urban as the film's villain Ma-ma - brilliantly subverting cliche as she plays the role ice cold, never raising her voice, and oozing detached menace. Olivia Thirlby's Anderson, who brings the requisite blend of toughness, frailty and a sense of New York punkiness (the comic character having originally been based on Debbie Harry).

The film's art direction - and crucially the portrayal of a reductive, low-tech take on the full on sci-fi on the comics - has proved devisive, but for my money works superbly. It appears that this movie take on Dredd is not set in 'our' future, but rather an alternate present - it deliberately feels like late 1970s future dystopia, and in this respect unexpectedly chimes with the very roots of the character and at the same time harkens back to DIRTY HARRY - tellingly the only film that was screened to the DREDD cast and crew during production.

Special mention must go to the film's composer, Paul Leonard-Morgan, who has created a truly great, rocking soundtrack, which sounds appropriately futuristic and retro at the same time - like a modern take on the classic soundtracks of John Carpenter. Leonard-Morgan isn't currently a big name composer, having mostly worked in televison - but is definitely one to watch for the future. Expect the Dredd soundtrack to be pillaged by other, lesser films in the next few years (in the same way that so many inferior films pinch cues from the DRIVE, SUNSHINE and 28 DAYS LATER OSTs).

Having said all that, it's not a perfect film - while the stripped-down, grungy feel works in the main (and the crew have worked wonders with a relatively modest budget) it would have been nice to see a bit more money up on the screen - during a few brief moments the film can occasionally betray it's lack of budget. While Dredd himself looks great in action, I do find myself wishing the filmmakers had had a little more time and money to rework the vehicles, including Dredd's motorcycle and Dredd's iconic helmet - which unfortunately seems a little large for Urban's head from the odd angle. And while the main cast are all terrific, a few of the more minor actors playing bit-parts are less convincing.

Of course, the biggest disappointment about DREDD is the film's box office takings - which were so poor that a sequel now seems distinctly unlikely - it seems that the majority of cinemagoers would rather watch bland, sanitised, incoherent tripe like TAKEN 2 and *shudder* RESIDENT EVIL 5. Pre-release, plans were in place for a trilogy of Dredd films - and this first installment certainly hints at a larger world filled with intrigue and moral ambiguity just waiting to be explored. However it seems DREDD will remain a strong, self-contained standalone film, one not compromised as so many comic book movies are by setting up future films at the expense of a decent story. DREDD will eventually find the audience it deserves on DVD, Blu Ray and streaming, where people will be discovering the film for years to come, while fans of Dredd and the film will watch and rewatch this brilliant movie, tinged with bittersweetness that we'll now never get to see more of this world - Chopper, Judge Death, The Cursed Earth - on screen.

I can't believe the negative reviews on this movie.

It's a film about Judge Dredd. It's described and advertised as a film about Judge Dredd. Why would anyone buy it expecting it to be something else?

To review this as anything other than a Judge Dredd film is pointless - it's like admitting you've never seen a fantasy film or read a fantasy book and then saying you don't see the point of the little people in The Hobbit.

Urban didn't remove his helmet in the movie for the simple reason that Dredd didn't remove his helmet in the comic strip. Stallone's insistence on removing his helmet was the single thing that killed the original film in many people's opinion.

The story is awesome. Sound and music are excellent. Special effects are outstanding and I simply don't understand the adverse comments on the 3D. This is one of 2 or 3 movies I've seen where the use of 3D is more than a gimmick and actually adds something.

This is everything a Dredd fan would want it to be - a gritty, dirty and down-to-earth story about a single day in the life of a Mega-city judge.

I originally avoided this film, but it recommended to me by a Dredd comic fan, so I gave it a try. And boy what a great film, something for fans and newbies a like. Ignore the awful 90s film and just watch this.

If I was to nikpick, I'd say that the story is a little predicable, but thats really just finding something to be negative about.

Being a fanboy of any comic book character is not great, especially when someone is going to make a film out of it. They will invariably cast Sylvester Stallone in the film and have him playing opposite a young Rob Schneider. This was the fate of Judge Dredd, the most iconic character from '2000 AD', the film was laughed at, although I secretly don't mind it. Surely another take on the character would be better. This time `Dredd 3D' would be independently financed, stay truer to the character and use a plethora of international talent in front and behind the camera.

There is no denying that `Dredd 3D' is a far better telling of Judge Dredd; he is darker, more violent and upholds the law at any cost. The film is also more in keeping with the graphic art as it is ultraviolent - I haven't seen this much crimson in an action film since the heyday of the 80s. Karl Urban is perfectly cast as Dredd himself, uttering few words and never showing his face. Mega-City One is also brilliantly portrayed - a futuristic take on the modern sprawl of Cape Town, a sun bleached world of horror. Fans of the comics will see glimpses of fan service; a fat man lays dead next to a wheel that propped up his gut. People who have no idea who or what Dredd is will also leave impressed by the action, visuals and kinetic energy.

There are definitely flaws with the film. I think Olivia Thrilby was bland as Anderson and Lena Headey was nowhere near scary enough as Ma-Ma. The plot is also a little thin as the budget restraints called for a film that is essentially based in one building and can be shot on sound stages. You only get a taste of what the wider Mega-City One is like and you want to see far more of that. The gore will also be an obstacle for some people - this film is very violent. However, for fans of the comic book hero that is Dredd, this is far more than just an adequate take on the character. It is so close to being fantastic, but a lack of dollars on screen means that it falls just short.