Article & Review: Michael Nelson & Etrus Hunt
Images Courtesy of Lionsgate
Mothers, hide your children. Husbands, ditch your wives. Fan boys, prepare to squeal in spasmodic glee. Judgment is coming, and it’s got a mean mug and a do-anything gun that makes the sonic screwdriver look like a pretentious vibrator. His name is Dredd, and he’s here to kick the ever-loving crap out of you. Prepare yourself for the action event of the fall, Dredd 3D.
But hey, we all know there’s a lot of garbage out there. What makes this film so special, you ask? Not quite convinced yet to pay the price of admission? Well allow us to sway you; here are ten reasons to see Dredd 3D, this season’s ultimate action flick:
The Hero
Judge Dredd is supreme. He’s a tough-as-nails, in your face, badass MO-FO. His level of “hardcore” far outweighs the dirtiest girl-on-girl scene you’ve ever downloaded at 2AM while your girlfriends asleep. He’s Rambo without a face, Bond without the silly drink orders. A white Samuel L. Jackson. Think the exact opposite of Taylor Lautner. Starting to get the picture? In a dystopian society rampant with violence, Dredd is Megacity 1’s ultimate lawman protecting the innocent while putting a firm foot in the ass of anyone who steps out of line. And this time, the helmet stays on, none of that Sylvester Stallone “my face needs to be shown” shtick like in the ‘95 film. This Dark Knight left his Bruce Wayne in the dust a long time ago. Ever wonder what Batman would be like if he shot people in the face? This is it.
The Tone
The 1995 adaptation of “Judge Dredd” was nothing more than what it was, a movie made in 1995 that was based on a comic book. The look and feel was only slightly better than an SNES game. Add that to a catch phrase and a B-list comedian and you’ve got yourself something that’s only worth an online screening via your preferred pirating website. Judge Dredd 2012 is guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat instead of giggling. This isn’t Sylvester Stallone collecting a paycheck. This is jaw-dropping effects and a promising story. This is the sheer perseverance of a soldier versus the genius scheming of a drug lord. Bring an extra pair of underwear. This time, Judge Dredd is legit.
The Plot
When Hollywood first put Dredd on the big screen, they really wanted to put Dredd on the screen. The plot was taken straight from the comic book. This is a different movie. The plot needed a different approach. Instead of gallivanting around the mean streets of the only city left in the world, Dredd’s arena is much more straightforward. To fight Momma, Judge has to scale a 200 –story slum Game of Death style with each floor promising to be more dangerous than the last. Closing a tiger in a tight space is the best way to see chaos run free. Don’t expect too much convoluted dialogue about clones and due process. We’ve got ourselves a bullet party and everyone in Peach Trees is invited.
The Villain
Who’s the one bold enough to step up to Dredd? This chick, that’s who! Ma-ma. Don’t let the hot body fool you. This pretty lady is the only one in Megacity 1 with the balls to take on the future’s best super-cop. From prostitute to drug kingpin, an entire slum is under her control. Every clan in Peach Trees is ready to slice a throat if she so much as whispers the command into the vertical slum’s PA system. Ma-ma (aka Madeline Madrigal) is the last person in this apocalyptic world that anyone would want to take head on. Unfortunately for Dredd, he has no choice.
The Actors
It doesn’t matter how many “whoop-asses” a film offers if there isn’t a proper cast to open up the cans. But with Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings), Olivia Thirlby (The Darkest Hour),Wood Harris (The Wire), and Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) filling the roster, there’s no need to worry. Urban portrays Dredd with the perfect mix of grit and heroism that the scales of justice couldn’t have balanced batter. Dredd’s rookie partner Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby, is so much more than eye candy; Thirlby excels not only as foil to Dredd but also as a serious enforcer in her own right. As for the bad guys, Ma-Ma’s psychotic clansman, Kay, is performed with the type of precision we’ve come to expect from Wood Harris. And Lena Heady has clearly brought some of her Sarah Connor edge to the role of Ma-ma; frankly she’s downright terrifying.
The Special Effects
Not all 3D movies are created equal. As a matter of fact, many 3D films released are actually post-converted 2D films, produced with the sole purpose of making you pay extra bucks for effects no better than a hologram found at the bottom of a cereal box. (I’m looking at you, Avengers.) Unlike those swindlers, Dredd was shot in gorgeous, true blue 3D. It really makes all the difference, especially in scenes featuring the use of the time-altering drug, Slo-Mo. When inhaled, Slo-Mo makes the user perceive the world as moving at a percent of its normal speed, creating a vibrant, neon-accented, slow motion playground for tweekers to immerse in. Quite cleverly, the use of Slo-Mo gives the film realistic justification for creating incredible bullet time scenes. When a junkie shoots up in the hallway, the audience experiences the same time-altering effects as he does. A man being thrown off a balcony is suddenly turned into a free fall of poetry in motion, colors and sounds blurring in beautiful synesthesia… until he splatters on the pavement, of course.
The Tech
What’s a battle for the fate of the dystopian future without some kick-ass toys! Judge Dredd may have some wry humor mixed with a gruff voice, but it’s what he backs up his mouth with that counts. For transport each Judge is issued a motorcycle, a staple of the Judges since the comic book. In the first movie, these hogs could even fly. The look of the cycles seems to match the grit and darkness that the previews have promised to bring. Not to be outdone, the weapon of choice for Dredd is his gun that can turn into any kind of gun. I’ll repeat that. THIS GUN CAN TURN INTO ANY KIND OF GUN! For those who choose to see the movie in 3D, get ready to see bullets flying in about two-dozen different ways.
The Violence
People flayed alive and thrown off buildings, faces torn apart by bullets, bodies smashed into concrete at high velocity. This movie is bloody violent. Yet all of this gore miraculously feels grounded within the confines of the story. The criminals of Megacity 1 are truly horrific entities, committing unspeakable acts without any sense of remorse. To enforce the law, Dredd must respond with intensity just as extreme, deeming his savagery necessary without it feeling gratuitous. So sharpen yourself up for a bit of the old ultra-violence, all three dimensions of it. Oh sweet death, where have you been all my life?
The Soundtrack
The music in this movie isn’t just your run-of-the-mill collection of conservative techno hits. Paul Leonard-Morgan has put together a series of sounds with as many explosions as the special effects crew. He’s not just doing it for the thrill. Not since Daft Punk made the soundtrack for TRON: LEAGACY has electronic music with this level of originality been on the big screen. The payoff is huge. The drum kicks hit harder than Dredd’s bullets. The syths creep up on you with more stealth than the residents of Peach Trees. You could close your eyes and still get a knot in your stomach from this movie.
The Verdict: Hollywood Tries
Let’s face it: the last few years have seen a growing epidemic of sequels, prequels, remakes & reboots. And now we have profit fanatics Disney, James Cameron, and George Lucas re-releasing their films of yesteryear in phony 3D. Alas, Hollywood is fast becoming the least original medium of entertainment in the world. So it’s unbelievably refreshing when, frankly, Hollywood puts some effort in making a good film. Dredd 3D isn’t just a remake; its a cinematic over hall. Every aspect has sought improvement and the result is apparent. This is the cure for the common film, an adrenaline shot strait to the eyeball. Go see this movie. It would be a shame to miss a gem among the rhinestones.