DREDD 3D

Director: Pete Travis

Screenplay: Alex Garland & Carlos Ezquerra
Starring: Lena Headey, Karl Urban

Judgment is coming

Before I hit my 10th Birthday in 1978 (yes, I am that old…), there were 3 things that really made an impact on my life in the entertainment industry. They were “Star Wars”, “Jaws”, and the UK comic “2000AD”. The starting point of many talented UK writers and artists, the Icon from the comic was the incomparable Judge “Joe” Dredd. Lawman of the future in Mega-City One, whose face you never saw. Of course we’ve had one cinematic venture with Stallone slurring the words “I YAM DA LAW” and taking his helmet off within 10 minutes. This effort did get some things right (Mean Machine and Hammerstein), but a hell of a lot more things wrong! So how does this much-anticipated version measure up?



Calm down creep and get out of that Iso-Cube! “Dredd” is everything that fans could wish for, and a hell of a film to boot! Leanly scripted by the great Alex Garland (The Beach) and superbly represented by Karl Urban (Star Trek), this zooms straight into my top 3 favourite films of the year. The set-up is simple but effective. Dredd (Urban) is evaluating rookie judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby from “The Darkest Hour”) whilst investigating a triple homicide in one of Mega-City’s massive blocks. The raises the ire of crime boss Ma-Ma (Lena Headey, never better) who causes the block to go into lockdown and commands her gang to hunt them down. Dredd and Anderson try to survive... that’s it really.

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But’s that’s not just it really. Karl Urban (a long-time fan of the character apparently) IS Dredd, as you’ve always imagined he would be. The trademark grim expression is there, without looking forced. The gritty voice is authentic (although it does sound distractingly like “Jigsaw” from the “Saw” franchise sometimes). The sandpaper-dry humour is there, without being cheesy. Just watch Urban’s lip curl as he intones the sentence “She’s a mutant?”, or the derogatory way he constantly refers to Anderson as “Rookie”. His stance, his movements, and his stubble-bound chin all scream “Dredd”. I can’t honestly think of another actor who could have personified Dredd so effectively. The two female leads also ably support Urban. Thirlby is a revelation as Judge Cassandra Anderson. Here she is a yet to be a judge, and she is a world away from the flippant, flirtatious character who helps and hinders Dredd in the comics, but you can easily see her becoming that person. Bravely incorporating the PSI abilities from the characters origins, you can see Anderson grow in confidence and abilities, and is an able ass-kicker alongside Dredd. Headey is marvellous here. Her stoic good looks and natural calmness bring an extra dimension to Ma-Ma.  She conveys menace and fury merely by parting her lips and glowering. It’s easy to see she had a ball doing this.

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I must say that this is also the finest 3D presentation on screens so far this year as well. It deservedly kicks the 3D efforts of The Un-Amazing Spiderman” straight down the plughole! The use of the “slo-mo” drug (which slows down time for the user) is not so much of an over-used gimmick as you might think. However, it does herald some positively beautiful imagery of broken glass and water droplets, as they cascade out of the screen. Not only that, but in one action scene it allows explosive shockwaves to ripple across bodies and for bullets and blood pellets to erupt from body-wounds. This movie does not pull punches. There is much respect for aiming this film well and truly at the “18” certificate, and a “hard R” rating in the US.

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If there is any stumbling block at all, it’s that Mega-City One doesn’t look that … err … “mega”. There are no Perspex domes or hover-bikes. In fact most vehicles are earthbound and the kids are still using skateboards. But then again, if there WAS a “Mega-City”, wouldn’t it mix the old with the new?  As Garland has said, this story takes place in the slum area of the city, who’s to say that those futuristic areas and stories couldn’t be explored in the future. It does work, and you ignore aesthetics as the narrative continues. Besides which, Dredd’s weapons such as the Lawmaster (the bike) and the Lawgiver (the gun) are absolutely spot-on! Wait until you see the “hot-shot” and the “incendiary”! There are some nice nods to the comic-book history as well. TV news reports on the “Fergie” memorial (sewer-dwelling mutant hero), and prominent graffiti states “Chopper!” and “Muties out!”

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This really is a great film, and if you have any concerns that the plot follows the same trajectory as the recent “The Raid: Redemption”... it doesn’t.  See it and enjoy a ball-busting and bloody sci-fi actioner! I only hope that it is enough of a success to prompt further sequels. Garland has hinted that he would love to introduce a certain multi-dimensional judge, who believes that life is a crime …