Review of Dredd (2012) by Iomdutch — 06 Jul 2013

Sometimes situations happen and you are required to either step up or step out.

Dredd is that primaeval part of the human condition that only knows how to step up... and blow a big freakin' hole in the problem.

The story, on the surface, is a simple one but it took me until the following day to really realise 'Damn...that WAS a really great film'. The reason is because Dredd is so stripped down compared to todays CGI laden, $200mil blockbusters it caught me off guard. Films like this don't really get made anymore. The filmakers have taken what they had to work with and have done no more or less than they should. I would challenge anyone to pause the film anytime and not appreciate that any frame of this film could have been pulled from the pages of a 2000AD prog, such is the calibre of the cinematography. Dredd is a near perfect example of solid SFX together with great story telling without the painful spoon-feeding that happens far to often in modern cinema. It's an education in good film-making.

The character of Judge Dredd is refreshingly straightforward. The slight hint of a backstory presented to the audience when the character of Anderson is introduced is quite simply genius.

In todays society, people too often look for extra recognition for their endeavours. The 'Look at me, look at me' syndrome. Dredd, however, after overcoming a brilliantly deadly situation; his report to the Chief Judge is simple: "Drug bust...Perps were, uncooperative" A good lesson in the lost art of understatement.

!!!The Man in the Mask!!! Even Peter Weller got a good chunk of full face time in Robocop but with Dredd the studios needed an actor who was prepared to (quite rightly) cover the majority of their face for 100% of the film. Step up Karl Urban. The man was born to play this role. Dredd is not a muscle bound superhuman, just a bad ass with a badge. No voice, dialogue or down turned mouth has been so effective since Clint Eastwoods' 'Man with no name' from the Sergio Leone trilogy.

A sequel would be a lovely thought (Please bring back the same main actors) but with box office takings poor the chances are slim. Who knows though? This film stands up on it's own and a bigger budget sequel might be a poison chalice to what is a truly remarkable accomplishment.