Review of Dredd (2012) by James K — 26 Sep 2014

I decided to give "Dredd" a 10/10 perfect score after careful considerations of its sickening and excessively violent entertaining value, the briliant juxtaposition of protagonists and antagonists, the mesmerising use of slow motion and sharp contrast, and the smooth flowing action movie pace with a touch of serious horror. It got a 10/10 from me for its one-of-its-kind presentation of a comic book post-modern hero.

Judges employ violence in enforcing laws in the wast land in a future world where crime is a norm and only 6% of serious crime could ever be dealt with. We are introduced to Dredd on a car chase scene and later a bit smoked after he executed the criminal in a hostage situation. We are also introduced to Ma-Ma executing three defiant members of opposing gang clan: skinned, infused Slow-Mo and tipped over the balcony for a 200-story free fall to their eventual crush on the ground floor atrium. Ma-Ma was seen in a bath-tub, incredibly de-sexualised and fearsome. Then comes the eye candy, if I may so describe, the rookie. borderline pass (ie a fail), assigned to Dredd for a field trip for a final assessment. Anderson, a mutant aka psychic, is helmet-free to prevent interference of her psychic power, set out to demonstrate why she should be a judge, and entered with Dredd into Peach Tree, a vertical slum ruled by Ma-Ma. Peach Tree also housed the factory of Slow-Mo, and everything is beautiful in Slow-Mo, the piercing bullet into the fat pad on abdomens or through the thin cheekbone, the colored smoke from the inhaler through, the fancy of a party, the free-fall to the slow death after being skinned alive...Slo-Mo romanticises everything.

Now, are you ready? Ready for Dredd? I said I wasn't and Dredd told Anderson she didn't look ready. She presented a possible warmth and a pretty face to look at while maintain the calm and coolness we expect from judges.

Then we had the war, the blasting of an entire level, the interrogation aka mind-rape, and the corrupt judges. The audience was led to believe more and more that Dredd is invincible and Anderson was there to be seen as a more human character with emotion, development and balance. Ma-Ma also showed her more human traits of fear, uncertainty and the need for resolution.

Rated R, the briliance of "Dredd" lies in its shameless depiction of violence erring on the side of the usually over-familiarised genre of horror. It had to be endured to be appreciated. Unfortunately the good guy did win, as they all do in hero movie. But the refreshingness is not seeing the no-nonsense Dredd through the chaos, but perhaps the observation of the maturing of the rookie Anderson. The depiction of female characters in Dredd is so contrasting it is stunning: they are mothers, both weak and strong, dictator and violent killer, and law enforcer. The whole film experience is dark, sickening, but surprisingly entertaining.

Highly recommended among all R-rated horror films that lack action and those action hero movies that shy away from horror.

If you read down this far, you may leave attempting to answer this question if I may, who is the necessary evil in this film? I'd like to remind you it was Dredd who brought death to Peach Tree, a slum, a bunch of disadvantaged and poor, exemplified by a beggar who got crushed simply because he sat at the wrong spot. Viewed with my beloved Dark Knight in mind, I secretly wish I've just asked a rhetorical question.