Review of Dredd (2012) by Colin S — 18 Feb 2017

Highly brutal but very engaging. Has a lot going for it even without the inevitable comparison to the 1995 version - sticks closer to the feel of the original comics, our title character doesn't take off his helmet (which gives a better ideal of him being an almost inhumanly unflagging and unrelenting pillar of justice), and there's a sense of desperation in the Mega City One inhabitants that gives a fantastic dystopian edge to the tale which sets it well apart from Stallone's almost day-glo effort.

Best of all, this version seems to be almost an origin story for Judge Anderson - a very welcome addition of the beloved character, who very gratefully isn't relegated to being the love interest or even unnecessarily oversexualised, and is also only briefly turned into a McGuffin in need of rescuing.

Only sticking point really is the almost shocking levels of gore and a leaning toward glorification of violence, and at times this also gives a streak of black humour which is only funny perhaps half of the time.

The three principals are excellent in their roles - Urban once again showing his versatility in a role where he had to bring an Eastwood-high level of grim persistence and some nuance of humanity, Thirlby's Anderson isn't the seasoned veteran but her rookie vulnerability lets the audience into the world, and Headey once again expertly portrays the evilly charismatic villain.