Review of Dredd (2012) by Amr K — 05 Feb 2015

It honestly feels like a masterpiece. Judge Dredd is a great character, and that's partly because he isn't too much of a character. There isn't a lot of emphasis on his personality besides being a great judge, and that makes him seem cold and impersonal. He never even shows his face. At the same time, he is just below RoboCop levels of insensitivity; he's still a human with emotions and imperfections, so I could relate to him. All the characters were good, really.

Mama is a great villain with a simple yet brutal back story. She's vicious and heartless. She manages to seem insane and completely unhinged, while still in total control.

There's not much CGI, relying instead on nice sets and practical effects, which I appreciate. The nicest visuals come with the cool slo-mo scenes. They're really gorgeous to look at.

The entire overreaching plot is simple; it's the little intricacies of it that make it captivating. Still, it is basically a long drug bust l, so it keeps the runtime short, perfectly utilizing every minute rather drawing it out unnecessarily.

I love this movie to death. I would tell anyone to go he it a try.