Review of Judge Dredd (1995) by David G — 03 Nov 2009

It may not be his best but Judge Dredd is certainly a classic example of Sylvester Stallone's 90's career, the big man slipping into the titular lawman's armoured uniform like a pro before shouting at and/or blowing away anyone stupid enough to be a bad guy. Sly is joined by an equally nifty cast including Max von Sydow, Jurgen Prochnow, Diane Lane, Armand Assante as Dredd's wild-eyed, hammy nemesis Rico and Rob Schneider as the inevitable comedy sidekick. There's even a brief appearance by my boy James Remar as a *gasp* random thug, hurrah! Aside from the cast the movie also has an appropriately comic book look and feel going for it with big, extravagant sets and special effects bringing Mega City 1 to life along with the futuristic vehicles and weapons (the latter as always big, bulky and completely impracticle but looking great on film) and costumes - not just the judges but the city's population who are rocking an extraordinary collection of outfits. Now I have to admit here that I've never read any of the Judge Dredd comics so have no idea how accurately the characters and locations are portrayed but as a film fan first and a comic book fan - well, not at all - then I consider that a blessing since I can appreciate the film for what it is.

The plot plays it safe with a rather generic tale of Dredd being framed by a corrupt superior to protect some dirty secrets and impose a new world order but it does the trick and allows you to turn off your brain and simply enjoy the experience in this big, flashy and ever so slightly camp (possible sarcasm there) world. All together now: "I AM THE LAW!!!".