Let’s get the most obvious question/statement out of the way…why was this movie (re)made given how awful Stallone’s version was in 1995? It is a fair yet cliche question I think I can answer. Firstly, Comic book characters are hot properties again thanks to the Marvel Comics juggernaut. The other entails the film’s DNA, it was primarily made and funded outside the US. While sitting through the closing credits we saw many references to the UK and South Africa. Oh yeah, if imdb.com is correct, this was made for a paltry $50 million which is chump change in America for these types of flicks, another hint on how the primary audience isn’t Americans.
I’m done second guessing the economics/rationales, the real point in writing about Dredd is how this movie isn’t something I’d recommend to everybody like Brave or Prometheus while arguing it’s better than Paranorman. Maybe I should post a scale to clarify where “Acquired Taste” stands against “Rental.” For now let’s say they’re equal with nuances.
The other matter I want to declare is that I’ve been a fan of Judge Dredd since the late Eighties when I could find new and reprinted adventures. I’m more familiar than the average Yank when it comes to the UK’s equivalent of Batman. I also know the comics are really satire; in many ways, it’s how the Brits perceive America through the lens of our violent media and culture. Was I excited to see another attempt at a Judge Dredd movie well? Not immediately. The initial reviews I read were mixed too. When they’re not unanimous in either directions, I lean toward checking it out because I’m familiar with the source material.
How does it fare though? This adaptation was a thousand times more faithful to the comics than Stallone’s buddy picture. Karl Urban is much closer to emulating the character’s personality. Most importantly, he never takes off the helmet. I wish his voice were a bit deeper but it’s better than doing the Batman sure needs a lozenge schtick Christian Bale does. There’s no time wasted on a long exposition neither, you get the idea of what a hellhole MegaCity One is and Dredd starts fighting perps in minutes. The production team goes with a lower-tech look unlike the comics yet it works better to illustrate the crippling poverty and squalor for the backdrop.
Some creative changes were made to accommodate the movie for a broader audience: it’s partly an intro story for Judge Anderson, a telepathic judge; it’s a mentor picture due to this mission being Anderson’s graduation exercise; the dark humor is absent unless Dredd makes a zinger; Dredd is more flexible or merciful when he stuns a pair of juveniles trying to shoot him, in the comics he would’ve killed them. None are deal breakers, the producers made the wiser concessions in order to bring Dredd and his universe to life.
Overall Dredd succeeds with three out of four audiences. Longtime fans, they will applaud this. Action-film fans, it ranks up there with Robocop. Gore aficionados, the slow-motion splatter delivers (you see things from the perspective of people taking a drug called Sl-Mo). Sadly it fails with the biggest, most important crowd…general audiences. People went to The Dark Knight Rises in droves despite it being a somewhat equally gruesome movie. Batman’s 50-year head start and international fame through Adam West probably helped. Judge Dredd will always elicit bewilderment or a quick, snarky comment about Stallone’s flop. If you’re in the first three audiences, Dredd will deliver, otherwise don’t bother.
To catch this, Somara and I drove all the way to the Slaughter Lane Alamo, the only good theater carrying Dredd 3D. We were late to the pre-show fun but caught a couple amusing things, namely the trailer to Robocop 3, the sequel without Peter Weller in the key role and some cheesy horror movie Diane Franklin starred in.