I watched... Dredd

I suppose before we begin I should say that I've been collecting 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine for nigh on 20 years now, so you could say I'm something of a fan.

But I think that's okay, because at some level Dredd is a movie made for the fans. It's a (relatively) low budget, low plot film, it's a day in the life of the iconic Judge Dredd.

This simple concept is one of the best things about the film in my ever so humble opinion. The strength of Dredd in 2000AD is that week in week out, in orbit every Wednesday, he fights crime. Big or small, wherever he finds it.

Sure he has the epic storylines, like America, Judge Child and Apocalypse, but then there are the one and two parters that are the bread an butter and what keep the strip going.

Dredd is, as I read in another review, one of these two parters made for the screen. It's just another day in the long career of Old Stone Face.

Speaking of face, we don't so it. Happy day! Finally an actor secure enough to play the whole piece without anyone seeing the anything more than his chin. Karl Urban, the writers, director, producer, and the other helmeted Judges, is/are to be congratulated on the 'bold' decision to stay true to the source material.

On the topic of source material, next watch through I'm going to look for all of the geek references, stuff like the Chopper tag, the fatty, littered about the film drawn from the rich universe of Mega City One.

A Mega City One that bears more relationship to a modern city than a future metropolis it has to be said. I may be alone in this, but I liked the near future feel of the film rather than the hoverbikes and robots in the Stallone effort.

Yes, I know that Dredd of 2000AD is stuffed with fantastical technology, but, on a film of limited means I would rather see the money spent on getting the best out of the actors than on seeing Hammerstein for all of 3 minutes.

Dredd is the looming, stoney centre of the film but Anderson, I have to say I really enjoyed her character. Olivia Thirlby's portrayal of the Psi Judge's first day on the streets was very good. I loved the scene where she, literally, gets into the perp's head, I thought that really showed how she was growing into a Judge rather than a rookie. I liked the way that the grudging respect relationship developed, because Joe doesn't exactly make friends easily.

I've always thought that Dredd's relationships with female characters were similar to Wolverine's in some ways. Both characters seem to step into the role of a protector, Dredd does it with Anderson and Karyn, and his niece Vienna, and Wolverine with Jubilee, Shadowcat et al.

By the end of the film Anderson's character had developed to, I think, the point where she had stopped second guessing herself and became the genesis of the character we know from the comic, where she is strong enough to follow her own path rather than the rigidity of day to day Dredd.

For all of the gore and 'splosions, Dredd is a more character based film. Dredd is presented fully formed as 'the law', no origin story, no back story of cloning and a twin brother, who I half expected to show up and was mightily glad didn't. This means that the full regulation ninety minutes is devoted to the film, the action, the character's not just the last thirty minutes like so many comic adaptations.

I could trundle on about Dredd for ages, but I suppose I should make some attempt to bottom line it.

Does it work as a movie for fans? Definately

Does it work as a stand alone movie? I think so. I think there's enough going on to hold interest. Yes, it's not deep or life changing. No it's not desperately original. But it whips through the run time, and there's enough to keep you occupied.

Would I recommend it? Yes, oh hell, yes!

Would I watch it again? See above, hell yes! I might even watch it again tonight.

I give it 4 out 5. It's not a cinematic masterpiece but it's an entertaining slice of comic book served up on the screen. Go watch it, punk!