Dredd Review
Summary: In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
- Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
- Director: Pete Travis
- Writers: Tim Herlihy, Timothy Dowling, Patrick Jean
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1h 35m
- 3D Type: Native
Story:
Dredd is based on the 1970s ‘2000AD’ comic series, set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future where America has become corrupted by crime and poverty. This is the second take at a Dredd movie, where back in the 1995 adaptation, Sylvester Stallone starred as Judge Dredd, but the movie was critiqued as a terrible translation of the comic books, mainly due to its tone and lack of faith in the comics.
Fast-forward to 2012, Karl Urban stars as Judge Dredd in a remake that does not fail to deliver. Teaming up with Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a physic rookie Judge that is on a practical assessment by Dredd. The film follows the two as they investigate a murder scene at Peach Trees – a 200-story slum building block, run by a drug lord named Ma-Ma (Lena Headey).
The plot is straightforward, though we learn no real background information on Dredd or Anderson, their current lives, or their past. Some more character development could have been included as I feel like since the movie is only 95 minutes long, it could’ve been fleshed out more.
Picture:
Dredd was shot in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa – used to depict the United States east coast in the movie. For a low-budget film of only $45 million, the picture visuals are very impressive. It has a gritty undertone throughout, feeling very dirty and raw, which is a vast contrast to the Stallone version, which did not nail the tone at all.
Sound:
The 7.1 DTS-HD shines throughout the film. Booming gunshots, explosions, and a kick-arse score by Paul Leonard-Morgan make for an enjoyable experience for your ears. I recommend listening with headphones or an Atmos home theatre setup.
3D
Dredd was natively shot in 3D using the RED digital 3D camera, which was also used for Resident Evil: Retribution. Petre Travis does not disappoint with his use of 3D, which enhances the film for the better.
Pop:
The ‘Slo-Mo’ drug sequences are incredible and are really where Dredd shines. Explosions, debris, and bullets pierce wobbling human flesh, leading to blood and gore flying everywhere, including out of the screen. When ingested, Slow-Mo makes the brain feel as if it’s passing at 1% of the normal speed. The cameras used shot these scenes at 3,000 frames per second, for comparison the Matrix movies were shot using 300 frames-per-second cameras. I felt like Dredd just took these slow-motion shots to another level.
There’s also an awesome chaingun scene with Ma-Ma unleashing mayhem with some nice pop effects.
Depth:
The raw size of the Peach Trees building complex is emphasized with cameras panning up and down the walls. Corridor depths are enlargened in 3D, as well as the rows of City skyscrapers in some scenes showcasing the environment.
However, most scenes are shot in contained spaces inside Peach Trees, the depth throughout is clearly not as impressive as other 3D films.
Verdict:
Dredd is a fun, gritty action flick that does not disappoint. The chemistry between Dredd and Anderson is great and leads to some witty, dry humour. It’s a shame we have not gotten a sequel or another movie shot in the same universe. I recommend this for any 3D enthusiast’s collection.
Category | Scores |
---|---|
Story: | ★★★★ |
Picture: | ★★★★★ |
Sound: | ★★★★★ |
Pop: | ★★★★ |
Depth: | ★★★ |
TOTAL SCORE: | 21/25 |