Dredd (2012)
Director: Pete Travis
Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Domhnall Gleeson
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Science fiction
A modernized version of the 2000 AD comic, Dredd boasts the writing talent of Alex Garland (28 Days Later (2002), Sunshine (2007), 28 Years Later (2025)) who aims to distinguish this reboot from the ill fated (but fun) live action adaptation that saw Sylvester Stallone in the titular role in 1995.
Garland chose to remain faithful to the spirit of the source material avoiding the traps of cinematic universes and their continuous need for world building. Instead he employs a simple plot that restrains the action in a single location. Drawing similarities with Gareth Evan’s The Raid (2011), the film is like an extended set piece that occasionally slows down to give the audience some room to breath. Director Pete Travis stages efficiently several violent skirmishes between the Judges and the Ma-Ma clan that bear a John Woo touch but the small budget does not offer vividly rich shoot-outs which could push away purist actionphiles. And the Nolanified aesthetic of Mega City One although it makes sense why the producers choose that style, it deprives of what makes that meat grinder in the colorful pages unique. Looking like modern day Johannesburg is not necessarily an attractive depiction of a futuristic dystopia.
“Ma-Ma is not the law. I am the LAW!”
Yet, incorporating the visually stunning slo-mo sequences that bear a poetic beauty of violence depiction elevate Dredd above your-average-actioners. Travis does his best in visual storytelling echoing the efforts of George Miller. He succeeds in incorporating elements that describe effectively characters and situations without a single word all the while providing commentary on the problematic aspects of our reality. Embedded with a surprising sense of nihilism which might diminish any emotional depth for our protagonist juggernaut, Dredd’s new protégé (Judge Anderson) does become initially the audience’s emotional core. Nevertheless, unlike the typical Hollywood lessons about law enforcement brutality, Anderson is never used to lecture Dredd or the audience. Her own predicament has her maturing quite fast ignoring gotcha! questions of morality. This is a bold tactic that pays off later on.
Despite the presence of glorified archetypes, these are brushed through a fresh cinematic paint that provides appropriate characterizations wholly relevant (and believable) within the movie’s mythology but those who seek further development leave your expectations at the door. And when the time for the final confrontation arrives, it is a quick resolution due to the lack of a genuinely threatening (or imposing) villain. Lena Headey, a fantastic actress, is unfortunately not given enough material to work with in the anemic role of Ma-Ma lacking any standout scenes and most of the time she is being reduced to a staring bystander.
The biggest strength of this reboot though lies in Karl Urban. Embodying Dredd perfectly, this is the role of a lifetime for the beloved Kiwi. He not only looks the part but makes the character his own providing excellent body language and voice tones. Delivering minimal dialogue and having a twisted sense of humor, he shares great chemistry with Olivia Thirlby’s Judge Anderson as a black-and-white instructor in moments that involve sudden death, who could have been portrayed as a damsel in distress, but instead the script puts her as one of the finest female badasses in film history. Their on-screen clashes with a gazillion henchmen are complemented nicely by the fitting industrial score of Paul Leonard-Morgan which provides steady musical momentum and has become since the release of the film, a collector’s item.
Relying on a career-best performance by Urban, Dredd pulls no punches with satisfying violence, witty one liners, and an array of beautiful shots. It may lack expensive special effects and entertaining villains, but it gets the job done by respecting the source material, having a committed cast, a brilliant score and solid visual storytelling. Justice has been served.
Judgment day has come
+Urban is perfection
+Thirbly’s Anderson
+Slo-mo sequences
+Perfect soundtrack
+Believable future
-Straightforward story
-Blunt action
-Not enough Headey
-Urban production design