Set in the future, America has become a nuclear wasteland, with only a few overpopulated mega cities remain. Running from Boston to Washington DC lies Mega City One, a massive metropolis that is teetering on the edge of chaos. Incredibly out-manned, the only sense of order lies in the "Judges", officers who are judge, jury and executioner. One of the best, Dredd, responds to a triple homicide in one of the slum districts, only to discover that he has walked directly into the principle manufacturing facility for 'Slo-Mo' a new synthetic drug which is threatening to take over the city. Dredd is a fast-paced, stripped down action extravaganza that understands it's audience. Early on in the film, the viewer is told repeatedly just how bad crime and despair have become in this city, and the film makes sure to not just tell the viewer but show the viewer this barbaric state of society. The film doesn't shy away from the violence, showing the brutality of things, especially through the main villain, Ma-Ma. Ma-Ma is a sadistic character, and Lena Headey does a great job at creating a psychopathic character that is both scary and fun. Unlike so many films, Dredd doesn't try to create an emotional sentimentality within it's story, rather focusing solely on delivering an extremely violent, stripped down narrative that is fast, fluid, and fun. Aesthetically the film does a lot of unique, fun things stylistically -much of which can be attributed to this "slo-mo" drug which lets the user experience reality at 1/100th of the normal speed. These sequences are vivid, stylish and add a nice dimension to the action sequences. Dredd isn't anything profound or unique, but it understands it's audience and delivers the goods. 7.25/10
1 Comment
Sohrab
1/15/2013 12:13:18 pm
Fantastic adaptation of a graphic novel. Quite surprising.
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June 2023
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