MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Stars: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Domhnall Gleeson, Warrick Grier, DeObia Oparei, Francis Chouler, Daniel Hadebe, Rakie Ayola, Langley Kirkwood, Edwin Perry, Karl Thaning, Michele Levin, Junior Singo, Luke Tyler, Jason Cope, Joe Vaz, Scott Sparrow, Nicole Bailey/Runtime: 95 minutes
It might surprise a fair amount of you out there to learn this, but the realm of comic books is by no means one that should just be defined by superheroes that are merely a part of the landscape. I say this because from the slimy yet darkly humor-tinged tales of the macabre found in E.C. Comics and licensed comics featuring such properties as Terminator and Predator from Dark Comics all the way to the dark sci-fi/steampunk/erotica blend present in Heavy Metal respectively there is a whole ’nother world out there waiting to be discovered should one take the time to do so. Amongst that list though, there is one that I think should be mentioned here. That being one known simply as 2000 AD. This sci-fi anthology comic magazine was one that originally began publication in the 70s and which hit upon 24 karat comic cult hit gold in just its second issue due to a strip inside known as Judge Dredd. A strip incidentally that dealt with the various misadventures of a strict, take no prisoners kinda law enforcement officer residing in a futuristic police-run world. Indeed not only is this one of the more well-done comics I have had the pleasure of reading due to how a lot of the storylines it has had are willing to take its time and be spread out over a period of months rather than be resolved swiftly, but it is also easily one of the most popular elements to 2000 AD for a lot of readers. Tragically, whilst the good Judge is very beloved in his country of origin (Britain to be exact), I think there is only one area where people here in the States might know him from. That being the first attempt to bring this character to the big screen in the long-ago year of 1995 and which starred in the lead role none other than Sylvester Stallone. A movie that, despite being fun at points, is also one of the worst comic book adaptations I have seen. As a result, not only did this make the character a bit of a punchline, but it also saw his creators become very leery about another adaptation of this beloved property taking place. Then around the year of 2012, word got out that Alex Garland, the brilliant scribe on such movies as Sunshine and 28 Days Later, was being given the go-ahead to make another pass at the property with this one being given the simpler title of just “Dredd”. With the benefit of hindsight, I think fans of the character (myself included to an extent) can be thankful he was. I say this because sure it might have its fair share of issues, but with the aid of wonderful work both behind and in front of the camera, Dredd “2012” is a lean, mean, and visceral cinematic ride that as a movie is a blast from beginning to end, but as an adaptation of this iconic character is able to bring him to life in a way that is both respectful and engaging in all the best ways.
The plot is as follows: Taking us into the far-off future of 2080, the slice of cinema that is Dredd places us feet first into a world where the vast majority of what used to be called the United States of America has been transformed into a nuclear-war induced wasteland. As for those who are either still alive or just simply slower to succumb to the effects of radiation poisoning than everyone else they have been placed in one of a pair of what have been deemed “Mega Cities” with our story taking place in Mega City One. A place that, besides being a vast and sprawling metropolis containing about 800 million people, is also hit daily by about 17,000 serious acts of criminality and consistently on the edge of nearly and permanently falling into a state of lawless chaos and anarchy. I say nearly because, even with all of the madness afoot, there is still a degree of law and order to be found in this metropolis. That being in the shape and form of an organization known simply as the “Judges”. A highly trained peace-keeping group that operate much like a police force with one distinct caveat. That being that they also possess the power to both render judgement on a criminal and handle that criminal as they see fit. We soon see that our guide through this world gone topsy turvy is a particularly noteworthy Judge by the name of Dredd. A guy who, besides being a seasoned and devoted Judge, also is very much one who is willing to dispense with justice on such an extreme level that most members of the criminal element would sooner hope to win the lottery than run into him out on the streets. Yet as good as Dredd is, it isn’t long after a particularly thrilling arrest that we see him have to take on another role in his crusade. That being as a, albeit highly reluctant, evaluating officer to a young and bit more idealistic rookie by the name of Cassandra Anderson. However when Dredd’s training day winds up getting the two sent over to a 200-story apartment complex tower of sorts known as Peach Trees to investigate a particularly visceral triple homicide we see that it also brings about something else. Namely that the pair wind up significantly raising the ire of a ruthless drug lord named Ma-Ma. Ma-Ma, we quickly learn, is the brains behind a new drug that has been hitting the streets recently known as Slo-Mo and which creates in the user a sensation that time is moving at a heck of a lot slower speed than it actually is. However, when our dynamic duo manages to catch one of the top people in her organization and decide to sweat him for any intel that he has, we see that Ma-Ma has other ideas. Namely to lock down the entire block and make clear to everyone inside that not only are there two judges in the building, but that she will only open the building back up once they are as dead as disco. Thus can Dredd and Anderson make their way to the top and put an end to Ma-Ma and her sinister plans? That I will let you discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off the ol’ gun barrel, it should be noted that in terms of the work being done behind the camera this slice of cinema is one that, despite working with a budget of *only* 30-45 million dollars, is still vividly and passionately brought to life by a team of skilled craftspeople operating at the pinnacle of their respective talents. This starts with the fact that as our dynamic duo traverse through the seemingly limitless number of hallways in this tower-like building being watched by the security system and annihilating bad guys left and right, this is still a film that is absolutely incredible to look at and admire. Sure, the concrete interior of Peach Trees, where the majority of the film takes place, is very sparse and not that pleasant on the eyes, but when persuasively brought to life by a top-tier production team and thoroughly molded by the film’s gifted cinematography department I think it can be said that this setting is able to become one that is given more life than is being mercilessly annihilated by any of the parties involved. Speaking of the carnage in this I think now is a good time to praise this movie’s camerawork for one other thing. That being for the fact that, unlike some movies where the camerawork makes it so difficult to discern what is going on, this film unapologetically and even almost gleefully is willing to show every bit of the visceral violence on display be it a trinity of skinned corpses or a wave of bullets piercing through the body. Perhaps the most incredible moments however are the ones that we get from the point of view of people who are engaged in the usage of Slo-Mo. Indeed, not only does this film give these moments a rather distinctly alluring look to them that is quite hypnotic in a sense, but it also brilliantly manages to utilize them in the narrative in a way that feels organic rather than shoehorned in just to have them there. With that in mind, it should be noted that whilst this slice of cinema isn’t exactly the most intelligent or thought provoking in the world, it also is by no means a film that politely requests that you leave your brain at the door in order to enjoy either. I say that because whilst the characters are fairly one dimensional to an extent, it is the interactions between them that help to make up for that. We also see that this film’s script, as penned by the brilliant Alex Garland, does a terrific job of being respectful enough to the viewer that it doesn’t feel like it needs to pump the brakes and explain everything about this world or even add any extraneous subplots to the mix. Indeed this film might run at only, including credits, 95 minutes, but it also has ensured that every one of those minutes is vital to the overall quality of the film. Suffice it to say that in terms of being a faithful adaptation to say nothing of looking frighteningly plausible, the work done behind the camera definitely delivers on that front.
Of course, the other big component to this slice of cinema working as well as it ultimately does is the fact that the cast in front of the camera all manage to give really freaking good performances. This starts with Karl Urban who, as the titular character, is absolutely spot-on. Not just in the fact that he actually looks the part right down to leaving the character’s freaking helmet on through the entire movie (if you know dear reader you know), but also in terms of his demeanor and personality as well. Indeed this is a guy who is supposed to be perhaps the epitome of coldly stoic and Urban nails that especially in terms of the grizzled and raspy almost Clint Eastwood-like voice he utilizes throughout the entirety of the film. Yet besides that we also are able to see that, despite 80% of his face being covered up, Urban is able to do a fantastic job of managing to brilliantly utilize his voice to such an extent that when he uses a different inflection that you can tell exactly how he’s feeling at any given point in time during the film even if we never once see that change reflected on his face (the little of which we do see seems to be appropriately stuck in permanent scowl mode throughout). Be that as it may be, this is a terrific performance from a truly underrated actor and the portrayal of this iconic character that all future live action interpretations should aspire to be like. We also get a really good turn here from Olivia Thirlby in the role of Judge-in-Training Cassandra Anderson. Indeed not only is her arc in this film immensely satisfying, but Thirlby does a great job at being both the eyes of the audience into this chaotic world as well as an optimistic voice that actually manages to thaw out Dredd’s ice-cold heart a teeny tiny little bit. Not in terms of romantic thawing of the heart mind you, but rather in how she actually wishes to make a difference in the communities the judges patrol rather than just go in guns blazing. Equally as good however is Lena Headey in the role of the antagonist Ma-Ma. Indeed, Headey may have been a terrific screen talent before this, but here she manages to gives us a fantastic performance that not only is a brilliant mix of sadistic, ruthless, sinister, and just plain diabolical, but also one that I can imagine had the creators of Game of Thrones smiling and confident they made the right casting choice for Cersei Lannister as well. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in potent support performances from such talents as Domhnall Gleason, Wood Harris, Warrick Grier, and Rakie Ayola among others it’s clear that not only is the cast of players lovingly aware of the distinct sandbox that they are playing in, but that they are all also having an absolute blast with the material as well.
All in all and at the end of the day is the 2012 slice of cinema Dredd a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination to say nothing of a movie that is sure to get a few nods by the time the Oscars roll around? Honestly no, but if you are the kind of person who thinks so then that’s very thoughtful of you. With that in mind though, is this both an entertaining film to say nothing of a fairly spot-on interpretation of a rather iconic character? Absolutely and then some dear reader! I mean given how a lot of the comic book cinematic takes nowadays desperately aspire to be movies that can be one for everyone to enjoy, it really is quite the gutsy move to see one that decides it won’t go that road simply because the original source material wasn’t one for everyone to begin with. Instead, it would like to be one that is made for the fans of the character by fans of the character and in that regard this film is a resounding triumph in every way from the no holds barred yet skillful work done behind the camera at bringing the world of the character so vividly to life all the way to the potent work done in front of the camera especially by Karl Urban whose take on this iconic character truly is nothing short of perfection. Suffice it to say then that if you are someone who is either a fan of the character, on the look-out for a lean and delightfully visceral cinematic ride that you can make it through in one sitting, or both then definitely give this film a chance. Not only will you have a fun time be it your first or 65th time watching it, but I think that I might be able to use you watching this cinematic adaptation over the 1995 one to help keep the men and women in the Hall of Justice right down to Dredd himself from judging you too harshly should the situation call for it. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Dredd “2012” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
