It took 30 years. But they finally made a decent Judge Dredd adaptation film. And the key reason for this is Karl Urban isn't an egotist who has to show off his face and prove how great of an ''actor'' he is.
So I love this movie. It's one of my absolute favorites. And it's a completely average 5 out of 10, basic film.
So it might sound strange to some people that a movie I prays so highly; I also consider to be completely average.
But I am able to look at this movie for what it is. A simple action film involving police officers penetrating and surviving in an apartment complex. It's similar to Die Hard in that manner. I also think it's similar to RoboCop. Almost as if it's the two movies mingling together with a Judge Dredd comic book veneer smeared about it.
Come to think of it. I think that's why this movie work so well.
Comic book movies tend to veer away from their respective property or steer themselves so far into it that it becomes inaccessible for adaptation.
But this movie hits the sweet spot.
Adopting style, tone and the scope of a Judge Dredd comic; With the cinematography, acting and screenplay of a Hollywood action film. It knows when to add inside tire and when to avoid it.
For instance, it gives us the character judge Anderson peering into the mind of Dredd; if but for a few seconds.
It indicates to the audience that there is more than just a mechanical mechanism within the head of this man, but it never dwells on it again.
It Makes reference to some of the more amusing and obscure things from the Judge Dredd Comics. Like the ''fatties'' or odd consumeristic products that are blatant throw out comic books. No references to that super sweet candy that makes people addicted, but we do get 'slow-mo' which is a pretty interesting drug and its own right. Made all the more amusing because it works out perfectly for film.
Really I'm just impressed they were able to make fun adaptation of a relatively silly comic but in a serious tone that doesn't take itself too seriously. Which sounds weird to say, but it's kind of accurate to what it is.
Somehow they were able to play Down The More We diculous aspects of Judge Dredd without taking away the soul of Judge Dredd. And that's not an easy thing to do. Could you imagine a Deadpool movie in where they took away Deadpool's fourth wall antics. Probably wouldn't work. But they were somehow able to take judge Dredd's character keep his somber tone and still make him in a way supportable.
Think about what Judge Dredd Is. He's a fascist. An absolute, dictatorial cop; Who stands by the code of law and almost never deviates from it.
And over the years he's only become more vindictive.
So to pick up that particular character and then find a way to add that to him to the big screen and still make him likeable! Why that's a achievement all in its own.
Honestly this almost feels like a Karl Urban stand-alone performance. His Charisma (or lack of it) is one of the key reasons this film is able to work. Also Olivia Thirlby does a particularly good job of Anderson's character. She captures with Anderson ultimately became. Kind of default morally good judge with psychic abilities; Who has to put up with a lot of horrible crap.
That's not what Anderson's character was originally. She was this blowhard girl who was kind of full of herself and very outgoing and kind of a airhead with how she interacts with other people*. Somebody could have easily it played her character in that direction.
It's one of those movies where you have several different characters and none of them really have a personality. Everybody feels like a building block towards greater story. And that greater story is just a small little insignificant event in the greater world that is Mega City one. There is high stakes and no Stakes simultaneously.
I love the ending where Dredd just picks up the antagonistic Mama and throws a her out a window; High on her own drugs.
It shows that extremist side of Dredd that's supposed to bluntly tell you; That this man, Tho lawful (and the protagonist) is at the end of the day a highly dictatorial borderline psychopath. Who if not given restraint by the books of law would probably be a greater detriment to the overall Society than the criminals themselves.
*This was back in the day when secondary Judge Dredd characters could often be very zany and comedic. Such as ''Walter the Wobot'' who is Judge Dredd's personal servant and caretaker for his house.
These characters along with their traits are ultimately phased out over time. Or in the case of Anderson she was just re-written over time and given a more plausible characteristic. I like to think that having the spirit of a dead demon inside of her mind probably eliminated any of her comedic tendencies.
I'm diving into something that's neither here nor there.
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