Dredd deserved better. It’s the type of film you finish watching and think, “Man, I’d like to see more of this character/world,” instantly making you hopeful for a sequel. That’s exactly what I thought when I saw the film on opening day. My hopes didn’t last long, however, as the film failed to draw audiences right from the start, and it was all but sentenced to box-office death from that point on. Now that doesn’t mean the film should be written off; in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Dredd is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, and it’s not unheard of that films with weaker box-office performances that do well in video sales are given the green light for a sequel. Sure it’s rare, but it happens. Of course, this would just be a bonus, as Dredd deserves to have high video sales simply because it’s one of the best action movies of 2012.
If you’re a fan of action, and you were swayed away by critics, or the advertisements made the film look too generic, or you simply wanted to wait until you could watch it in the comfort of your own home, well then you missed out on an action-junkie’s theatrical dream. The 3D was beautifully done, and the film was just an adrenaline rush from start to finish. Luckily, this experience transfers over to the Blu-ray quite well, so there’s no excuse on missing out this time around.
Dredd stars Karl Urban as the renowned Judge Dredd, who – much to the delight of Dredd fans – never takes off his helmet. For those who aren’t aware, the character of Dredd originates from a comic book by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra (and partial credit can go to the editor of the comic at the time, Pat Mills, who loved the concept art Ezquerra drew – which was different than how Wagner described the character – and changed the script to match that vision). The comic book version shares little in common with the one portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in the 1995 flick, Judge Dredd; however, fans can be rest assured that screenwriter/producer Alex Garland and director Pete Travis got it right this time around.
The film takes place in a dystopian future, where America is a wasteland, and one of the only places to find haven from the irradiated desert that surrounds it is Mega City One – a giant walled off city that runs from Boston to Washington, D.C. Inside these walls crime runs rampant and the only law enforcement comes in the form of officers called “Judges.” Judges are given the power of judge, jury and executioner, and have the ability to carry out sentencing on the spot. Dredd is one of the most revered judges on the force, and right from the opening minutes of the film, he’s impossible not to like.
Early on Dredd is teamed up with a rookie named Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), who failed the test to become a judge, yet was given the go-ahead for field testing due to her having a special ability that the higher ups believe will help the force out. While reluctant, Dredd agrees to take her on for assessment, and the two head out to check on a reported triple homicide in The Peachtrees Block (building) that’s run by a ruthless drug lord – and all around sadistic killer – called Ma-Ma (Lena Headey). Though when the two Judges take a prisoner that Ma-Ma is afraid will talk, she locks down the entire building and warns those inside that she won’t open it back up until the judges are dead.
For those who have seen The Raid: Redemption, the latter portion of the plot may sound familiar. But both films were being written at the same time, so there’s no copying from either side of the fence in terms of ideas here. Besides, both films are absolutely mind-blowing in terms of action, and both take different approaches as to how the problem of being completely outnumbered by a building full of murderous bad guys is solved, so in the end, audiences are the true winners.
For those with a 3D set-up, that’s the ideal way to watch Dredd, as it really uses the technique for the betterment of the film. Travis really nails it in terms of when to really push the 3D envelope, and when to keep things subtle, and there’s never any cheesy “eyeball flying into your lap” type moments, so sorry to disappoint if that’s what you’re hoping for. That’s not to say there aren’t some beautifully shot scenes of violence that pop perfectly, as there are plenty of those – especially the ones shot in slow motion.
Now, the thought of 3D and slow motion to some may just sound like an overabundance of two things that have been overused in action films in recent years, but it works really well both in terms of visuals, and story elements. One of the main reasons Ma-Ma is such a big deal in the drug business is because she manufactures a drug called Slo-mo, which is breathed in through an inhaler and instantly causes your brain to start processing things as though they’re happening at 1% of their actual speed. This leads to some really amazing action sequences that are shot through the perspective of drugged out thugs, who are torn down in slow motion by our favourite judge.
The 2D Blu-ray presentation works just as well, though it should be noted that some will be thrown by the somewhat grainy, somewhat greenish tint that certain scenes seem to have. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (127 Hours, Oscar winner for Slumdog Millionaire) intentionally did this to give the film a more surreal, gritty look, so don’t feel as though there’s something wrong with your TV, or that the transfer of the film to Blu-ray was poorly done. While it may be somewhat distracting for the first little bit, once the action picks up inside the Peach Tree, odds are your eyes will have adjusted and the hues won’t be as obvious. Simply put: don’t expect a crisp, strong HD conversion that pops from the screen, as that’s simply not how the film was meant to look.
To quickly touch upon the acting, Urban is fantastic as Dredd and really carries the movie as a complete badass that just screams for a franchise. Thirlby is a perfect contrast to Dredd, and the two have magnificent chemistry throughout. Headey is almost unrecognizable in comparison to her widely known, stern but beautiful role as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, and really pulls off playing a worthy foe to Dredd.
Dredd delivers everything one could possibly want from a pure action film. While it may not have lit up the box-office, it’s a movie that no action junkie should miss, and one that anybody just looking for an entertaining night in should definitely check out.
The audio transfer for the film is fantastic, with some really great sound mixes; strong dialogue edits, and well balanced score. The video transfer is also really well done, though as mentioned above, there’s a slight grain to some of the visuals, and a green tint; however, the cinematographer intentionally did this. There are some wonderful contrasts in terms of the shadows, and darker scenes, and the dreamlike scenes during the slo-mo drug usage scenes. Overall it’s a visually stunning film, which shows in the Blu-ray transfer.
Mega-City Masters: 35 Years of Judge Dredd – This featurette runs at just under 15 minutes in length, and various artists (including co-creator Carlos Ezquerra) and writers give their thoughts on the comic book where Dredd originated, and how the character has lasted all these years, and why he’s such an iconic comic book character.
Day of Chaos: The Visual Effects of Dredd – This featurette is just over 15 minutes in length and delves into the world of special effects from the film. Visual effects art director Neil Miller, visual effects supervisor Jon Thum talk about building the concept art and preparing the world at the start of pre-production. They also talk about choosing to film in Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, as they both matched up well in terms of the style and look of Mega City One that they were going for. They also touch on the use of slow motion, and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle talks about wanting to work more with close-ups and things that aren’t normally done in 3D.
Dredd Featurette – This is a promo piece for the film that’s under two minutes in length.
Dredd’s Gear – This is another quick promo-type featurette that runs at just over two minutes in length. Michael O’Connor, the costume designer talks about Urban’s uniform, and how the design came about. They also touch on the Lawgiver, which is the weapon of choice for Judge’s in this world.
The 3rd Dimension – Another quick promo piece that’s exactly two minutes in length, and talks about the 3D aspect of the film.
Welcome to Peachtrees – Another promo piece that is two and a half minutes in length, which touches on the Mega Blocks, and Peachtrees in particular. The set designers and crew talk about how they decided to help make it so that the Block itself was seen as a character in the film.
Dredd Motion Comic Prequel – This is just under three minutes in length, and is just what it says, a motion comic prequel. The focus is on Ma-Ma before she became the drug lord we see in the film. It’s basically the introduction of the Slo-mo drug, and what drove Ma-Ma to the edge.
Dredd is a “can’t miss” film for any true fan of the action genre. It’s actually so well done, that I can easily recommend it as a blind-buy for those who haven’t seen it and would prefer to save the rental fee and just go all in. With any luck, the studio won’t judge Dredd simply on box-office performance, and if we’re lucky, Blu-ray and DVD sales will help convince them to make a sequel down the road. Highly recommended.
Reliance Entertainment presents Dredd. Directed by: Pete Travis. Written by: Alex Garland. Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Rakie Ayola, Warrick Grier, Wood Harris, Jason Cope. Running time: 96 minutes. Rating: R. Released: January 8, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
