DREDD (Spoilers)

[Crazedwraith]

Just came back from this. Pretty good, much more gritty and real than the Stallone version. I can't speak to the accuracy to the comics.

Seemed to make ok use of it's 3D. Obviously the druggie scenes were pretty much designed for this. I'm not sure whether my eyes let me see it as well as I should do though.

Pretty basic plot and the villian played by Lena Headly, is nothing special (And does not know how a decent deadman's switch should work). I thought the ending was a little rushed.

One thing I'll mention really liking. Was that a couple of times, Dredd makes comments they should be conversing ammo and being careful about what they shoot. While at the same time pretty much blasting away willy nilly. Then he acually runs out of ammo at a critical point. (all kinds of ammo in fact, those guns make no sense than they did with Stallone)


But overall, Urban does Dredd well, with a very very dry wit and there's lots of gore and action, so I think people will like it.

[Bedlam]

To me it was an average action film, a good Judge Dread film, but a poor mega city one film.

Dread acted as I'd expect him to, however, the setting just seemed to normal to me like it could take place in the current day. I would have liked it alot better if you have included the various crazies that we have come to know and love in Mega City One. A few fatties with mono wheels, a bat suit, a mix of crazy fashions something to show you that the film was set in this freaky overcrowded pot of madness. It would have added a bit more humour to the film as well, I dont think Dredd should be cracking jokes (he very much the straight man) but the world around him should be funnier.

I'd probably give it 3/5 but a bit more effort could have given it a 4/5.

[Cykeisme]

All I've seen is the trailer.

As I understand, 2000 AD was written by some of the same guys who kicked off Warhammer 40k, and the Mega Cities are supposed to have the same crazy British GRIMDARK feel going as Hives in 40k.
Does the movie do this well?

[Gunhead]

All I've seen is the trailer.

As I understand, 2000 AD was written by some of the same guys who kicked off Warhammer 40k, and the Mega Cities are supposed to have the same crazy British GRIMDARK feel going as Hives in 40k.
Does the movie do this well?

Back in the day there was collaboration between 2000AD and GW. GW even published a Judge Dredd RPG. As far as Grimdark goes, Judge Dredd comics are way better but there is a ton of similarities. Similar thing could be said about Nemesis which is another 2000AD comic series. I think this changed in the 90's when GW started to move focus to their core business, miniature games and dropped a lot of stuff RPGs and the like included.

Still waiting to see the movie. Judge Dredd is a comic book series I've always liked and this seems it might be worth seeing.

-Gunhead

[Crazedwraith]

As I understand, 2000 AD was written by some of the same guys who kicked off Warhammer 40k, and the Mega Cities are supposed to have the same crazy British GRIMDARK feel going as Hives in 40k.
Does the movie do this well?

OK, my knowledge of 40K is extremely limited. (one semester's worth of Dark Heresy rpg) So I don't know if it matches the field of that.

But the setting is pretty grim and dark. Aside from the Judges acting as the whole legal system in one. We're featured to some statistics along the way; of the many thousand serious crimes that take place in the sector they're in the judge's deal with about 6% of them. The megablock (skyscraper) the villian works out of, is considered typical and has something like 90% unemployment and most of the levels are considered slums. A medical official there implies its been years since they've seen a judge there,

So its a grim future but its dealt with in a very matter of fact way, the character's don't stand around being po faced and soliquaying about how terrible things are. They just get on with shit.

[Gunhead]

OK, my knowledge of 40K is extremely limited. (one semester's worth of Dark Heresy rpg) So I don't know if it matches the field of that.

But the setting is pretty grim and dark. Aside from the Judges acting as the whole legal system in one. We're featured to some statistics along the way; of the many thousand serious crimes that take place in the sector they're in the judge's deal with about 6% of them. The megablock (skyscraper) the villian works out of, is considered typical and has something like 90% unemployment and most of the levels are considered slums. A medical official there implies its been years since they've seen a judge there,

So its a grim future but its dealt with in a very matter of fact way, the character's don't stand around being po faced and soliquaying about how terrible things are. They just get on with shit.

You are talking about the comic or the movie? The Judge Dredd comics are grimdark but while similar stuff to 40K appears in them, the grimdark has a very different slant to it by comparison.

-Gunhead

[Crazedwraith]

Comments I just made were in regards to movie. I've not read any of the comics.

[Bedlam]

All I've seen is the trailer.

As I understand, 2000 AD was written by some of the same guys who kicked off Warhammer 40k, and the Mega Cities are supposed to have the same crazy British GRIMDARK feel going as Hives in 40k.
Does the movie do this well?

The original Rogue Traider (40K 1st ed) was rather similar in feel to 2000AD and the Adaptus Arbites were more or less identical to the Mega City Judges. As stated above they've drifted apart since, to me 40K takes itself a bit to seriously now where as 2000AD is more tongue in cheek. The closest 40K to 2000AD is probably Ciaphus Cain although Cain is rather more of a comedy but has the same amusing things happening in the background.

As for the film it is grim dark but again as stated above its the background and no one draws attention to it. The block the film takes place in is a slum and alot of people get killed for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time for which no one bats an eye about. The judges care more about law than the actual populus of the city, however, as per my previous comments it doesn't feel like its really set in another world, I can see a similar thing happening in a third world city (or even very bad parts of first world cities).

[Cykeisme]

Hrm, I'll probably be watching this by the end of the week. I'll go in expecting nothing but action, if it's anything more, I'll treat it as a bonus.

I wonder why 40k doesn't have at least some of its fiction just roll with the less-serious sort of grimdark. Come to think of it, there isn't much fiction centering on the Arbites as it is.. some zany stuff in the undercity of a hive could be fun.

[J Ryan]

Hrm, I'll probably be watching this by the end of the week. I'll go in expecting nothing but action, if it's anything more, I'll treat it as a bonus.

I wonder why 40k doesn't have at least some of its fiction just roll with the less-serious sort of grimdark. Come to think of it, there isn't much fiction centering on the Arbites as it is.. some zany stuff in the undercity of a hive could be fun.

The Cain novels pretty much fill that bill. Tongue placed firmly cheek while still set in the same WH40k universe. The only novel I can think of which has the Arbites in from a character point of view is the first Ultramarines novel.

Any as for Dredd I really enjoyed it. It seemed to be another take on the same kind of story without trying to emulate the Comics or the Stallone film. At the beginning of the film it almost seemed as if it had been directed by Neill Blomkamp but with it being filmed in the Johannesburg and Cape Town that may not be surprising.

One aspect I didn't like though, was how they were trying to pass off the fact that the Judges ruled with an iron fist and that's all that was keeping people in line. As such you would have expected any occasions when Judges were being attacked they would respond with overwhelming force, to stop others from thinking they can get away with the murder of Judges. Instead when Dredd reports they are under fire and need backup, they get 2 guy who meekly stand outside for what appears to be an hour or so, despite it clear something fishy is going on. You'd expect as soon as they were stonewalled like that, to return with overwhelming support.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

There's an entire series of Adeptus Arbites novels.

Rather good, too, albeit very slow and heavy on exposition at times.

[Zor]

Overall an enjoyable action movie that manages to keep action up over its course. Two points of criticism to.

The Mo-Ma character, she thought she tried to murder Dredd by shooting up dozens of people in a massive firefight that would have got people talking. Alright, even after she succeeded in that and eventually re-opened the building the judges would come in, figure out what happened and come down hard on her. Admittedly she was clearly not an exemplar of sanity.

This movie is (at least in my opinion) unironically inferior to the Stallone Dredd film in one regard, music. Now put down your lawgivers guys, they had the Guy who did the soundtrack for Back to the Future, Captain America and the Avengers.


Zor

[Sephirius]

This movie is (at least in my opinion) unironically inferior to the Stallone Dredd film in one regard, music. Now put down your lawgivers guys, they had the Guy who did the soundtrack for Back to the Future, Captain America and the Avengers.


Zor

I also liked the old helmet and pauldron design better. As well as the old Lawgiver.

[The Yosemite Bear]

did my beloved Judge Anderson finally make a movie appearance, I guess it's time for me to go back to my iso cell, for harbouring sexually harrassing thoughts about a Psi Judge.....

[Lost Soal]

did my beloved Judge Anderson finally make a movie appearance, I guess it's time for me to go back to my iso cell, for harbouring sexually harrassing thoughts about a Psi Judge.....

Certinly safer than confronting her with them, as you'll see if you watch this movie.

[Crazedwraith]

Looks like this film is bombing. I guess competition + high rating + 3D only is not a winning combination.

[Block]

Looks like this film is bombing. I guess competition + high rating + 3D only is not a winning combination.

That and it was terrible. Just awful. It was boring, the dialogue was poorly written and it was stupidly gory for no reason.

[Jub]

Looks like this film is bombing. I guess competition + high rating + 3D only is not a winning combination.

That and it was terrible. Just awful. It was boring, the dialogue was poorly written and it was stupidly gory for no reason.

You have no taste in movies. It's morons like you who brought on this glut of bloodless PG13 action movies that killed the golden age of action movies.

This movie might have had a simple plot, but Anderson and Dredd played well off of each other. The gore, and especially the fact that we got see some practical effects, was perfect and the Slow Mo, as well as how it is explained, was well executed. It reminds me of the old 80's action movies where you could still see its and gore in a movie for adults.

[Block]

The gore was pointless "look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling. You're the moron if you think that blood, rape and torture are what make for a good movie.

[Zor]

The gore was pointless

No, it was to outline that this is indeed a hard world where nasty things happen. To help you understand why the Judges are the way they are.

"look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling.

Actually it does serve a purpose. First of all, it does look quite nice. Secondly it's part of the escapism. You have this rusty unending urban landscape that is at least in part in decay. It can make some fairly mundane things seem quite beautiful. It shows why people might find such a thing appealing.

Zor

[Block]

The gore was pointless

No, it was to outline that this is indeed a hard world where nasty things happen. To help you understand why the Judges are the way they are.

And to do that you have to show someone being carved up repeatedly and three people being skinned? Im pretty sure things like "we can only respond to 6% of violent crime" and the whole there hasn't been a judge in Peachtrees in years thing, along with the whole 800 million people in an area where something like 30-40 million live now and everywhere else being an irradiated wasteland set the scene just fine. It was mindless torture porn.

"look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling.

Actually it does serve a purpose. First of all, it does look quite nice. Secondly it's part of the escapism. You have this rusty unending urban landscape that is at least in part in decay. It can make some fairly mundane things seem quite beautiful. It shows why people might find such a thing appealing.

Zor

Sorry, I didn't find it cool at all. Slow motion is so over used in film at this point that it has the opposite effect, it's boring. Apparently with the way the movie is bombing, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[Jub]

The gore was pointless "look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling. You're the moron if you think that blood, rape and torture are what make for a good movie.

So you hate hard R action movies because they show rather than simply implying violence. Would this movie have been better if they edited it down to a PG13 and cut away before every bullet hit? Also, they've explained the why they had to add the slow mo as well as what purpose it ended up being used for in the movie and the drug itself was used in the story a few different ways, but because there was a slow mo effect involved it must be pointless.

And to do that you have to show someone being carved up repeatedly and three people being skinned? Im pretty sure things like "we can only respond to 6% of violent crime" and the whole there hasn't been a judge in Peachtrees in years thing, along with the whole 800 million people in an area where something like 30-40 million live now and everywhere else being an irradiated wasteland set the scene just fine. It was mindless torture porn.

Movies are a visual media, it's usually more effective to show rather than tell your story. Or do you find the current CGI blood and jump cuts away from people being hurt to make movies better?

Sorry, I didn't find it cool at all. Slow motion is so over used in film at this point that it has the opposite effect, it's boring. Apparently with the way the movie is bombing, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

The movie is bombing because it isn't based on a well known property and wasn't as well advertised as other movies. People are liking the movie, slow mo and all, as evidenced by the high ratings on IMDB and rotten tomatoes. I've also yet to here a bad review about it until you chimed in.

[Zor]

The gore was pointless

No, it was to outline that this is indeed a hard world where nasty things happen. To help you understand why the Judges are the way they are.

And to do that you have to show someone being carved up repeatedly and three people being skinned? Im pretty sure things like "we can only respond to 6% of violent crime" and the whole there hasn't been a judge in Peachtrees in years thing, along with the whole 800 million people in an area where something like 30-40 million live now and everywhere else being an irradiated wasteland set the scene just fine. It was mindless torture porn.

Big rule in film making "show, don't tell".

"look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling.

Actually it does serve a purpose. First of all, it does look quite nice. Secondly it's part of the escapism. You have this rusty unending urban landscape that is at least in part in decay. It can make some fairly mundane things seem quite beautiful. It shows why people might find such a thing appealing.

Sorry, I didn't find it cool at all. Slow motion is so over used in film at this point that it has the opposite effect, it's boring.

Aesthetics are in the end a matter of taste, so arguing about this is is kind of silly. If it does not work for you, that is pretty much that.

Apparently with the way the movie is bombing, I'm not the only one who feels this way

Even though i know some people here are not terribly fond of this site Rotten Tomatoes says otherwise says otherwise. Movies can succeed financially that are considered bad (Transformers II) and can fail even though they are considered good.

Zor

[Block]

Aesthetics are in the end a matter of taste, so arguing about this is is kind of silly. If it does not work for you, that is pretty much that.

Zor

I do agree with this, although again my problem is not so much slow motion, it's that it's become so overused that it's not visually impressive anymore, at least in my opinion.

[Block]

The gore was pointless "look at what we can do in slow mo" bullshit that added NOTHING to the storytelling. You're the moron if you think that blood, rape and torture are what make for a good movie.

So you hate hard R action movies because they show rather than simply implying violence. Would this movie have been better if they edited it down to a PG13 and cut away before every bullet hit? Also, they've explained the why they had to add the slow mo as well as what purpose it ended up being used for in the movie and the drug itself was used in the story a few different ways, but because there was a slow mo effect involved it must be pointless.

And to do that you have to show someone being carved up repeatedly and three people being skinned? Im pretty sure things like "we can only respond to 6% of violent crime" and the whole there hasn't been a judge in Peachtrees in years thing, along with the whole 800 million people in an area where something like 30-40 million live now and everywhere else being an irradiated wasteland set the scene just fine. It was mindless torture porn.

Movies are a visual media, it's usually more effective to show rather than tell your story. Or do you find the current CGI blood and jump cuts away from people being hurt to make movies better?

Sorry, I didn't find it cool at all. Slow motion is so over used in film at this point that it has the opposite effect, it's boring. Apparently with the way the movie is bombing, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

The movie is bombing because it isn't based on a well known property and wasn't as well advertised as other movies. People are liking the movie, slow mo and all, as evidenced by the high ratings on IMDB and rotten tomatoes. I've also yet to here a bad review about it until you chimed in.

Frankly I don't see a need to show the blood spatter, I see plenty of that in real life and I think anyone who wants to see it is disturbed, so yes I miss the old days of the gun going off and the guy falling down. You knew he was dead, that's all that was needed, his guts being sprayed all over the place don't enhance the feeling of the guy being dead, they just make it gratuitous. If you're trying to show the horror of the setting, do it through story telling and actually making the setting horrible. The block didn't look that bad, especially considering there was 98% unemployment.