Dredd

Imagine if Danny Boyle and Takashi Miike decided to direct a 3D action film together, the former applying a psychedelic touch to drug-induced hallucinations that play out in slow motion, while the latter depicts graphic acts of violence that range from wince-inducing to outright hilarious. That is probably the best way to sum up Dredd, Alex Garland’s take on the 2000 AD comic book character that goes to great lengths to distance itself from Danny Cannon’s ludicrous 1995 adaptation.

Judge Dredd is not an easy character to bring to the big screen. First of all you have the look: a scowling lawman decked in heavily padded riot gear who never removes his helmet, thus making it difficult for casual viewers to connect with a faceless protagonist. Secondly – and there is no way around this – Dredd is essentially a neo-noir fascist. He exists in a dystopian world where crime levels are so dire, the government keeps a lid on things by deploying ruthless agents in the field that are judge, jury and executioner all at once. If you happened to be involved in last year’s student demonstrations, you may find there is a lot to hate about such a totalitarian figure.

So how do you get around this dodgy issue? Well, for starters director Pete Travis and the studios have kept things relatively cheap. Marvel and DC are capable of bankrolling $200 million per movie, so a budget of just $45 million means the risk of Dredd not making a profit has been significantly reduced. The decision to have a CG-enhanced Johannesburg double for the sprawling Mega City One also pays off, as an LA or New York skyline would have been too overfamiliar in a fictional world. And while the decision to saddle Dredd with a sidekick may initially trigger painful memories of Rob Schneider in Cannon’s film, Olivia Thirlby proves to be the Judge’s perfect counterpoint as idealistic psychic Anderson.

The set-up, which sees Dredd and Anderson shoot their way to the top of scum-infested skyscraper in order to sentence the vile gang leader known as Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), is terrific in its simplicity, but makes for a one-note plot and one that unfortunately resembles that of another action film released this year, Gareth Evans’ The Raid. The fact that Evans’ film was a hit with critics definitely harms Dredd in the originality stakes, but luckily it has two saving graces.

The first is Karl Urban. Usually playing second fiddle to bigger name action stars in the likes of Doom and The Chronicles of Riddick, here he fills the titular character’s shoes majestically, as he pulls off a truly menacing and occasionally dry witted performance without ever showing his full face (surely he must’ve been swapping tips with Tom Hardy?). Dredd may be a neo noir fascist, but in Urban’s hands he’s a damn cool one.

The final saving grace is the highly graphic violence. All too often these days you get studios trying to tame the content of adult comic books for younger audiences, so the fact that Travis and Garland have gone for an unrestrained approach when it comes to shoot outs and brutal one on ones – all delivered to pounding industrial music – is something to be admired.

It may have its flaws, but as a re-introduction to the UK’s most successful and no doubt ballsiest comic book character, Dredd is a blood-splattered hit.

3/5