Dr3Dd

Finally, ever since it was first created on the page, we've needed a movie, and now we have one! Just a shame he never takes off his helmet...

Dredd gets himself a new rookie, and introduces her to life on the streets in the form of a homicide investigation that turns into a drug bust that goes bad... [and yet never once do we get a call for Ricochet... foul!]

Yeah, okay, first gripe (of many). This is a drug bust movie. Yes, I did think Raid, but then that movie was hitting on the drug bust trope as well. It's been done, and there's nothing particularly Dredd about it. Now, I wouldn't leap in with the Dark Judges or anything, but couldn't we have gotten something more Dredd-ish than this?

Second grip: Megacity. It's too open! People are in normal street clothes with iPhones and such. No, that isn't Megacity! Now, fine, you could say this is early Megacity... but why? Because cheaper, I assume, but it's not iconic. And then the movie spends most of its time in a brown block.

But enough of that. Karl Urban does a fine job as Dredd, and although he attempts the permanent downturned mouth, there are moments when you go 'yep, that's Karl, that is'. Olivia Thirlby is also good as Anderson, and gets her own obvious moment of 'female empowerment'. Lena Headey doesn't quite pull Ma-Ma off, but then the character is rather one note.

This is a good enough first movie, now for the sequels. Because it made more than it cost, right? ...oh...

For a different take, by someone who knows far more about Dredd than I do...

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