Dredd (2012)
Ten seconds to comply…
THE SUMMARY: Cersei Lannister leads a gang that takes over a sprawling apartment building in a future dystopian mega-city, a determined lawman defies death to stop her, and a chick cop learns that even with super powers, she’s not up for the job. The action is tense, and the artistic cinematography adds intrigue, but the story leaves some depth on the table. Still, a worthy watch.
FROM MOVIE-PICKER ADAM: A cool mindless shooter, much like John Wick. But let's be honest, who hasn't imagined him/herself as judge/jury/executioner in vigilante justice cleansing the world of vice and evil. This is the inevitable end to abolishing the police.
THE BEST:
The action is solid and creative: In a strange and unique way, this movie makes graphic violence beautiful. Not necessarily the skinned bodies being chucked off the high rise, though that is still shocking, but in cinematic style and creative weaponry. The ‘lawgiver’ gun is cool, switching between fire modes and exotic ammunition types. Mama’s rotary gun scene is a great fireworks show. Dredd’s opening execution with the phosphorous round that burns the criminal’s face inside out is an image that burns in my mind. It’s a shoot-em-up movie, yes - but with extra layers of artistry.
The ‘slo-mo’ drug scenes are memorable and a technical achievement: Nothing is as technical and creative as the ‘slo-mo’ drug scenes though, and several them are excellent in different ways. The apartment breach gunfight with the shots through the faces and stomach is impressive and believably detailed. Mama’s death fall down the atrium, while long, is similarly pretty, all the way through the face splatter on the ground. Through the long fall, I was wondering, are they gonna show the impact? Slowly but surely, yep - there it is.
The technicals of these scenes are an achievement. Yes, there is digital work, but not as much as I’d expect. It all starts with fancy cameras and compressed air to get the skin rippling. Physical blood effects were also used. After additional effects were added digitally, the color was manipulated to produce the ‘drug’ effect, and in my opinion, they nailed it. The end result is a surreal, drug-like feel without being too distracting or confusing.
THE WORST:
Not a lot of depth to the ‘judge, jury, and executioner’ concept: The premise of the movie is that super-cops are ‘judge, jury, and executioner,’ with total authority over the definition and administration of justice. I expected some more plot themes about the moral implications of such a system. Yes, there is the group of corrupt judges, and there is the scene where the corrupt judges execute TJ for having witnessed the truth, so these themes aren’t totally unexplored, but overall, the deep questions on the issue are mostly undeveloped. The movie is less about the philosophy of justice, and more about bullets flying it artsy ways, which is still cool, but lacking some deep thought.
The helmet is goofy: It’s a petty point, but the helmet just looks goofy and stupid. The more serious the characters try to act in that thing, the more it presents as a joke. And not only is it stupid-looking, but it never really gets explained either. The ‘lawgiver’ gun is cool, and has all sorts of fancy tech features, but the helmet is just a goofy-looking helmet? What capabilities does it have that justify its ridiculous bulk? Why does it have weird red crossbars blocking vision? Does the visor do anything, or do all judges just wear sunglasses, even in dark environments? In a movie of cool aesthetics, the helmet is by far the silliest.
THE RATING: 4/5 Wickies. More like 3.5, but halves round up, I enjoyed watching, and it didn’t waste time.
YOUR RATING: Vote here ⬇
NEXT WEEK: Office Space (1999)
AFTER THAT? YOU PICK - VOTE! February’s nominations are from listener Charles. Note: I accidentally did not include Snatch in last week’s vote - my apology.
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