Dredd (2012)
March 12, 2025 9:10 AM - Subscribe
[TRAILER] Mega City One is a vast, violent metropolis where felons rule the streets. The only law lies with cops called "judges," who act as judge, jury and executioner, and Dredd (Karl Urban) is one of the city's most feared. One day, Dredd is partnered with Cassandra (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities. A report of a terrible crime sends Dredd and Cassandra to a dangerous area controlled by Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), a drug lord who will stop at nothing to protect her empire.
Also starring Wood Harris, Langley Kirkwood, Tamer Burjaq, Joe Vaz, Rakie Ayola, Junior Singo, Luke Tyler, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson.
Directed by Pete Travis. Screenplay by Alex Garland. Based on the character Judge Dredd, by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra. Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland. Cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle. Edited by Mark Eckersley. Music by Paul Leonard-Morgan.
80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently streaming in the US on Max. Find streaming options for your country on JustWatch.
Also starring Wood Harris, Langley Kirkwood, Tamer Burjaq, Joe Vaz, Rakie Ayola, Junior Singo, Luke Tyler, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson.
Directed by Pete Travis. Screenplay by Alex Garland. Based on the character Judge Dredd, by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra. Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland. Cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle. Edited by Mark Eckersley. Music by Paul Leonard-Morgan.
80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently streaming in the US on Max. Find streaming options for your country on JustWatch.
I can't emphasize how big a deal Judge Dredd was to me as a kid, I discovered the pulp version of 2000 A.D. at a news kiosk when the family was living in W. Africa and my sister and I would impatiently wait to buy each new copy.. the day it arrived with a little 'DREDD' badge stapled to the cover, well that was huge. The film would never measure up to what a kid remembers, but it was fine. Stallone was fine. You could say a gaping hole was left in my heart and any Dredd-shaped creative product could be jammed into that void and a part of me would appreciate it.
I dream of when a decent adaptation of Rogue Trooper happens.
posted by ginger.beef at 9:15 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
I dream of when a decent adaptation of Rogue Trooper happens.
posted by ginger.beef at 9:15 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
This is an outright excellent film - no argument. This is how you make a comic book movie. Shame Pete Travis hasn't made anything of real interest since. I assume audiences slept on this because of the garbage Stallone film which bares only a cursory relationship with the source material and thought this was its sequel. And again Judge Dredd and the rest of the 2000 A.D. comics are just not all that well known in America.
I dream of when a decent adaptation of Rogue Trooper happens.
Maybe it will be?
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:40 AM on March 12 [3 favorites]
I dream of when a decent adaptation of Rogue Trooper happens.
Maybe it will be?
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:40 AM on March 12 [3 favorites]
As I understand it, the film was effectively directed by Garland, who was legally unable to take credit for it. Which makes sense, looking at Garland’s later films.
posted by Grangousier at 9:58 AM on March 12 [3 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 9:58 AM on March 12 [3 favorites]
Dredd, pronounced "Duh reh duh duh," is the perfect action movie. Nothing wasted, nothing unnecessary there, just character and motivation and action. But also only as much character and motivation as is needed to shove the movie forward.
[ash] I admire its purity. [/ash]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 10:15 AM on March 12 [6 favorites]
[ash] I admire its purity. [/ash]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 10:15 AM on March 12 [6 favorites]
As I understand it, the film was effectively directed by Garland, who was legally unable to take credit for it. Which makes sense, looking at Garland’s later films.
I hadn't heard that but it makes total sense as Travis' films before this and after this are nothing like this film. I don't connect with Garland's films personally but I think they have a lot of character and I think he is a good writer generally.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:22 AM on March 12
I hadn't heard that but it makes total sense as Travis' films before this and after this are nothing like this film. I don't connect with Garland's films personally but I think they have a lot of character and I think he is a good writer generally.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:22 AM on March 12
I happily contest that Karl Urban is one of the great actors of our generation. He is pretty dang wonderful in every role he picks up and melts into. This was a fun film.
posted by Atreides at 10:29 AM on March 12 [4 favorites]
posted by Atreides at 10:29 AM on March 12 [4 favorites]
I'm a straight up Alex Garland hater, even though he is certainly a competent filmmaker, so it's hard for me to believe he made a movie this enjoyable and accessible. (I definitely believe that he wrote the weird rape fantasy sequence, though.)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 10:43 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 10:43 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
I thought this was fine as a generic action movie, but there wasn't much that evoked the Judge Dredd comics in particular (this seems to be a recurring theme—buy up some established IP to use as window-dressing for your generic action movie, see also JJ Abrams' Star Trek). As bad as it was, the Stallone Dredd movie had more of the elbow-in-the-ribs social commentary that the source material laid down. Although showing Stallone's face was blatantly disrespectful of the source, so there's that.
posted by adamrice at 11:11 AM on March 12
posted by adamrice at 11:11 AM on March 12
Love this movie, tons of fun. All lean muscle, no extra fat at all. I have watched it several times; it's a great flick to just put on and zone out to. That said, I do feel a little guilty for enjoying watching a fascist cop murder people left and right without even the slightest gesture towards due process.
Wish this had become a series, because I really wanted to see more of Urban in this role, as well as get behind whatever it is that his psychic partner sensed in Dredd when he and his chief are first observing her. (I only have a passing familiarity with the source material, so I have no idea if that's something that ever gets addressed in any way there.) I remember that at one point there was talk of a MegaCity One tv series focusing on other Judges, with Urban's Dredd possibly showing up now and then, but I guess that also fell into development hell.
posted by Saxon Kane at 11:36 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
Wish this had become a series, because I really wanted to see more of Urban in this role, as well as get behind whatever it is that his psychic partner sensed in Dredd when he and his chief are first observing her. (I only have a passing familiarity with the source material, so I have no idea if that's something that ever gets addressed in any way there.) I remember that at one point there was talk of a MegaCity One tv series focusing on other Judges, with Urban's Dredd possibly showing up now and then, but I guess that also fell into development hell.
posted by Saxon Kane at 11:36 AM on March 12 [2 favorites]
I remember going through a break up and my friend brought this movie over to try and cheer me up. We had so much fun! Thank you for reminding me about this. Time for a rewatch!
posted by miss-lapin at 12:21 PM on March 12
posted by miss-lapin at 12:21 PM on March 12
there wasn't much that evoked the Judge Dredd comics in particular
the comic as I recall it presents a Mega City that is full of awful things but also it's just a huge city where weird shit happens and tensions flare up because population density, unemployment, etc. The movie depicts a hopelessness that I don't recall from the comic.
I think the film would always end up being something quite different, and lesser, and maybe the Stallone version mashed into the Urban version would come away with an overall improved product
posted by ginger.beef at 1:14 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
the comic as I recall it presents a Mega City that is full of awful things but also it's just a huge city where weird shit happens and tensions flare up because population density, unemployment, etc. The movie depicts a hopelessness that I don't recall from the comic.
I think the film would always end up being something quite different, and lesser, and maybe the Stallone version mashed into the Urban version would come away with an overall improved product
posted by ginger.beef at 1:14 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
I love this film! Lean, fun, and a great interpretation of the source material. Also, the drug scenes in "Dredd" are the best I've ever seen in a film and Ma Ma's final fall is just gorgeous.
posted by riotnrrd at 1:18 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
posted by riotnrrd at 1:18 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
https://sonosaurus.com/paulxstretch/ is the unsung hero of this fantastic movie
posted by Sebmojo at 5:01 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
posted by Sebmojo at 5:01 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
Judge Dredd comics are ... problematic (look, I know the history and the context and all of it but ... still) but I did become obsessed with Judge Anderson as a character after this movie.
Karl Urban is having so much fun. I love this movie. I have a weird affection for Alex Garland (he tries hard), and once I learned he basically ghost-directed this, it explained why I loved it.
It's not perfect by any means but it's a good time. Depending on your definition of a good time.
(I own it on Blu-ray so ...)
posted by edencosmic at 6:12 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
Karl Urban is having so much fun. I love this movie. I have a weird affection for Alex Garland (he tries hard), and once I learned he basically ghost-directed this, it explained why I loved it.
It's not perfect by any means but it's a good time. Depending on your definition of a good time.
(I own it on Blu-ray so ...)
posted by edencosmic at 6:12 PM on March 12 [2 favorites]
the drug scenes in "Dredd" are the best I've ever seen in a film
Someone pointed out online that the drugs in Dredd don't seem to do much except make things appear slow (in a very cool way). They don't really talk about how addictive it is, or how bad it is for your physical or mental health, that it would make people aggressive, or any real downsides individually or societally. It's just a drug that slows things down, which feels pretty benign all things considered.
Which in turn makes it even more appropriate that in the Dredd universe interaction with a controlled substance, no matter how benign, is basically a death sentence solely because of the law.
Dredd is the epitome of the Lawful Neutral alignment from D&D: the law is the law, morality and personal feelings don't enter into it. It's appropriate if a bit unusual that this movie takes the same neutral stance; it's not interested in questioning the status quo of Megacity One or the Judges but rather the whole thing plays out as just another day in the life of the Judges with very little interest in questioning the underlying big questions around morality, justice, and authority. While there are nods and a few asides to these wider themes, the Chaotic Neutral approach is also why I (as a relatively casual fan of the original comics) think this works as an adaptation better than the Stallone version.
I'm definitely going to rewatch this now.
posted by slimepuppy at 4:32 AM on March 13 [5 favorites]
Someone pointed out online that the drugs in Dredd don't seem to do much except make things appear slow (in a very cool way). They don't really talk about how addictive it is, or how bad it is for your physical or mental health, that it would make people aggressive, or any real downsides individually or societally. It's just a drug that slows things down, which feels pretty benign all things considered.
Which in turn makes it even more appropriate that in the Dredd universe interaction with a controlled substance, no matter how benign, is basically a death sentence solely because of the law.
Dredd is the epitome of the Lawful Neutral alignment from D&D: the law is the law, morality and personal feelings don't enter into it. It's appropriate if a bit unusual that this movie takes the same neutral stance; it's not interested in questioning the status quo of Megacity One or the Judges but rather the whole thing plays out as just another day in the life of the Judges with very little interest in questioning the underlying big questions around morality, justice, and authority. While there are nods and a few asides to these wider themes, the Chaotic Neutral approach is also why I (as a relatively casual fan of the original comics) think this works as an adaptation better than the Stallone version.
I'm definitely going to rewatch this now.
posted by slimepuppy at 4:32 AM on March 13 [5 favorites]
I’ve always really loved this take on the comic. I thought Karl Urban was fantastic and Lena Headey has never been better. It is definitely darker than expected, but if you’re in the right mood, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Also just on a fannish level, it’s produced some really amazing fanfic in the Yuletide exchange every year. I always look forward to stories for this version., they’re consistently above average.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:18 PM on March 13
Also just on a fannish level, it’s produced some really amazing fanfic in the Yuletide exchange every year. I always look forward to stories for this version., they’re consistently above average.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:18 PM on March 13
The movie depicts a hopelessness that I don't recall from the comic.
Its often there but its generally leavened with pathos or bathos, or satire, or parody or just straight up ridiculousness. In the comic the city started at 800M people, had a major part of its territory killed in a nuclear war, and half its population. Then after several other disasters lost another 350M citizens to biological attack. But its also a wealthy city and one that is technologically advanced, with those things going into its choice of leisure, politics, food, crime and art and the film didn't give much idea of that either, it felt like everyone was living a bleak and hopeless existence - a bigger, grottier, hemmed in now in some ways. The comics often show those living in squalor, everyday as well as post-apocalyptic at times, but there is a much broader society there as well.
posted by biffa at 3:04 PM on March 13
Its often there but its generally leavened with pathos or bathos, or satire, or parody or just straight up ridiculousness. In the comic the city started at 800M people, had a major part of its territory killed in a nuclear war, and half its population. Then after several other disasters lost another 350M citizens to biological attack. But its also a wealthy city and one that is technologically advanced, with those things going into its choice of leisure, politics, food, crime and art and the film didn't give much idea of that either, it felt like everyone was living a bleak and hopeless existence - a bigger, grottier, hemmed in now in some ways. The comics often show those living in squalor, everyday as well as post-apocalyptic at times, but there is a much broader society there as well.
posted by biffa at 3:04 PM on March 13
Also, MeFi's own ArtW is a lead writer on the spin off comics from the movies, so read them if you get the chance! They expand the universe a bit.
posted by biffa at 3:05 PM on March 13 [2 favorites]
posted by biffa at 3:05 PM on March 13 [2 favorites]
Another film that is far better than it has any right being. Y'know...like Speed Racer.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:39 PM on March 13 [1 favorite]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:39 PM on March 13 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite things about this movie is it’s basically a bottle episode.
posted by skycrashesdown at 7:02 PM on March 13 [1 favorite]
posted by skycrashesdown at 7:02 PM on March 13 [1 favorite]
If you enjoy this movie and have the equipment for it (like a VR headset), I highly recommend the 3D version. It looks amazing, especially the Slo-Mo scenes.
It's not a post-conversion like most releases during the 3D craze, it was actually shot in 3D.
posted by neckro23 at 1:21 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]
It's not a post-conversion like most releases during the 3D craze, it was actually shot in 3D.
posted by neckro23 at 1:21 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Someone pointed out online that the drugs in Dredd don't seem to do much except make things appear slow
I believe it was mentioned in the film that it's not just that things appear slow, but you experience feelings and sensations for a preternaturally long time, like, it prolongs pleasure beyond what a human would normally experience, which has addictive qualities, like, who wouldn't want to feel really good for a really long time all the time?
This makes Ma Ma's death more poignant, in that she doesn't fall for a few seconds and then gone in an instant, it makes her experience death for minutes.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:32 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]
I believe it was mentioned in the film that it's not just that things appear slow, but you experience feelings and sensations for a preternaturally long time, like, it prolongs pleasure beyond what a human would normally experience, which has addictive qualities, like, who wouldn't want to feel really good for a really long time all the time?
This makes Ma Ma's death more poignant, in that she doesn't fall for a few seconds and then gone in an instant, it makes her experience death for minutes.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:32 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]
It may be of interest that there is a whole alternative soundtrack for this movie, "DROKK: Music Inspired by Mega-City One" (pitchfork review). Artists are Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, who have previously scored previous Alex Garland work, and they started on it before the producers went in a different direction.
posted by biffa at 2:04 PM on March 26 [2 favorites]
posted by biffa at 2:04 PM on March 26 [2 favorites]
Garland addresses the author/director question in a recent GQ interview. I must admit I find his answer a bit opaque, but the impression I get was that the film was an attempt to shift the onus of authorship from the director to the writer (as per the TV paradigm of the showrunner), but that it was not a successful exercise, and solidified his decision to become an actual director. Elsewhere in the interview he refers to being a "ghost director" on various pre-Ex Machina projects, and I presume that includes Dredd.
posted by Grangousier at 3:53 PM on April 15 [2 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 3:53 PM on April 15 [2 favorites]
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:11 AM on March 12 [4 favorites]