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DREDD reviews. (SPOILERS!)

Started by blackmocco, 30 August, 2012, 10:17:57 PM

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Michaelvk

Quote from: Funt Solo on 09 October, 2012, 04:59:29 AM
I know what you mean: the set pieces are, I guess, the mini-guns, and to some extent the incendiary round. The mini-guns made my space maths feel wobbly (despite the fact that it's probably all highly realistic) 

The gatlings are 0.50 BMG. It was deemed the 7.62x51mm round was just not big enough, so we stepped it up a bit.

Check this out around the 7:30 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lprGoEpDXJQ

They were inspired by these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S21EG5cACQA&feature=fvwrel
You have never felt pain until you've trodden barefoot on an upturned lego brick..

strangelysaucy

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Apestrife

After month in envy, I'v also seen it.

And how I loved it!

The characters, action (almost no jump cuts!), humour, actual social commentry, it all came together so damned nice!

I even didn't even think about the lack of Dreddverse politics, since the movie showed such a shitty place without overdoing it with endless explaining.
I got to pin it down myself that I thought the block looked like a shitty place to live in, and really felt for Anderson when she said the only difference she made there was letting the computer guy go.

"The mall opens again in 30 minutes" after the shooting in the beginning was also very effective. It set the tone so I knew that was always in the background of all the dirt through out the whole film.

It was small touches like that through out that I loved. Instead of revelations it used details instead. And loved that, knowing that Dredd is in the details ;)

Loved the characters. Only thing I reacted a bit about was a couple of onliners that came across a bit too obvious. "Choke on that" "--for her to kill you" never felt needed, Dredd being silent would have said enough in a better way.
Loved it for example when he said "split in two" (after blowing up the other judge) and "yeah...". But the onliner-bit was far from bad. It was just some moments when Dredd felt a bit "regular" ;)

3D was also great. I didn't even nothise it a lot of times, in a good way. It was never in the way of the film.

It's a definitive strong 4 out of 5 for me. The movie does so many things right, and I'll watch it again at least one time in theatres.

Mabs

Originally posted in the 'Welcome to the board' thread.


DREDD

Wow! What a thrill ride! Visceral, bloody, depraved, beautiful (yes beautiful!), but most of all - awesome! Right from the offset from that thrilling opening Lawmaster/ car chase, to the closing scenes of Ma Ma's face getting beautiully splattered on the screen - I was on the edge of my seat, gripping my arm rest like a maniac. I was utterly thrilled, immersed into this nightmarish vision of Mega City, filled with crime, disease and decay. 

It was like Judge Dredd in The City of God.

The action and violence was unrelenting. No flinching from the brutality of it, but made strangely beautiful by the drug induced slo-mo scenes. And for those scenes alone, the choice of 3D was the right choice. You cannot view it any other way. It is visually arresting. Look at the scene of Ma-Ma in the bath, the water droplets dancing like minature planets in orbit,  enhanced further by  that beautiful, uplifting music - visual poetry. Who would've expected to see such beauty in an 'action' flick?

Karl Urban was brilliant as Dredd - his gruff one liners, and ''yeah''s reminded me of Eastwood. The decision to keep his helmet on at all times (save the begining - and even then we don't see his face as it's obscured by shadow) is a good choice. It makes the character more mysterious and harken's back to the comics - we even get Karl Urban grimacing like Dredd - he gets the character down to a T. He is coolness personified. Check out the look on Ma Ma's face when Dredd - after taking a whole floor out to kill Dredd with their firepower -  emerges unscathed from the smoke and cooly throws a baddie over the side! The look on her face shows that she has totally underestimated Dredd. And Dredd is not a man - he is The Law!

Olivia Thirlby as the rookie Anderson was superb and a joy to watch . I don't think i've seen her prior, but what a great choice she was for this role (I wont lie when I say i've fallen in love with her!) And her psychic abilities are awesome to say the least - especially in one stand out scene with the goon they're transporting. How cool was that?! And Lena Headey? This is quite possibly the best role she has played. I believed her as a ruthless, methodical, no bull, head of a drug empire. Her criminal persona like a flip side to Dredd's upholding of law. She was perfect for this role and by the end, I even had a little sympathy for her because she was a product of her environment.

Regarding the look of the film, Pete Travis captures the sprawling  vision of Mega City  with its massive block rising up to the sky like rows of concrete colussus' brilliantly. A concrete jungle -  a chilling look into the future, a future wherin over-population, crime, decay run rampant. And the scenes of a skating ramp hundreds of kilometres up in the middle of the sky-scraper showed the insanity of it all. I think his decision to shoot the film in South Africa brought an air of believability to the whole film.

I loved the music (by Paul Leonard-Morgan) for the film too, and thought it complemented the film perfectly. Especially in those tense action scenes.

Finally Judge Dredd has a film worthy of his legendary name! I admit there are a few minor quibbles, the film's low budget does show in some places, but in a way it makes it more gritty and real. And therefore the experience was more thrilling, than if it were a big budget film. And of course with bigger budget comes the pressure to dial down the violence - compromising the directors vision in the process. In an age where the whole film industry is filled with 12 rated fodder - Dredd is a breath of fresh air. I wish Dredd becomes a success, and hopefully it can signal a change for Hollywood to make more comic-book/ science-fiction/ action film's for adult's. As for Dredd, I really hope we get a sequel. The Dredd universe is so rich that the possibilties are endless -  Judge Dredd kicking ass on Cursed Earth?  Now there's a film I would gladly go pay to see.

DREDD 4/5

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My Twitter @nexuswookie

QuickQuag

Here's my two Pacific pesos:

http://jetsimian.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/ill-be-judge-of-that.html

An early session with around twenty other bods in the theatre (though the 'gold class' seats were all occupied - it was a cheap night). Last I checked the movie was in at number 5 on the NZ BO.

A good night, though. I'm surprised by how much the movie has 'sunk in' over the past few days...
The views above are entirely my own. And there's the problem.

radiator

A colleague saw a picture of Dredd on my computer and asked if it was any good. When I said it was great, he seemed surprised, and said he might go see it tonight instead of Looper.

I told him that sadly, it's all but been and gone from cinemas.

Does seem to be an alarming lack of awareness. Turns out hardly anyone actually reads movie reviews, apparently.

Apestrife

Quote from: radiator on 17 October, 2012, 07:51:30 PM
A colleague saw a picture of Dredd on my computer and asked if it was any good. When I said it was great, he seemed surprised, and said he might go see it tonight instead of Looper.

I told him that sadly, it's all but been and gone from cinemas.

Does seem to be an alarming lack of awareness. Turns out hardly anyone actually reads movie reviews, apparently.

I'v gotten similar reactions from folks. Especialy when they ask about the constant cuts in the trailer, when I tell them that there's very little jump cuts in the action, it just flows. The trailer makes it look like a music video.

I'd like to think that a trailer good as the ones attached to Sin city or 300 could have done wonders for the numbers.

dweezil2

Quote from: Borntohula on 18 October, 2012, 11:47:43 AM
Quote from: radiator on 17 October, 2012, 07:51:30 PM
A colleague saw a picture of Dredd on my computer and asked if it was any good. When I said it was great, he seemed surprised, and said he might go see it tonight instead of Looper.

I told him that sadly, it's all but been and gone from cinemas.

Does seem to be an alarming lack of awareness. Turns out hardly anyone actually reads movie reviews, apparently.

I'v gotten similar reactions from folks. Especialy when they ask about the constant cuts in the trailer, when I tell them that there's very little jump cuts in the action, it just flows. The trailer makes it look like a music video.

I'd like to think that a trailer good as the ones attached to Sin city or 300 could have done wonders for the numbers.

That's all movie trailer's though, isn't it?
Savalas Seed Bandcamp: https://savalasseed1.bandcamp.com/releases

"He's The Law 45th anniversary music video"
https://youtu.be/qllbagBOIAo

Apestrife

Quote from: dweezil2 on 18 October, 2012, 11:51:51 AM
That's all movie trailer's though, isn't it?

Hehe, well kind off. But Andersons fighting for example, which is great in the movie but in the trailer looks choppy cut'n'dull. Maybe they'v could have stuck to the scene where she fights for a mp5 and cut it more nicely (giving the viewer some taste for blood = some urge to see the movie where she blows his face up ;) )

Chrrow

I only read some of the comics so far but played Dredd vs. Death, read facts about the Judge Dredd universe, saw the bad 90s movie and I'm just starting to get more into it and I really LOVE this film!

I always enjoyed the old Stallone flick since I didn't know too much about how Judge Dredd really has to be like. I loved the the Judges which I already knew from looking into some of the comics in a local book store. The idea of being judge, jury and executioner, the Lawgiver with its many functions, the cool Lawmaster and of course Judge Dredd! The weird thing is that even back then it felt weird seeing Judge Dredd taking off his helmet without knowing that he never does that in the comics. I liked it anyway though. The music, the action, Stallone and the whole look of the movie was fun.

Well then I heard about a new Judge Dredd movie and I was really excited! When I saw the new uniform and Carl Urban I was really disappointed though. I got pissed because of directors making their own stupid versions of comic or video game characters in the past already and I thought "God! Not again some stupid and bad director who thinks that his lame idea of a character is so much better!" and I lost all hope...at least until I saw the trailer and got blown away! xD But enough of that, I want to give my opinion on the movie.

As much as I was skeptical about Carl Urban, as much I loved him when I saw the movie! Even if Dredd looks a bit different because of the uniform and beard to me it was the perfect Judge Dredd. I even start to prefer the movie uniform a little bit because it's more realistic and practical. Also the helmet because the shape is a bit more stylish than in the comics, in my opinion. But what makes me think of Dredd the most is Urbans mimic. I love this grim look on his face!
As much as I like the realistic design of the uniform I was a bit bored of the realistic streets of Mega City 1. The streets and cars looked a bit too much like 2012 to me. I would have preferred a bit more futurism since that's nothing new. I see that every day when I go outside or when I watch other action movies. I think it would become a bit boring if there will be a Dredd 2 where we see more of Mega City 1. Also it was a bit boring that he great hall of justice was just a simple building now. As much as I understand the intention of making a more realistic Judge Dredd movie it gets a bit boring to take away almost all the fiction of it.

I was really happy to see that this movie is no family friendly mainstream crap with no violence at all. I always knew that Judge Dredd is no whiny teeny comic and has to be a bit harder and stuff. Always wished the old movie had some more violence and the effects of Dredd are as gory as they have to be! I think it supports the character of Dredd and the world he lives in. Without violence you don't see that Dredd is really relentless and loyal when it comes to the law. On the other hand you don't see that it's really necessary in such a cruel world.
All the action scenes are lots of fun to watch and the idea to give slow-mo a purpose is just brilliant! I could watch it again and again and I never gets boring.

The idea of having just one location for almost the whole movie was better than I thought it would be. Well at least if we get to see another one with more action in the city. The idea of having Dredd and Anderson going up level by level almost reminds me of a video game and gives it the feeling of a bigger threat to the Judges. You also don't get distracted by other things and concentrate more on the characters this way which are really interesting and are played well.
The actors are doing a good job and fit in their roles (at least for the movie since Mama is a new character and I don't know enough about Anderson). You just really want Anderson to pass, you want Mama to pay for her crimes and die a gruesome death and you want Dredd to be a badass who carries out the law mercilessly! To me it's all about the characters because the story is very simple and it could have been a bit deeper but I didn't expect it to be a Matrix like script, or something. Maybe they give us more in Dredd 2...if it will ever happen. I hope really much that they do it just for the love to Judge Dredd (which I really saw and felt) and not because of the money. It's sad that there was so little interest in such a good movie. Even if you're not a fan of the comics I think action fans have their fun with this film and could even become new fans to the franchise. I just hope that they have a bigger and better promo for the next one. However I can't wait for the Blu-Ray! It will be a day one purchase!