In all the comic book movie hubbub this summer with the likes of Marvel’s The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, and even G.I. Joe: Retaliation getting bumped to next year, there’s one movie everyone seems to forget about:
Dredd.
I’ll admit to not being a huge Judge Dredd fan, he’s a character who is primarily known in the UK from his appearances in 2000AD. There was, of course, that horrid Sylvester Stallone film version in 1995, and other than “I am the law!” jokes that one is best left in the past.
When this new film version was announced I was intrigued, and even more so when it was revealed that the immensely likeable Karl Urban would be playing Judge Dredd. So the film was on my radar.
And then I completely forgot about it.
Luckily, earlier this week we got sent some stills from the film and it reminded me that, yes, there is another comic book movie coming out this year.
Here’s how the film is described:
The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One–a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called “Judges” who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge – a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of “Slo-Mo” experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.
During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan’s inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound’s control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.
The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and director Pete Travis bring Dredd to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film. Filmed in 3D with stunning slow motion photography sequences, the film returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.
Here are a couple of early looks at the film:
Dredd hits theaters September 21.
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“Why did you judge me? Why did you judge me??”
“You killed innocent people.”
“A MEANS to an END!”
“You incited a massacre!”
“I started a revolution!”
“You betrayed the LAW!!!”
“LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
…I just had a terrible idea…
Judge Dredd vs V
someone write this now please
the last hope little blurb on the front page made me lol. Conor wins internet today.
it does look pretty cool though…
Just so this happens at some point in the movie…
http://www.the-isb.com/images/FNF-Fist03Big.jpg
Didn’t we already get that scene in Punisher: war zone? And we all recall how that one turned out.
No Dark Judges in this movie. Here’s hoping for a possible sequel!
@Philly… Awesomely?
What ed209AF said.
@ed209AF..Not quite. Afraid I’m with Conor, Josh & Ron re that movie. Best podcast ever.
How can you not remember something like this fondly?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuqQMoU436o
@tomistommy that was… AWESOME!!!
i been waiting for this movie for awhile
I don’t know anything about Dredd, despite being from the UK, but I like a good sci-fi/actioner.
I don’t think Hollywood gets Judge Dredd.
Everything so far indicates that the people making this movie actual do ‘get Dredd’ So… high hopes!
Looking forward to this film so hard. I hope it does so well to push that horrible Stalone movie out of the public consciousness. Because… grud damn that movie did a lot of damage to Dredd’s cred.
Intrigued but until a trailer comes out that is all that I’ll be feeling from Dredd
looks like cable
You look like Cable.
looks like last years cable teaser.
Am I the only who actually enjoys the Stallone film? I mean lets get something straight, it isn’t a smart movie by any means, its not even a great movie, but its just a whole lot of fun. I cant help but enjoy all the excitement, violence, and never quite understanding what the hell Stallone is yelling about in the film. Its a guilty pleasure.
You’re not. Any time it’s on TV I find myself watching it until the very end. It’s deeply flawed, but it had a great cast (except for Rob Schneider), awesome production design, and a huge scope.
“Dredd” however sounds a lot like a watered down futuristic take on “The Raid: Redemption,” only with a ridiculous sounding street drug as the MacGuffin.
Judge Dredd might be a good Stallone Film. But it is a TERRIBLE Judge Dredd film. Lets count the problems. A) Dredd takes his helmet off. Just… barf. B) Its a miss-mosh of at least FIVE different Judge Dredd comic stories (specifically; The Return of Rico, The Day the Law Died, The Judge Child Quest, and a little bit of Block War thrown in for good measure) and one of which would make a fine movie. C) Judge Dredd kissing someone romantically, especially another Judge, is so out of character it makes me physically hurt. And last but not least D) Rob Schneider.
Such a terrible misfire of a Dredd movie.
I’m not even sure it’s a good Stallone film. I just thought it was enjoyable mess that will still probably be the “Dredd” people remember long after this film comes and goes. And the fact is yeah, it drew from several Dredd stories, whereas this new one doesn’t draw from any as far as I can tell. Like you could replace Dredd with Robocop or any other leader of a futuristic SWAT team and it seems it would play about the same.
Call me excellent with awesome taste, but I’m highly excited for this film Dredd.
No Rob Schneider? He’s available.
Looks cool and like all 3 names mentioned in the cast. I have no doubt it will be a polar opposite of the 1995 version.