Fondly or not, many will remember the Sylvester Stallone version of Judge Dredd, but this new Dredd bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Pete Travis (Vantage Point) directs the film from a script by Alex Garland (Sunshine), based on the stories from British comic series "2000 A.D." Keeping things simple and contained, the filmmakers are able to find the right tone for this relaunch of the character, while providing plenty of action and gore. The result is lean, stylish, and solidly entertaining.
Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most famous and feared street judge in Mega-City One, a sprawling post-apocalyptic metropolis that runs from Boston to Washington D.C. He's paired up on a routine homicide call with a young rookie named Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). After arriving at a large high-rise apartment complex called Peach Trees -- which houses 75,000 residents -- and making a successful arrest, the two judges are targeted by Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), the city's most powerful drug kingpin. It turns out that the suspect Dredd has in custody, a man named Kay (Wood Harris), knows too much about Ma-Ma's organization to be taken alive. She shuts the building down and announces to the residents of Peach Trees that no one will be allowed in or out until the judges are dead, sending every gun-happy thug in the place after them.
The plot might seem very familiar to those who have seen the latest Indonesian import, The Raid: Redemption, another pulse-pounding, action film that features the same type of premise: good guys trapped in a high-rise building that is home to a drug lord and tons of unsavory people loyal to him. It's a fair comparison, but no more relevant than noting the similarities between Casablanca and Barb Wire.
Ma-Ma controls the distribution of the newest power-drug, called Slo-Mo, which creates the euphoric sensation that time is passing at one-tenth its normal speed. A lot of emphasis is placed on Slo-Mo in the film, with many scenes showcasing the effects of its use, but its real function is one of style -- a practical reason for the filmmakers to use tons of slow motion -- and if Ma-Ma was a heroin dealer, the story would not change. Dredd mentions to Anderson that he's heard of Slo-Mo, but the judges' are not there for Ma-Ma, nor are they waging a war on drugs. But, once the shooting begins, Dredd and Anderson have no choice but to fight it out, dispensing "justice" to anyone who crosses their path.
Urban, who wears a helmet covering most of his face throughout the entire film, brings Dredd to life through body language and attitude, grumbling through lines like a futuristic "Dirty" Harry Calahan. Dredd is a cold, but effective instrument of the law: seasoned, patient, and deadly. Anderson, on the other hand, is a potential liability in the field. Having not met the minimum requirements to become a judge, she is being given one last shot because of her psychic ability. Thirlby is a bright young actress who is careful to never overplay the young judge's weaknesses, and is given a few nice moments to shine. Headey has played tough characters in the past and does a nice job with the thinly-drawn Ma-Ma. With false teeth and a large scar on her face, she brings a surprising amount of menace to a female character in a testosterone-laden film where shooting someone six times in the chest is one of the tamest ways to die.
"Setting the Frame" Film Grade = B-
No comments:
Post a Comment