Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
Director: Pete Travis.
Rating: 4/5
It seems that is it now the turn of nineties movies to get the remake treatment as Dredd is the second one this summer - but when the re-imagining is better than the original you don't really mind.
Yes this is a dark, violent and gritty movie that is action packed from start and it shows just how great comic book adaptations can be.
In Dredd, 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 neighbourhood 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 - they find themselves outnumbered and fighting to survive.
There is no two ways about it Dredd is just a fantastic movie from start to finish that really seems the capture the essence of the comic book as well as the character.
How much you actually enjoy the movie I suppose depends on your tolerance for violent - if you are a bit squeamish perhaps you should give it a miss but if, like me, you are not bothered then you are going to love it.
Visually the movie is fantastic and some of the slow-mo works incredibly well - particularly on some of the most violent scenes.
The slow-mo at these moments gives the violence almost and arty feel and this just works so well as they are quiet moments in the middle of the chaos.
But what really drives this movie forward is a fantastic piece of casting as Karl Urban takes over the role of Dredd.
Fans of the comic will be delighted to hear that Dredd's helmet never comes off and Urban has very little work with when it comes to expressing himself.
Nonetheless he is an engaging and riveting character and Urban delivers a very disciplined and almost restrained performance.
Thirlby is also great as the rookie while Heady just looks fantastic as baddie Ma-Ma.
It is not very often that remakes his the mark and better the original but Dredd has done exactly that as it excites and entertains as well as being brutal and stunning all at the same time.
Dredd is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Dredd