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    Dredd

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    A bullet hole-sized piece of my soul will always be saddened by the memory that “Dredd” was not a massive box-office hit. This is the kind of action film we should get more of. So what if the similar “The Raid: Redemption” came out the same year? I say it just means we got two of the best hardcore, violent, action-packed movie ever in 2012.

    In the future, the United States is an irradiated wasteland. One of the few habitable zones is Mega-City One, a cramped metropolis where crime is rampant. Dredd (Karl Urban) is a government-sanctioned Judge. He patrols the streets and dispenses justice by way of the gun. When Dredd and rookie Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) respond to a trio of violent murders in a 200-story slum, they find themselves under siege by crime lord Madeline Ma-Ma Madrigal (Lena Headey) and her army of thugs.

    This is a lean action picture. There are no romantic subplots, no unnecessary comedic sidekicks, you don’t even know what Dredd does in his spare time. It’s all about the bind our heroes are in. They’re trapped in this huge building filled with desperate people. The top dog has locked them in, cut off their communications with the outside, and wants them dead. The front door is inaccessible. This means the only way out is to clear a path by taking her out. You want a movie that makes you feel like a superhero? Check this one out. While you may be all soft and gooey sitting there on your couch, seeing Dredd and Anderson combat these incredible odds makes you feel like a beast. There’s nothing like seeing some repulsive thug getting shot in the face – and in slow motion – to make you cheer.

    “Dredd” is non-stop action, but it’s not mindless carnage. Like “The Road Warrior” this film excels at developing its characters not by having them act like you would, but by reinforcing their personalities via a “normal day”. This is not our world; it’s a dreary, twisted place that's shaped these people accordingly. Dredd has a black-or-white mentality. Where someone else might look at a vagrant and think about the circumstances that brought them there, he sees a crime that’s being committed. Is he harsh? Yes, but in a situation like the one we find ourselves in, there’s no one you’d rather have at your side. As he and Anderson (who is a lot less inclined to pull the trigger) use their wits and weapons to make their way up the building, you’ll discover subtle nuances in their personalities.

    If you remember that infernal Sylvester Stalone film, “Judge Dredd” and thought to yourself “I don’t want to see that one remade”, I don’t blame you. But this is nothing like that movie. "Dredd" has all of those “ooooh! ” moments - the ones where someone gets violently killed and you’re torn between wanting to cringe because no one should have to experience that and wanting to cheer. You hated that person so much you’re glad they got what was coming to them. It makes bold choices in its storytelling and visuals (this is a gorgeous film and it looks even better in 3-D). Above all, it’s a lot of fun.

    You probably missed out on “Dredd” when it was first released. Now is your chance to rectify that mistake. (On Blu-ray, July 14, 2017)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  18.11.2014 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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