Dredd (2012)
★★★ — Dredd (2012)
Dredd is the second attempt to bring Judge Dredd, the lawman of British comic 2000 AD, to the big screen, arriving seventeen years after the Sylvester Stallone version that became something of a cautionary tale about what happens when a studio tries to sand the edges off a deliberately brutal character. This adaptation, written by Alex Garland (who would later direct Ex Machina and Annihilation), went into production primarily in South Africa and was shot with 3D photography at its core, giving the film a visual identity largely tied to slow-motion sequences. Pete Travis was a television and mid-budget drama director with little blockbuster experience beforehand, and the film carries that modest, functional quality throughout. A $50 million budget against a box office return of just over $41 million made it a commercial disappointment, which effectively killed any planned sequels despite a devoted cult following that built steadily on home video.
They played it too safe. The high-rise setting is a bit of a safe choice, and it loses points for being a bit confined in scope, but it works for what it is. The action is brutal, the pacing is tight, and Karl Urban nails the role of Dredd with zero need for a mask reveal or backstory. It’s gritty, it’s violent, and it’s got a much more focused, enjoyable story than the original. It’s not without flaws, the world-building could have been expanded a bit, and the premise gets repetitive towards the end, but it’s a solid, fun flick that does the character justice. It’s definitely an improvement over the 1995 version and serves as a perfect example of how a reboot can actually work.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2012 | Watched: 2025-04-10
Where to watch (UK)
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