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Dredd (2012) — Review — The return to uncompromising clarity.
The law does not need a face
When I think of the old “Judge Dredd” with Sylvester Stallone, I inevitably think of the original “The Running Man” with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both films have the same problem: the premise offers incredible potential, but in the end they get stuck in the typical action clichés of the 80s and 90s. “The Running Man” was just another “Arnie movie” that sacrificed its potential for muscle flexing. And the old Dredd? That was a Stallone vehicle where the star’s ego was more important than the source material.
All the more surprising, then, was the arrival in 2012 of Dredd, a gem that unfortunately failed at the box office but rightly enjoys cult status among critics and fans. Dredd.
But before I begin my critique, I would first like to clarify what this film is actually about. It is set in an American vision of the future called Mega-City One. This completely overpopulated city is plagued by brutal crime and massive drug problems. The answer to this is the Judges: they are police officers, judges, and executioners all rolled into one. One of them is Judge Dredd, who, in addition to his years of experience, also enjoys a corresponding reputation. This makes him the perfect mentor for Cassandra Anderson. The young student has so far learned the…
