We need more movies in inescapable buildings. Dredd, a reimagination of the Sylvester Stallone vehicle, is a rip-roaring fun movie that might be an even better video game. In fact, were it not for some really stupid decisions by some of the characters, Dredd would be one of the best action movies of the year. Combining a brisk pace, subtle complications, and some cool special effects, Dredd delivers in a very satisfying way.
In a futuristic society, the Eastern seaboard has been turned into a megalopolis with mega towers. Inside one such tower, the Peach Trees, resides Mama (Lena Headey), the leader of a crime syndicate that produces a drug called Slo-Mo (it slows your reaction time to 1% of normal speed). After “sending a message” to the residents, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is dispatched to the scene. He is not alone either: new to the force Cassandra (Olivia Thirlby), is a psychic who “marginally” passed the entrance exam. After a witness is found, Mama locks down the building, leaving Dredd and Cassandra no choice but to shoot their way out.
Dredd’s biggest asset is its visuals. The futuristic society looks compact and desaturated; the buildings look more like mechanized fortresses from the middle ages. Cassandra’s psychic evaluations are executed very well using quick edits. The action scenes are well choreographed and shot, particularly the decimation of a floor in the building. Most importantly, the Slo-Mo vision is inspired and very cleverly executed. It is amazing how magnificent certain things look in slow motion: water splashing can look like shooting stars (falling glass has a similar appeal). Deaths also look just as horrific in slow motion. Like Dave Chappelle said, everything just looks cooler in slow motion, and Dredd executes that point better than most movies. The sad thing is, the Slo-Mo is mostly abandoned in the middle section of Dredd; one more scene as a split cam between slow and fast paced would have been a nice exclamation point for the visual effects team.
Character development is at a minimum in a film like Dredd. Scenes that attempt to progress or showcase a character have varying levels of success. Using the simple fact that Dredd thinks in black/white makes any decision a tough one that defines him, Urban does a good job growling and playing it straight; even the gallows humor makes sense with his character. Cassandra is more of a mixed bag; her development is easier to show since she is a blank slate as a cop, but she uses her powers when it is convenient in the story for her to do so. As such, she makes some stupid decisions in regards to dragging prisoners with her. Lena Headey is nicely cold as Mama, but her villain lacks any real lasting memory (although she does act smartly as the leader most of the time).
Dredd is a solid reboot of a character that Robocop could relate to. There is enough compelling material with Judge Dredd to launch a sequel, but the story is self-contained. Keep in mind, the extra d in Dredd is for deaths, of which there are many and they are very, VERY violent. If you are afraid of such things, have no fear: Judge Dredd is unfazed by these acts and does what is necessary to uphold the law.