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Friday, October 5, 2012

[8.50/10] Dredd [3D] (2012)


 Dredd [3D]

Brief review: Based on the British comic strip "2000 AD", Pete Travis' latest feature, "Dredd" is also a much needed remake of the lame 1995 film, "Judge Dredd", starring Sylvester Stallone. Although conceptually similar to this year's martial arts phenomenon "The Raid: Redemption", "Dredd" differs significantly in terms feel, look, and overall effectiveness. The storyline is pretty straightforward, yet well-conceived, and the script itself is reasonably smart, filled with wit and satirical humor. Director Pete Travis manages to capture the tone and mood of the source material quite perfectly, delivering one of the most visually good-looking films of 2012 - the camera work is skillful, the futuristic Mega-City One is darkly glorious, the use of the murky tower-block setting is remarkable, and the CGIs are top-notch. The 3D works as well, adding lots of depth to the already stunning imagery. The 'Slo-Mo effect' scenes, shot in super slow motion, are true state-of-the-art, and the action scenes are so loud, brutal, well-staged, and eye-poppingly entertaining, they will blow up your mind. "Dredd 3D" is also brutally violent, but the violence itself is awesomely-stylized, featuring lots of torn flesh and blood splatter. Dredd, acted brilliantly by Karl Urban, is sarcastic, tough and uncompromising, Olivia Thirlby's sweet look contrasts with her character's fearlessness, and Lena Headey is mesmerizing as the harsh drug lord Ma-Ma.

Overall summary: Grim, gritty, gory, spectacularly violent and visually-striking, "Dredd 3D" not only surpasses vastly the original in every single aspect, but also ranks as one of the best remakes ever made, thanks to its finely-written script and absolutely outstanding execution. 

12 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Knew you'd dig it! Those slow-motion scenes were amazing. Such depth and vivid colors. And it was very true to the feel of the source material.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, I dug it big time, and I was very impresses with the slo-mo sequences. The 3D was great as well. Sadly, it ended up being largely overlooked and a massive box-office failure.

Arun said...

It was your review of 'Raid: Redemption' that made me watch that movie. I just loved that movie.

I am getting the same vibes with this one as well :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

buddy2blogger, really? Glad to know that my review of The Raid convinced you to see the movie, and I'm even more glad that you loved it that much.

Dredd succeeds in different aspects than The Raid, but it's almost as cool. You should definitely give it a shot. ;)

Unknown said...

Similarly enjoyed the film, not sure between The Raid and Dredd which do you favour more?

Wonderful piece of read!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

J-Son, I enjoyed both A LOT, but I think The Raid is superior in many ways. In fact, it;s my favorite film of 2012 so far.

Drew Grimm Van Ess said...

This movie was awesome! I just did my review Tuesday. Good job on yours. Awesome blog going on here. I'm now following you.

Swing by my page
http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Grimm, first of all, welcome to my blog. I'm extremely g;ad you enjoy it that much. Thanks for the follow! I'll follow back right away. ;)

I'm with you on Dredd. It was everything I hoped for. :)

Unknown said...

Have not seen this yet, but I can feel your enjoyment right through your review. I love Karl and Lena so I am really looking forward to it. The original Sly Stallone film always left a bad taste, I could not stand it. It was boring and just godawful. So yeah, this one is going to be high on my rent list.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, ah, tell me about it. The original was atrocious and pretty unwatchable. The remake is superb though. I was blown away by it, and enjoy every second of it.
This one should be on the top of your must-see list.

FilmMattic said...

I'm still very anxious to see this. It's gotten incredible buzz and your praise is no different. It's a shame it hasn't performed well commercially. I suppose I'm guilty, too as I didn't contribute to the box office...yet.

Great review, pal!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Matty, i didn't deserve to be such a massive box office failure. People should regret not seeing it on the big screen, because the movie is just awesome. Redeem yourself, and go see it in the theater. :)

Thanks, buddy! Appreciate it.