It should be renamed "Sylvester Stallone", because that's what it is! Let alone Sly getting the essence of Dredd right, he isn't doing anything different than what he usually does. He is the same person he is in Demolition man, Cobra, Rambo, or the Expendables.. As always, Sly just played Sly.
Dredd (2012) is the real deal. I can't believe there are people out there who actually believe this movie to be better!
Personally, I think Dredd 2012 sucks. I don't think the '95 effort is the best possible Judge Dredd movie either, but at least they tried to make something similar to the comics. The new movie doesn't even try to look like them.
Then again, maybe the comics suffered a radical transformation in the last 20 years, and are now just brainless, gory action stories with 0 plot, 0 characterization and awfully expository dialogues. In that case yes, this new movie would be the real deal.
but at least they tried to make something similar to the comics. The new movie doesn't even try to look like them.
Much of the mythos and story in the 95 film was changed drastically from the comic. Dredd removing his helmet, kissing Judge Hershey (which isn't allowed because no Judges can have reltionships). Visually, the 95 film tried to look like it, but it just wasn't right. Not all designs tranfer well into real life. It takres more than visuals to make the film good.
The new movie doesn't even try to look like them.
The helmet looked A LOT like the one worn in the comics. The armour was made to look more realstic and pratical. It still had the Eagle on the shoulders. It still looked like Judge Dredd despite the changes.
I an't afraid of no ghosts!
"Much of the mythos and story in the 95 film was changed drastically from the comic. Dredd removing his helmet, kissing Judge Hershey (which isn't allowed because no Judges can have reltionships). Visually, the 95 film tried to look like it, but it just wasn't right. Not all designs tranfer well into real life. It takres more than visuals to make the film good. "
Yeah, I know, helmet removal, check. Romantic involvement, check. Too emotional, check. But apart from that, you gotta admit it was visually similar, and even the scene in which Dredd removes his helmet was somehow respectful, with the slow, circular camera movement and the music getting louder, as if they were saying "oh wow, this is it, Dredd is finally showing us his face".
"The helmet looked A LOT like the one worn in the comics. The armour was made to look more realstic and pratical. It still had the Eagle on the shoulders. It still looked like Judge Dredd despite the changes."
Similar helmet that doesn't get removed, check. That's pretty much all this movie's got going for it. Apart from that, it didn't feel or look like a Dredd story to me. It was too damn ugly and bleak, and Dredd was depicted more as a soulless killing machine than the by-the-book, extremely severe but ultimately noble lawman I like. He was like a Terminator, coldly gunning down scared perps that didn't stand a chance against his superior training and equipment.
Yeah, I know he's not supposed to be a hero in all of his stories, but I think Wagner and Co.'s ultimate purpose was to make him likeable despite his many flaws, and this movie just doesn't do that.
]as if they were saying "oh wow, this is it, Dredd is finally showing us his face".
That's the problem. Were aren't suppose to see his face at all. It's suppose to be a symbol like saying "the law doesn't have a face". That's an important elment to the story, and was taken away because Stallone had to show his face. It took away something from the character.
Similar helmet that doesn't get removed, check. That's pretty much all this movie's got going for it.
Satire (the food court will reopen in 30 minutes). Lawgiver that looks more like the one from the comic. Dredd that actually feels like he's Dredd, check. Stallone smiling, having a that type of human social attitude, saying things like "I knew you'd say that", was really out of Dredd's character. He wasn't "old stoney face" as he's often called.
Apart from that, it didn't feel or look like a Dredd story to me. It was too damn ugly and bleak, and Dredd was depicted more as a soulless killing machine than the by-the-book, extremely severe but ultimately noble lawman I like. He was like a Terminator, coldly gunning down scared perps that didn't stand a chance against his superior training and equipment.
The plot was meant to be a "day in the life of Dredd" type thing. It felt like a Dredd story to me, not a story arc type thing like "The Day the Law Died", which the 95 Dredd took elements from.
Souless killing machine? The block in the film was full of perps that were going to kill him. He does it all the time as a last resort. He didn't kill the two teenagers that tried to shoot him. It felt to me like he was being the tough lawman he is, with very high standards given that he was hesistant to have Anderson on assement because she failed a test by 3 points. The only thing I thought was really out of character was that he didn't arrest that bum in fron the block immediately after seeing he was breaking the law.
I an't afraid of no ghosts!
That's the problem. Were aren't suppose to see his face at all. It's suppose to be a symbol like saying "the law doesn't have a face". That's an important elment to the story, and was taken away because Stallone had to show his face. It took away something from the character.
The plot was meant to be a "day in the life of Dredd" type thing. It felt like a Dredd story to me, not a story arc type thing like "The Day the Law Died", which the 95 Dredd took elements from.
Souless killing machine? The block in the film was full of perps that were going to kill him. He does it all the time as a last resort. He didn't kill the two teenagers that tried to shoot him. It felt to me like he was being the tough lawman he is, with very high standards given that he was hesistant to have Anderson on assement because she failed a test by 3 points. The only thing I thought was really out of character was that he didn't arrest that bum in fron the block immediately after seeing he was breaking the law.
They should have called this Judge Dreadful.
Vote Dredd 2012!
"Everyone else may be an a**hole, but I'm not!" - Harlan Ellison