Judge Dredd

It's unfortunate that "Judge Dredd" wasn't accepted by mainstream viewers or even received a cult following. I found it to be very entertaining. I don't see too many movies based on comic book superheroes that I honestly enjoyed. "X Men" for example went on too long, moved very slowly and took itself too seriously. "Judge Dredd" is a fast-paced sci-fi-action thrill ride that delivers from start to finish and has help in the comic relief department by Rob Schneider. Sylvester Stallone overacts throughout, but that's part of the fun. Watching him scream out "I AM THE LAW!!" makes you want to scream it out along with him, which is what I do whenever I view this movie. There are many quotable lines, which I enjoy reciting. "Judge Dredd" is not a deeply intelligent, insightful film. But it makes a great popcorn flick! This upbeat, funny, nonstop entertainment is a real treat for me to watch over and over again.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Is this the best movie to come out of the 90s,,, no,, by all means no. However, it's still a fun time, lol

Stallone will forever be the epitome of an action star. This movie is just another example of that.

Is there plenty to poke fun at with this film? Well yeah,, some of the lines are quite laughable,, but we're not looking at Shakespeare in the park here. Just turn off your brain and enjoy it! (I mean,, you get to see Diane Lane a lot of the time. That's incentive enough!!)

I'll preface this by saying that I have never read the Judge Dredd comic. That being said, I bashed this movie when my friends and I watched first watched it back in 1995 in the theater. I am now throughly eating my words. This thing is amazingly good and entertaining throwaway cheese. There is zero originality here. This is Blade Runner meets Demolition Man meets Texas Chainsaw massacre meets Superman 2 meets Star Wars Trilogy. This movie is almost a replica of Demolition Man but is tons more fun. Stallone, like in Demolition Man, plays a supercop. He's accused of a crime he didn't commit and is punished, like in Demolition Man. There are other parallels along the way. He meets a Texas Chainsaw Massacre family in his exile, with an android member who looks suspiciously like Terry Bradshaw. Armand Assante is really great as the villain, Diane Lane excels in a role that doesn't fit her and Rob Schneider is stunningly endearing as the third wheel in a party of two. Max Von Sydow and Jurgen Prochnow add their talents to give the movie a seasoned flavor. Stallone's intro is pathetic but he excels along the way. The digital effects also work themselves into the story very well. I'm stunned at how good this thing is upon reviewing it.

In the future the world has been scorched and is uninhabitable. The cities are overflowing and cramped. Violence and crime has gotten to the stages that the courts and juries of the past were unable to cope. The Judges were planned to be police, judge and executioners – the ultimate law keepers. The strictest of these is Judge Dredd. However Dredd's history is revealed when his long-forgotten genetic twin escapes from captivity and kills high ranking council members. The DNA evidence points to Dredd and he is sentenced accordingly. However he escapes with hacker Fergie and returns to the city to try and stop Rico's plan for his own laws.

It's been a few years since I saw this in the cinema and I thought I'd give it another go. However I had only average memories of it – memories that were pretty close to the mark now that I've seen it again. The film starts reasonably well and has a good little bit of humour in it – the recycling bot that says `recycle waste for food, it's good for the environment and OK for you!' is my favourite! However any nice touches like this and any debate on the nature of the Judges is quickly lost in a by-the-numbers blockbuster.

The action is OK but not great and the film doesn't manage to ever really have a genuine sense of excitement or tension. Director Cannon is much better at style than substance and here he proves that again. The cartoon violence will be OK for teenagers but is too basic and undemanding for many I think. The cityscapes are quite good but a tad OTT. Bladerunner got it pitch perfect all those years ago and every film since has tried to up the ante unnecessarily.

Stallone is a pretty good choice for Dredd because of his strong chin. I didn't care less if he removed his helmet or not, but his constant speaking in catchphrases did annoy me a bit. Oh – and I've heard a life time of `law' and `court' puns and kiss-off lines. Schneider is a misjudged comedy sidekick, he isn't used well and just gets in the way. The film would have been better without his `relief' and gone darker. Assante is a strong villain and the council is full of famous faces. Lane has nothing to do as Judge Hershey.

Overall this is a cartoon for teenagers and those just looking for lots of bangs. However, even for that crowd this may prove a little basic – I wanted it to be more sophisticated than it was and be darker (but not just violent as it has been misinterpreted as here). Maybe worth a watch with a beer and pizza but the fact that we haven't been treated to a JD2 speaks volumes.

I would hardly call this a Judge Dredd movie. While it starts off promising with an intriguing premise and great production design, the film quickly devolves into a typical Stallone action film. It's cliched, lacking in a good story, and missing something special. This is an interesting character that gets tossed aside pretty quickly so Stallone can take his helmet off and do his usual shtick. I don't dislike Stallone, but he seemed like an odd choice for this film.