100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of Reliance Entertainment
#70. Dredd
Medium
Live-Action Feature Film
Release Dates
July 11, 2012 (San Diego Comic-Con)
September 7, 2012 (United Kingdom)
September 28, 2012 (South Africa)
Credits
Director: Pete Travis
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Karl Urban as Judge Dredd, Olivia Thirlby as Judge Cassandra Anderson, Lena Headey as Madeline Madrigal / Ma-Ma, Wood Harris as Kay, Deobia Parei as TJ, Francis Chouler as Judge Guthrie, Daniel Hadebe as Judge Volt, Rakie Ayola as Chief Judge, Langley Kirwood as Judge Lex, Edwin Perry as Judge Alvarez, Karl Thaning as Judge Chan, Michele Levin as Judge Kaplan, Junior Singo as Amos, Luke Tyler as Freel, Jason Cope as Zwirner, Joe Vaz as Big Joe, Scott sparrow as japhet, Nicole Bailey as Cathy
The Reason It’s Great
“I am the law!” were the words Sylvester Stallone roared in 1995’s Judge Dredd. It haunted not only the in-movie criminals, but fans who adored 2000 AD and the real version of Judge Dredd—the comic book version. It took seventeen years to correct the mistake of this film, and the end results were worth the wait.
Raw, brutal, and uncompromising, Dredd was a treatise on violence, crime, and punishment. With a faithful portrayal of the feared judge by Karl Urban, the film garnered positive reviews from critics and the fans rejoiced. It was a simple story, Judge Dredd and his rookie, Judge Anderson, had to survive and escape a building run by murderous drug dealers commanded by the sadistic kingpin Ma-Ma.
As the two went from floor-to-floor, they were confronted with various challenges. Talk about a rough training day. Even Judge Dredd thought so. In the end, he gave props to Judge Anderson’s survival and backup skills, awarding her the status she deserved.
The film was tight and superbly plotted. It was the comic book come to life. Every grotesque and violent visual was so stylistically shot that it looked artistic and beautfiul. The expression of “less is more” is something that Dredd took to heart. It’s a great story that only makes you clamor for more.