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Judge Dredd (1995)

DVD Cover (Walt Disney Studios)
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Overall Rating 56%
Overall Rating
Ranked #1,407
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Connections: Judge Dredd

In a dystopic future, where urban areas have grown into Mega-Cities that cover entire coastal regions, the justice system has evolved to a single person invested with the power of police, judge, jury and executioner: the Judge. Among the Judges of Mega-City One, Judge Joseph Dredd is one of the best, and a particular favorite of the Head of the Council, Chief Justice Fargo. But there are evil forces at work in the Justice Department: block riots and the escape of Rico, a homicidal maniac, are only steps in a plan that ultimately lead to the sentencing of Dredd for a murder he did not commit. And Dredd must discover the secrets of his own past and survive to stop the evildoers. --IMDb
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Review by Ginose
Added: January 28, 2008
Judge Dredd (within 2000AD) may be the most amazingly well-written comic books I've ever read. As a boy I couldn't get enough of this hard-boiled lawman. Always true, relentless, just, and (above all else, perhaps) mean. He was the law, and he was the final say on whatever it was he did. Now, imagine my surprise when I heard of a (shock) film based on the comic series that I'd loved so much all of these years. Imagining it? Good, now imagining me going to the theatre on opening day, a half-hour early to get good seats. Got a good image? Now, imagine me leaving the theatre exclaiming "THAT SHIT SUCKED!" Can you even begin to comprehend how a movie that I had been waiting for SO long could ever leave me feeling like that? Well, that childish reaction certainly does not dictate the quality of this film, oh no, far from it, in fact. However, this should easily explain why I'm going to review a movie that I hated so much when I was younger now that I've grown a bit and have discovered exactly why I hated it before. The more you learn, eh?

In the dystopian future of the year 2139, where the population is herded into humongous cities called Megacities as to protect themselves from the dead and barren remnants of the world that once was. In this city, crime and riots are at an alarming high; so much so that a group of special police that act as judge, jury, and executioner... they are known as Judges. The best of the best is one Judge Joseph Dredd, the harshest lawman in the city. After handling numerous crimes throughout his years of service, he is soon recorded shooting a reporter and his wife, earning him an instant death-sentence. A superior Judge, not believing Dredd's guilt, retires and asks that his last wish be upheld. His wish is to be lenient on Dredd (who is then sentenced to life in the prison tundra of Aspen). After an accident occurs, Judge Dredd soon begins his mission of proving his innocence of the murder he was accused of.

A whole lot more goes on in the plot, but it's kind of unimportant. In fact, most of the stuff that goes on in this movie is rather unimportant. However, that stands to reason, as most of these mindless action movies have that in common.

What this particular mindless action movie has over most is merely the imagery. The art direction of this movie is almost completely flawless, everything works out so perfectly: the Judge's uniforms, the Lawmaster bikes, above almost all things I have to give credit for it has got to be the make-up/prosthetics for Mean "Machine" Angel. He really looked almost EXACTLY like he did in the original books. It was truly a splendor to behold, especially back then.

As a whole, the performances were decent. I had no complaints against Stallone or the other leads WITH THE EXCEPTION of one Mr. Rob Schneider. It's not his acting that I had a problem with, oh no, it was his whole character. How unneeded was he? He pretty much could have been omitted from the entire movie and (who knows) it may have benefited from it! He wasn't very funny, charming, witty or even obnoxious... just annoying. Like an eye-lash that gets caught in your eye, that kind of annoying. Yeah, so, that could be the main thing that I'm taking points from.

The other thing that bothered me and this is SOLELY from my nerdy-childhood point of view, the way they departed from the source material almost made me physically ill. It wasn't the normal "Let's change this here and that there" kind of thing. Oh no! Other than the general idea of the comic, this one gave the 20 year-old comic series a complete and total face-lift. I didn't know who to bark at about that, back then. I still don't to today, but I hate their fucking guts.

I don't see why people disliked this movie so much. It really isn't supposed to be some kind of super-amazing cinematic experience, or anything like that. Just a good summer blockbuster with a possibility to cash in on the 2000AD fans out there... like myself... oh well, there's nothing that I could knock this one for that I couldn't really knock almost every sci-fi/action movie ever for.

This in mind, I give this horrible rape of a fond childhood memory of mine a 7.1/10

Let it be what it is and leave it at that. Trust me, there's nothing else there for you.
Griffinheart #1: Griffinheart - added January 28, 2008 at 8:23pm
"Double whammy" is all you need to know.
Ginose #2: Ginose - added January 28, 2008 at 8:39pm
No, the fact that on the cover of the DVD itself Judge Dredd has his helmet off. That alone will arrant any fan of the series to give it the big: "FUCK YOU".
Ginose #3: Ginose - added January 28, 2008 at 11:42pm
You know, watching it again, I think I know whay I'm such a sucker for it. It may have bastardized a comic book that I have (and in some ways still do) hold dear, but it was a well-paced (if not feebly assembled) sci-fi/action movie that stars Stallone. Subliminally, my mind has probablly already recorded that I will enjoy it reasonably.
bluemeanie #4: bluemeanie - added January 29, 2008 at 10:39am
This is one of those guilty pleasures that still makes me smile. I love Max Von Sydow in the film, and Rob Schneider is just as annoying as he needs to be as the comic relief sidekick, but it's Stallone who's as bad as ever as Judge Dredd -- but, in a good way. He makes me smile. 7/10.
Ginose #5: Ginose - added January 29, 2008 at 5:57pm
I agree. But Rob was just too annoying... and completely unwanted.
Lucid Dreams #6: Lucid Dreams - added July 11, 2010 at 2:44am
I'm above the law! 7/10
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