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DREDD reviews. (SPOILERS!)

Started by blackmocco, 30 August, 2012, 10:17:57 PM

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Subsplot

I've kept my mouth shut this time round mostly cause I feel that trying to please the fans and squeeze everything cool in is partially what spoilt the first film.  But now I've actually seen the second one there's just one thing i want to say.

Thankyou for making an awesome film that made me feel like I was reading the comic!]

It was low key and dark and the only point where my focus on the story was distracted and I thought hang on a second was when one of the 3D elements drifted in to the black line a the bottom.  So thankyou again for finally making a proper Dredd film.  Have to say I left the cinema thinking, "Well take it for what it is, a decent Dredd film."  But now, the morning after I'm thinking, wait a sec, did they deliberately leave it so 20th century not only cause of budget constraints but because the Apoc war hasn't happened yet and MC1 hasn't been properly rebuilt. Did they deliberately push that Anderson is a mutant and clamp down on that Dredd is 'something else' so that they can tell a more complex story later on? It's definitely a film that has left me wanting more, and what else could I ask for.  So, once again, thankyou to everyone involved in the making of this film, feel free to keep doing it. :) 

Fisticuffs

Having seen it a second time my favourite bit now is the scene in the lift after Anderson has just executed the perp with the wife. Anderson is looking down, obviously trying to come to terms with what she has just seen and done, then she looks to the side to see Dredd watching her. The camera lingers on Dredd for a few seconds, he doesn't move or say anything at all, but you can tell he is analyzing Anderson and keeping a close eye on her. A fantastic 6 0dd-seconds of footage.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: JOE SOAP on 08 September, 2012, 10:17:28 AM
Implicit satire is too much for some people Jim, they want it smashed like a pie in the face...

Regardless of how some would have me feel silly for 'not getting it' I actually agree (as I said here earlier) that the film isn't strong on the satire front, certainly in comparison to the strip. Yes there are examples but I think Jim gets to the bottom of the issue, all be it making a different point.

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 08 September, 2012, 08:41:26 AM
Somewhat baffled by the contention by some critics that the film lacks the strip's satirical bite: the comic is rarely overtly critical of Dredd himself (except when Alan Grant is writing) preferring to allow Dredd's actions to stand for what they are and allow the reader to be appalled/amused/enthused as they see fit....

I agree with this entirely as most of the strips satire, overt or otherwise is derived from the city and its inhabitants. Dredd is the straight man upon which this is built in many way (whoops not happy with that but don't have time to think of a better way to express it). As the strips 'scale' means it was unable to show as much of the city as it would like means that a lot of the satire is lost with it. Some remains and there are other examples of humour as well. As I said this 'scale' is used to make a different advantage, but as an example of Dredd as satire it falls short of the strip... well once you move past the basic premise of the setting etc, but that a different matter and inbuilt. It does have some and Jim goes on to illustrate a good example.

If much of the satire that is in the film requires the viewer to read every sign or subtle hint then it might be there, but its not really serving its purpose, at least not on my initial viewing.

It been suggested here abouts that Alex Garland has said as much himself (the film being short on satire), though I'll be careful saying as I'm getting it second hand.

JOE SOAP

Quote from: Adrian Bamforth on 08 September, 2012, 01:00:51 PM
Things got more interesting with the appearance of collupt judges, which I didn't expect, and thought it a shame the film wasn't more about that dynamic (if it didn't echo the first movie too much), since they were far more challenging and elusive foes, it spoke more about the system which motivated dredd, and it would have been interesting to hear how deep it went


I think the right amount of time and story was devoted to the corruption angle, anymore than what's there - like having the Judges controlling the drug supply instead of just acting hired heavies - and it would portray the Judge system as being too corrupt for the first film and Dredd would be acting as Serpico rather than being a good Judge among many; it would also overshadow the point of this being a Dredd & Anderson the rookie film.

JOE SOAP

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 08 September, 2012, 01:24:50 PM
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 08 September, 2012, 10:17:28 AM
Implicit satire is too much for some people Jim, they want it smashed like a pie in the face...

Regardless of how some would have me feel silly for 'not getting it' I actually agree (as I said here earlier) that the film isn't strong on the satire front, certainly in comparison to the strip. Yes there are examples but I think Jim gets to the bottom of the issue, all be it making a different point.



I think that was aimed more at critics saying satire was non-existent.

The Sherman Kid

Quote from: Keef Monkey on 08 September, 2012, 10:19:09 AM

Totally, the "No creds no meds" sign was a great touch too.

Another snippet I missed.Glad someone pointed out what that homesless sign read, missed that first time round, very funny.There is more than enough satire and humour present for me.

Off for a third viewing today-still got some easter eggs to tick off.So glad I haven't seen the Raid, so I can't make any comparisons.

Subsplot

Who ever made any Dredd film was always going to have to be very careful of putting any real strip style satire, A lot of Dredd's humor is political in nature, it takes pops at 'fatties' and 'juves', takes ethnic stereo types and just runs at brick walls with them. It portrays the police as tyrants and fascists and outrightly paints the military and politicians as insane.  The first film just avoided this entirely and replaced it with a comedy sidekick.  This one keeps it low key but it is there and it deffinately doesn't do it just for the laughs.  Anyone notice that the only real 'fattie' in the film is one of the first to be shown lying on the floor bleeding out while no one tries to really help, did it need a quick one liner to under score just how brutal that was.  Same goes for when the blast door descends on the homeless guy after Dredd told him to move or when the gang opens up with the rotary auto cannons.  They didn't need witty sarcastic comments, the surreal horror and shocking irony of the situations was written all over everyone's faces, and in the case of the homless guy, most of the way up the wall. 

Steve Green

I don't know if the satire is that much of a hurdle because the real world has caught up. Or alternatively it makes it a bit redundant.

We've got live autopsies and plastinated humans from Von Haagens mirroring Jacob Sardini, body modifications a plenty to counter Otto Sump, Eating contests, people at home being paid to peep for the State etc.

I'd love to see Resyk as a setpiece if we got a sequel though.

spireite68

Ok here's my take on the movie. Arrived with my nephew for the early evening showing in my Judge Death Lives T Shirt, not many people in the cinema proberbly about 20 at the most.

VISUALS
I thought DNA nailed the visuals, very pleased with Mega City One they have created reminiscent of early Dredd as is most of the movie. Loved the fact that they did not CGI the city as this always takes away the realism for me. The very near future look works for me. I think the inclusion of familiar vehicles, clothes etc gives an added sense of relation to the world of Dredd. We have to remember that we are all looking at Dredd from the current state of play in MC1 (post Day of Chaos) and this film is clearly set much earlier.

DIALOGUE
Some posts on here suggest an omission of Dredds dark humour which is a staple of the comics, I thought Dredd has some great lines in the movie which touched on this, "Admeriable" delivered with that great Dredd cynicism made me smile, as did the "Freeze" "Why?" bit with the juves!
The dialogue for me is pure Dredd, wether its delivered by the big man himself or the supporting cast. Alex Garland clearly knows the world of Dredd

CHARACTERIZATIONS
DREDD. Karl absolutely nailed it for me. The voice, the stance, the looks. There is no other way to play Dredd in my view other than the faceless emotionless way Karl has. The grimaces in the Ma Ma showdown was Dredd through and through. Karl doesnt over play or ham it up, he plays him as John Wagner wrote him, a focused unemotional, dedicated lawman who's primary objective is the rule of law whatever the cost.
ANDERSON
Olivia was fantastic as Anderson, she gave the movie it's 'humanistic' touch, although some of her characteristics and dialogue reminded me more of Beeney than Anderson. From being the unsure rookie at the start of the movie to a badass Judge at the end Olivia delivers a great sidekick performance.
MA MA
Wow what a fantastic classic MC1 villan. Totally unrelenting and unapologetic. Lena does not have much dialogue but her screen presence is awesome, she totally nailed it for me. And what a fantastic classic MC1 death at the hands of the big man. Some people have questioned this but I remember Dredd 'executing' the likes of Pa Angel, Owen Krysler, Sabbat, Grice, Narcos, Robert L Booth in equally if not more spectacular fashion.
OVERALL
I have wondered what would I had made of this film if I didn't know the world of Dredd? I would proberbly see it as as a rip roaring, violent, dark shoot em up, which it is. But I know Dredd I know the world and I totally got the references which gives me a more biased but deeper view of it. Yes it's violent but hey it's Mega City 1 it's no picnic living there, yes it's main character is emotionless and driven by one factor but that's Dredd that's what he is. A brilliant take on the world of the, for me, the greatest comic book character ever created. Roll on part 2.

You creeps must think I sailed through space on a synthi-biscuit!

W. R. Logan

Quote from: NikolaiDante on 08 September, 2012, 01:03:48 PM
I did find myself cringing when the bad guy picked up Anderson's gun as I KNEW what was going to happen when he pulled the trigger - and it did. I could tell that came as a surprise to some of the audience!

I thought this part was excellently done.
Too many films have to explain things in detail and then you wait till later in the film for that thing to happen.
Dredd didn't treat the audience as stupid and let the film tell you these things.

Martin Jameson

Good review. Saves me a lot of typing as it pretty much sums up my take on the film. Really hope more films are made as I am wanting more now.

Dirty Sanchez

Those of you who've seen it - when did you go and how many other people were in the room?

I went at 1830 on a Friday evening and there were about 30 other people out of a possible 350 seats.

Keith Lemon was booked out. This makes me nervous and concerned.

Martin Jameson

Quote from: Dirty Sanchez on 08 September, 2012, 02:44:05 PM

Keith Lemon was booked out. This makes me nervous and concerned.

I feel sad for the human race. What's wrong with people? Only about 25 for my viewing although it was an early show.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

CYCLOPZ

Once the first wave of viewers starts to spread the word that audience will begin to grow, with any justice.

NikolaiDante

Quote from: W. R. Logan on 08 September, 2012, 02:30:20 PM
Quote from: NikolaiDante on 08 September, 2012, 01:03:48 PM
I did find myself cringing when the bad guy picked up Anderson's gun as I KNEW what was going to happen when he pulled the trigger - and it did. I could tell that came as a surprise to some of the audience!

I thought this part was excellently done.
Too many films have to explain things in detail and then you wait till later in the film for that thing to happen.
Dredd didn't treat the audience as stupid and let the film tell you these things.

I also noted that they included the part where a Judge can select ammo by vocal command - then used this in a clever way where Dredd (in the cafe) says something like "Your call HOTSHOT" thus selecting his ammo of choice without alerting the perp.

This seemed a running theme in the film - show in a subtle way how the world of Dredd works and then use it to bigger effect later. As Logan says, it doesn't spoon-feed the audience. Too many films have been ruined this way.

The biggest (IMHO) was Harrison Ford's voiceover and the final scene in the hovercar in Bladerunner. The audiences make their own minds up why characters act as they do.

BTW I didn't see Rebellion in the main credits or the first part of the final credits - were they? If not how come?

Oh and did any of you guys see Iron Sky recently?

Barny
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