Dredd (2012)

[radiator]

Going back to an earlier discussion about how best to implement Judge Death in the grittier, more realistic version of Dredd 2012...

How about fusing the character with that of Cal?

An insane - possibly mutant with latent powers comaparable with Anderson's - head of the SJS, stages an internal coup within Justice Department and begins a policy of executing mass swathes of the population, gaining the nickname Death, while Dredd and Anderson lead a counter-insurgency...

As the baddies would be a twisted version of the SJS, these 'Dark Judges' would all have Judge Death-like skull insignia on their judge uniforms.

[Molch-R]

The thing with Dredd is that the strip CAN be full of wacky humour and satire but there are numerous great stories where these elements are played down or totally absent. One of my favourite Dredd stories of the last 10 years is Mandroid and there aren't many laughs to be found in that. In fact, it's unrelentingly grim and depressing.

I'd say the vast majority of Dredd stories do have a strong element of the absurd or eccentric about them. It's absolutely key to the appeal and longevity of the series. The undercurrent of humour and weirdness is always there - even in more serious stories like America and Day of Chaos.

The city is such a key element of the comic strip - I hesitate to say it's the real main character of Dredd as some tend to do - and to have it reimagined as a desolate slum, verging on collapse seems a missed opportunity to me. Parts of MC1 no doubt are depressing shitholes, but there's so much more to it than that - it has this larger than life playground quality to it and has been so explored and expanded over the years it really feels like a tangible, fully-realised location.

Take that charm and sense of wonder away, and I'm not sure what is there to distinguish out from all the other dystopian future cities.

Still, I have great faith in Garland as a writer - I'd be pumped for this film even if I wasn't a massive Dredd nerd.

Someone commented that the original film tried to do too much and became a total dog's dinner, which I believe nails it. As Garland has said, this is a striped-down version of Dredd's world that focuses on his role as judge, jury and executioner in a dystopian future. As much as we all enjoy the satire and silliness, on the big screen such things can so easily come across as camp. Plus, *any* comparison with Stallone's awful version of the character will not only sink this movie but also the hope of ever seeing Dredd on the big screen again.

[radiator]

Oh, absolutely - I'm certainly not one of those flat-earther types who insist the only Dredd they want to see on screen be an exact facsimile of the comic version (complete with Walter the Wobot, synthi-sausages, and Dredd shouting "Hi-Ex!" and "Boot-Knife!" every five seconds) - I'm well aware that changes are absolutely necessary to adapt something like Dredd, and I'm very much in favour of stripping out the more outlandish or sillier elements of Dredd's world...

I just worry that in going all out for gritty, dark, brutal action, we might lose a key part of appeal of the comics and it might end up being a little generic dystopian sci-fi.

As I said though, I'm a huge fan of Garland's work - delighted that it's in his hands - and am very much looking forward to seeing what the tone of the finished film is like.

[James Stacey]

he better bloody shout boot knife at some point. Preferably whist shoving his knife through a perps neck, complete with arterial spray. Now thats gritty.

[Danbo]

As long as he doesn't mumble 'full auto rapid fire' or 'Double whammy' whilst dribbling down his chin then I'm happy.

[Goaty]

I am sure the new Dredd would be better without "I knew you'd say that!" 

[radiator]

I love the ECTB2000AD podcast review/dissection of the Stallone Dredd movie - I've listened to it at least three times now. Alec Worley is so great on it, he sounds like he's in physical pain just talking about the film.

[The Sherman Kid]

Just a quick question, apologies if it's been asked before (probably has) -the begining of Dredd, does it has a scroll or voice over to explain things ,or is it just left open?

[blackmocco]

The city is such a key element of the comic strip - I hesitate to say it's the real main character of Dredd as some tend to do - and to have it reimagined as a desolate slum, verging on collapse seems a missed opportunity to me. Parts of MC1 no doubt are depressing shitholes, but there's so much more to it than that - it has this larger than life playground quality to it and has been so explored and expanded over the years it really feels like a tangible, fully-realised location.

Well let's face it: the Judges are going to have more work to do in the run-down areas anyway, even in the comic's version, so makes sense that's what the movie's going to focus on. Doesn't mean the other aspects of MC-1 aren't there in this version though. We just may not get to see them this time out.

I've always imagined MC-1 to be a fucking nightmare anyway. The humor and satire have always just lightened up some really depressing and frightening concepts over the years. League Of Fatties, Otto Sump, etc are really pretty bleak ideas when you look at them.

Also, I think MC-1 being portrayed as a civilization on the edge just works better from a dramatic standpoint. The Judges rarely seem too stretched when it comes to upholding their laws in the strip. The people always lose because the presence of The Law is so overwhelming in their lives. Turning that on its head for the movie adds some real danger and, dare I say it, some relevant social commentary for the world we're living in now.

[Steve Green]

I think it's also something that John Wagner has addressed over the years, to make them fallible, under strength because of various catastrophes, prone to corruption within etc. so they're not some perfect organisation who can easily deal with any crime.

[bigjobs67]

So Dredd,Yeah. Sees this guy on the 'Pedway' acting like 'Ten men'. Give'n it 'All that' to randoms as they pass by for no good reason.
 So he goes, 'Oy! Dick'ed! Any more of that shit an I'll come over there and fuckin knock u out'.
Guy goes, 'Fuckoff! U fink ur a fuckin Bad Man with all that leather an ya big daft fuckin 'at'.
So Dredd,Yeah, Proper sees is arse and goes 'Right twat,It's fuckin 'On' now'.
Steams over to him and fuckin 'Blaps' him one right in the temple with his fist.
OOOF!!!.
Guys like 'WTF!!!'.
Dredds like, 'That'll fukin learn ya'.
Guys only got a massive piece of 'Rockcret' on him and dashes it up the side of Dredds ed.
But u know what saves him?
Thats right.
His big massive helmet!
Pretty sure you'll find it plays out something like that.

[radiator]

I can totally understand it from a narrative point of view - recasting MC1 as a hellish slum and the judges as far less powerful and Orwellian is shorthand - you don't have to explain or justify why Dredd and the judges are necessary. If things were presented exactly as they are in the comics, the audience would probably come away thinking Dredd was the just as bad as the villains - fine if that's the sort of story you're going for, but perhaps unwise for the first film.

The vibe they're going for appears to be that the judges just barely keep a lid of things and are somewhat understaffed and desperate.

the begining of Dredd, does it has a scroll or voice over to explain things ,or is it just left open?

The script starts with a view of the Cursed Earth and a passage explaining the setup - don't know whether this will be done as a v/o or text crawl - text I'd imagine.

[The Sherman Kid]

So Dredd,Yeah. Sees this guy on the 'Pedway' acting like 'Ten men'. Give'n it 'All that' to randoms as they pass by for no good reason.
 So he goes, 'Oy! Dick'ed! Any more of that shit an I'll come over there and fuckin knock u out'.
Guy goes, 'Fuckoff! U fink ur a fuckin Bad Man with all that leather an ya big daft fuckin 'at'.
So Dredd,Yeah, Proper sees is arse and goes 'Right twat,It's fuckin 'On' now'.
Steams over to him and fuckin 'Blaps' him one right in the temple with his fist.
OOOF!!!.
Guys like 'WTF!!!'.
Dredds like, 'That'll fukin learn ya'.
Guys only got a massive piece of 'Rockcret' on him and dashes it up the side of Dredds ed.
But u know what saves him?
Thats right.
His big massive helmet!
Pretty sure you'll find it plays out something like that.

Are you on some kind of experimental medication?

[The Sherman Kid]

Hey moderator, Radiator was giving me the answer.No detail required but scroll or voice over cant really be a secret can it?

[radiator]

I put the spoiler on - tend to be cautious because some people really don't want to know info like that.