Judge Dredd: Mega-City One - TV show announced!

[SIP]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally. Dredd would not be able to move. Why would we want to see a bunch of judges hapless ly lumbering around under the weight of their absurd knee pads and shoulder armour. Mad max does have absurdity in it, but it all works practically.

The 2012 dredd armour contains every element of the comic uniform, it's all there, but it's done with an excellent practical approach that, Imo, makes the uniform so much better. The mighty Jock worked on that, and that's good enough for me.

[SIP]

....and in case anyone wants to argue the 1995 uniform - it looked daft! And they couldn't wait to get the armour off the judges because it was clearly restrictive. It's only the opening scene that really features any judges with all the shoulder armour on (and they looked restricted). Hershey and Dredd spend most of the rest of the film without the armour.

[IndigoPrime]

Although the 1995 film had some really nice production design elements (most notably Mean), I'm really not on board with the uniform being one of them. Although it in some ways echoed the comic book, I don't see it as having done so in a manner especially more in keeping with the original than the 2012 movie. Its primarily advantage over the Urban flick is the shoulder silhouette, which is quite nicely domineering, but that's really it. The helmet is off (although, to my mind, not inferior); the eagle is overly simplified (no body/legs) and only Dredd has one (and, ENTIRELY COINCIDENTALLY, another Judge he nicks the uniform off of later); it smacks of 'costume' rather than 'practicality'; it's lycra rather than something that looks tough; there are no below beds; it's absurdly shiny, including the boots and gloves; there's a fucking codpiece.

To my mind, the 2012 uniform was an interesting modern take that cleverly incorporated all of the major facets of the comic strip, including the eagle pad (which along with the other armour recalled Ezquerra's original Dredd design). Elsewhere, 1995 got the city kind of right (despite very obviously re-dressing the same chunk of set repeatedly) compared to 2012's much drabber 'ten minutes into the future' effort (although I did like the black humour within, such as the announcement about the food court reopening while the little robot cleans up the blood), and neither bike much resembled the comic's version.

But the feel, as others have said, is ultimately the most important thing. Something can look like the original, but unless it has strong, relevant writing, what's the point? 2012 nailed Dredd in that regard. (And while we can all argue it didn't have much of the wackiness in early Dredd, nor a great deal of humour, it was a 90-minute film. First, we saw what happened in 1995 when they tried to cram everything in. Secondly, Dredd in the comic has various kinds of approaches. That, judging by the Rebellion video posted online, is something that can more easily be addressed in a TV show with several episodes than a focussed 90-minute movie.)

EDIT: on 1995's movie, it's interesting to see some of the production design, which was closer in nature to where the 2012 film ended up:

[TordelBack]

Oh this is sure stirring up some ghosts for me.
She said "There's one thing you've got to learn
Is not to be afraid of it."
I said "No, I like it, I like it, it's good."
She said "You like it now
But you'll learn to love it later."

[Jim_Campbell]

the eagle is overly simplified (no body/legs) and only Dredd has one (and, ENTIRELY COINCIDENTALLY, another Judge he nicks the uniform off of later)

Originally, the eagle was supposed to indicate senior rank and it was decided quite late in the day that only Dredd was going to have one, in order to make him look more individual (rather missing the point… again).

You can actually see that there other judges with eagles at the end of the movie:

[Goaty]

5 years later and we still talking about uniform and Mega City One buildings.

1995's Judge Dredd was shite!

[Dark Jimbo]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Not really. Go to any convention and have a gander at the Planet Replicas judges walking about.

[Spaceghost]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Not really. Go to any convention and have a gander at the Planet Replicas judges walking about.

Walking about, yes, they look fantastic. 10 seconds into a fight with a futsed up street juve and both those pads would be lying on the floor and the Judge would be strangled by their own neck chain.

I really liked the 2012 movie uniform, but it wouldn't have been a bad idea to just beef up the shoulder pads a bit. It would have been perfect then.

As far as content for the new show, I'd LOVE to see Chopper as a regular character, showing his rise from frustrated scrawler to skysurfing hero of the people. Add in an ongoing 'America' storyline, random Mega City craziness a la The Graveyard Shift, chuck in Citizen Snork and Otto Sump for light relief, then end the season on a multi-part epic (The Cursed Earth or Block War) and I'll be in heaven.

[Pyroxian]

I'd save Cursed Earth for a whole series (or at least 2/3rds of one). Possibly mixed in with The Dead Man, with it leading into Necropolis for the next series (having already introduced Death and The Dark Judges in smaller 2-3 episode arcs)

[pauljholden]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Not really. Go to any convention and have a gander at the Planet Replicas judges walking about.

Walking about, yes, they look fantastic. 10 seconds into a fight with a futsed up street juve and both those pads would be lying on the floor and the Judge would be strangled by their own neck chain..

I mean, you know if they were to fight in those uniforms in a tv show it... it wouldn't be a real fight...?



-PJ

[Steve Green]

I seem to recall comments by Karl Urban that the 2012 costumes are pretty restrictive as well.

I think there's a half/half solution - I'd beef up the pads a little and slim down the armour, no chain.

[Spaceghost]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Not really. Go to any convention and have a gander at the Planet Replicas judges walking about.

Walking about, yes, they look fantastic. 10 seconds into a fight with a futsed up street juve and both those pads would be lying on the floor and the Judge would be strangled by their own neck chain..

I mean, you know if they were to fight in those uniforms in a tv show it... it wouldn't be a real fight...?



-PJ

Yes PJ, I understand that *withering glare*, but what I mean is they look like they they wouldn't stand up to much punishment or look very convincing on-screen as suitable attire for law enforcement officers on the front line in the most violent, crime-ridden city on Earth, which the 2012 uniform very much did. Just get the shoulder pads pumped up and it'd be perfect.

[SIP]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Not really. Go to any convention and have a gander at the Planet Replicas judges walking about.

I've been to a couple of conventions so far this year, and the 2012 Dredd cosplay looks much better.

[von Boom]

I'm afraid I'm very much in the pro-Eagle camp. I know it looks daft in practical terms, but I think MC1 should have a bit of daftness about it. Too many programmes take themselves too seriously, too quickly and end up mired in their effort to continually come up with grimmer and more unsettling story lines. I'll forego some realism if I can have a lasting and entertaining Dredd show. I'd pay any network/service any money for that.

[jacob g]

The comic uniform would just look daft if translated to the screen literally.

Like I said, uniforms in Judge Minty looked great.