Dredd (2012)

[radiator]

Karl Urban, standing with costar Olivia Thirlby, introduced the screening by asking, "I hope you like your films dark and gritty. Do ya?" After that, he took a slight dig at Stallone by saying that fans of lycra and gold codpieces would be disappointed.

If there were still any lingering doubt about it - yes, Karl Urban is indeed the man.

Somewhat cautious, pessimistic article by Deadline. They make some solid points, but realistically how many in the screening were true fans of comic Dredd? Good to hear that the insane violence was met with cheering and laughter!

http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/comic-con-dredd-plays-to-cheering-fans-but-will-it-play-to-the-mainstream/

[radiator]

First full review:

http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/07/12/dredd-the-comicbook-com-review/

[CraveNoir]

There have been some comments that it may be played too straight, without the satire - like Starship Troopers before Verhoeven skewered it as a satire on fascism.

Yes, but (in the grand internet traditon of I completely disagree with what you just said) maybe that's good. I'd hate the film to tell people what to think.

I've seen maybe two negative tweets, and about a hundred very positives. Nothing inbetween. We'll see what the longer reviews and podcasts say once they've all sobered up and weighed their experience.

Reading the tweets as they've been coming through the past couple of hours has made me feel how I felt when I read the script. Positive. It looks like the comic will be secure for a while which is the main thing!

[chuffsteruk]

First full review:

http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/07/12/dredd-the-comicbook-com-review/

10/10!!!!

[James Stacey]

People saying its the best comic book movie they have seen all year after Avengers doing gangbusters and a new Spidey in the mix is praise indeed. The reviews so far have been far and away above what I could have hoped to see.

[Danbo]

Brilliant news ,if "norms" are luving it us Dredd geeks are going to flip....defo two shows on day one for me.....best movie news all year

[Steve Green]

I wouldn't have though there would be that many comic fans making the trek to the showing, although if that report of only 60 getting in it might be a bit skewed - having a bit of a retro vibe in the violence sounds like a solid idea - no idea how it will play out, but it's sounding a lot more positive than a few months ago.

[radiator]

From the review:

Having been somewhat concerned after seeing the stylized slow-motion filmmaking in the movie's trailer, it was halfway into the movie before a switch in my head flipped and I realized that we weren't dealing with Sucker Punch or something–it's more like Sin City. The bits where the 3D effects and the visual effects in general stop being realistic weren't just poorly-done, but stylized for a purpose. That's the moment the film went from being a good actioner with moments of shoddy effects to one that really had something interesting to offer cinematically.

[Mike Carroll]

First full review:

http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/07/12/dredd-the-comicbook-com-review/

Love this line: "If Die Hard and Sin City had an awesome, brilliant, violent baby, this film would be it."

That'll be a nice quote for the DVD!

Even more excited now about the movie!

-- Mike

[Steve Green]

There have been some comments that it may be played too straight, without the satire - like Starship Troopers before Verhoeven skewered it as a satire on fascism.

Yes, but (in the grand internet traditon of I completely disagree with what you just said) maybe that's good. I'd hate the film to tell people what to think.

I've seen maybe two negative tweets, and about a hundred very positives. Nothing inbetween. We'll see what the longer reviews and podcasts say once they've all sobered up and weighed their experience.

Reading the tweets as they've been coming through the past couple of hours has made me feel how I felt when I read the script. Positive. It looks like the comic will be secure for a while which is the main thing!

Yeah, we'll see how it goes - I just worry when I talk to people who take Dredd far too literally...

[DeFuzzed]

Awesome - That tight nod of dread despite being outwardly hopeful, desperately outwardly hopeful, has totally dissipated. Feels like a ton just slipped right off my back.

And not to harsh the squee, but was it this positive for Scott Pilgrim too? I remember the CCon crowd loved that and yet it flopped outside it. And yes, I know comparing the two ain't fair, different genres yadda yadda, but I'm asking cuz I'm simply curious. I never saw Pilgrim and never paid attention to the Con reaction at the time.

[CraveNoir]

Scott Pilgrim didn't have the appeal of shooty and explody things!

Lockout, a similar run the gauntlet sci-fi film got good con buzz, but flopped. IMHO it had a heart missing, and the leads weren't charismatic enough. Thirlby in DREDD is the heart, and that does seem to have played well. But it's still early days...!

[dracula1]

Thank grud for that after a two year wait the fans expectations have been met.  PR chaps need to flog this to the american general public now. With a month and a bit left and TDKR out soon it's a tough call . Good luck everybody.

[HunterZolomon]

There have been some comments that it may be played too straight, without the satire - like Starship Troopers before Verhoeven skewered it as a satire on fascism.

Yes, but (in the grand internet traditon of I completely disagree with what you just said) maybe that's good. I'd hate the film to tell people what to think.

I've seen maybe two negative tweets, and about a hundred very positives. Nothing inbetween. We'll see what the longer reviews and podcasts say once they've all sobered up and weighed their experience.

Reading the tweets as they've been coming through the past couple of hours has made me feel how I felt when I read the script. Positive. It looks like the comic will be secure for a while which is the main thing!

Yeah, we'll see how it goes - I just worry when I talk to people who take Dredd far too literally...

Isn't that just a part of the fascination people have with the character? Sure he's fascist, but is there another way to deal with something as extreme as MC-1? Since it all takes place in an insane world, maybe an insane system is the only way.

I would go so far as to say Dredd is a real hero, in the context of his own world. I would actually be slightly disappointed if they played the satire card too strongly. I don't need it written on my nose. Dredd's behaviour should be more than enough to convey it. And even if they do play it straight, I suspect Anderson is there to provide a different perspective.

[Fisticuffs]

IGN give it 8 out of 10! http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/07/12/dredd-review