Dredd (2012)

[JOE SOAP]

True, but still, lionsgate could at least share the thing.

I hope the decision makers show sort of recognition soon. Even a "we're considering it" I think would get the buzz flowing again.

It might look a bit strange for Lionsgate to post something that is aimed at them. It wouldn't be sincere.

To be honest, I wouldn't expect any kind of movement on this, if there ever is, for a while. A two-year window at least.

They'll never publicly say 'we wont to make it' while their license term is still active so it's best just to wait and see.

[Stan]

Some new pictures of one of the movie costumes here.

I don't even want to think about how much those cost but they're ace.

[Steve Green]

True, but still, lionsgate could at least share the thing.

I hope the decision makers show sort of recognition soon. Even a "we're considering it" I think would get the buzz flowing again.

Or Karl Urban doing a little youtube video with his Dredd helmet on telling people to support the page would be ace.

Yeah, a video would be cool.

I just think they'd be best served by getting a decent collector's edition out for Christmas.

Bundle what they can - the prequel and sequel comics, extended featurettes, a commentary etc.

[Goaty]

And Easter Eggs trivia track!

[lborl]

Halfway through, Garland... opens a plot hole he perhaps knew needed closing.

This is from the review linked to within the article. What's he on about?

Is it those two non-corrupt Judges who are waiting outside Peach Trees first? When Lex and the others turn up to take over they both just shrug and move along, like how in a regular police film FBI guys override a regular detective, except in this case all of them are Judges of presumably equal rank with headset access to Control, so any order to override they ought to have known about or would have least have been able to question. To close the 'hole' all the Judges there should probably have gone in though admittedly that just would've added another few minutes to the run-time of the corrupt Judges having to murder them too - though it could also have maybe hidden that twist a little longer and put a bit more suspense in there, if the backhanders don't show their affiliations right away.

I guess it's also a bit odd that Ma-Ma has corrupt Judges on her payroll who seem to know as soon as they're called exactly where her penthouse is and everything, as if they go there often, but that Peach Trees medic guy tells Dredd near the beginning that he never sees any Judges at the block.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

I guess it's also a bit odd that Ma-Ma has corrupt Judges on her payroll who seem to know as soon as they're called exactly where her penthouse is and everything, as if they go there often, but that Peach Trees medic guy tells Dredd near the beginning that he never sees any Judges at the block.

Because Judges can't get out of their uniform and go there in plain clothes I suppose?

[TordelBack]

...who seem to know as soon as they're called exactly where her penthouse is and everything...

At the top?

If judges pulling rank is the only plothole there's not much to complain about.  The weakness in this scene is the passivity of the two original lads in dealing with Dominic's obfustication.   

For me the failure to get airlifted from/rappel off the skatepark is the main weakness in the plot, but it's a minor one, and it's such a great scene that I can't hold it against them.

[radiator]

Is it those two non-corrupt Judges who are waiting outside Peach Trees first? When Lex and the others turn up to take over they both just shrug and move along, like how in a regular police film FBI guys override a regular detective, except in this case all of them are Judges of presumably equal rank with headset access to Control, so any order to override they ought to have known about or would have least have been able to question. To close the 'hole' all the Judges there should probably have gone in though admittedly that just would've added another few minutes to the run-time of the corrupt Judges having to murder them too - though it could also have maybe hidden that twist a little longer and put a bit more suspense in there, if the backhanders don't show their affiliations right away.

I guess it's also a bit odd that Ma-Ma has corrupt Judges on her payroll who seem to know as soon as they're called exactly where her penthouse is and everything, as if they go there often, but that Peach Trees medic guy tells Dredd near the beginning that he never sees any Judges at the block.

None of that represents what I would call a plothole - or even any kind of possible nitpick.

There definitely is a rank system for judges - Lex actually says he has been on the streets for 20 years so would likely outrank the other two.

The medic implies that judges only attend Peach Trees very rarely, not 'never', and in any case there's no implication that the bad judges know Ma Ma personally or have had any previous contact with her, though it's likely that a crime boss with Ma Ma's stature would have access to bent judges. None of this has any relevance to the plot.

To my mind the only actual plot wrinkles in the film that might make someone go "Eh?" are;

Dredd using a 'hotshot' round to execute the perp at the beginning seems a little sadistic and risky - surely a richochet round would have made more sense? Also - a very nerdy, largely irrelevant quibble would be that the 'hotshot' round seems to be a mishmash of the incendiary and heatseeker rounds from the comic.

Dredd throwing Ma Ma from the balcony - was he really going to risk blowing up the whole block just to execute Ma Ma? You could argue that Dredd knew exactly what he was doing and was 100% sure that the signal would be blocked - but there did seem to be an element of risk, making Dredd into quite a dangerous maverick. Also Dredd dosing Ma Ma with the drug - it's another cool moment, but does seem a bit off for the character.

Ma Ma's plan being a little bit mental - I understand she was reacting out of desperation, but how was she planning on explaining the destruction of an entire floor when judges arrived to find the missing Dredd and Anderson?

Dredd repeatedly failing to pick up extra ammo or a secondary weapon, because they need to contrive a way to get to the - admittedly awesome - Hi Ex to the head moment.

Ultimately though, it's a tighter script than most genre movies.

[radiator]

For me the failure to get airlifted from/rappel off the skatepark is the main weakness in the plot, but it's a minor one, and it's such a great scene that I can't hold it against them.

They were far, far too high up to rappel down (we see the height of the skate park early on in the film), even if they had ropes, and they were sitting ducks where they were - Ma Ma's goons were already on the way to check for survivors and they would have been caught out in an area with no cover by the time air support arrived (presuming the judges in the movie universe actually have air support capable of airlifting - all we see are aerial drones).

[radiator]

There definitely is a rank system for judges - Lex actually says he has been on the streets for 20 years so would likely outrank the other two.

And who's to say that Lex, Chan and co don't have a reputation for being crooked, dangerous, and not people to stand in the way of - it would only be right that the other two would be intimidated - being outnumbered and outgunned and all.

[Steve Green]

I'm not sure how you'd wangle Ricochet into a conversation with a hostage-taker...

If they'd had that, people would have accused them of ripping off Robocop.

A comic heatseeker might have worked if they'd kept the scope on the LG, or established that the visor has a link to the gun - Dredd locks onto the target, points the gun away and fires but it arcs around and gets him anyway.

[radiator]

I'm not sure how you'd wangle Ricochet into a conversation with a hostage-taker...

Good point. I've always wondered if the lawgiver in the comic is actually supposed to be voice-activated as in the films, or if that's people misinterpreting the way Dredd shouts the name of whatever he's doing to clue in readers of the comic.

[TordelBack]

They were far, far too high up to rappel down (we see the height of the skate park early on in the film), even if they had ropes, and they were sitting ducks where they were - Ma Ma's goons were already on the way to check for survivors and they would have been caught out in an area with no cover by the time air support arrived (presuming the judges in the movie universe actually have air support capable of airlifting - all we see are aerial drones).

Helicopters?

I know the park is about half-way up, but getting off the level and onto what looks like a fairly climbable exterior with radio contact would have been a start.  I suppose the real fly in that ointment are the skaters, who would presumably give away their position when Caleb comes to check.

But like I say, I'm genuinely struggling to imagine what anyone could call a plot hole in comparison with the average action flick.

As to your own points, all of MaMa's dafter actions can be rationalised by the fact that she was in an entirely fatalistic state of mind, as much a prisoner of Peach Trees as her victims or the two Judges.

[Steve Green]

I can't honestly remember - it didn't seem to be at the beginning with the manual dial - like you say it just became a shorthand.

Maybe it fed back into the comic after the 1995 film and the MKII/Doomsday storyline - I haven't read it since it was published.

[Steve Green]

Another pic of the propstore outfit.