Dredd

Surprisingly good, but only on the second attempt. The first time I saw Dredd, I couldn't shake the impression for a good half of the film that Karl Urban was wearing a helmet a size too big and that most of what he says sounds wannabe tough/awkward. The second time around, however, all that disappeared and I noticed mainly the film's momentum, how thoughtful and blackly funny it is, how well Dredd and his partner fit together, how perfect Lena Headey is as the villain, and how all the bloody scenes have their reasons and none of them are there just for decoration... A lot of moments will probably become legendary (Dredd coming in, throwing the henchman off the catwalk, and leaving again) and if it's true that there won't be a sequel, then that’s a real shame. The next time I see the film (and it is certain that I will see it), I may very well add a fifth star. (2014-04-03)

It’s basically a sequel of The Raid, an action flick without a solid story skeleton, but in this case, unfortunately, also without amazing fight choreography, without atmosphere and without a likeable protagonist. Karl Urban has had many better roles in his career, and Pete Travis certainly has the chops for more than just a mindless shooter that shows emotions as much as Dredd smiles. The three stars are for the great premise and setting, for the properly bloody action and for the fact that I wasn't bored for even a moment during those 90 minutes. But I don’t need to watch it again. 65% (2013-07-15)

This is exactly what I needed. A B-grade action flick with a self-aggrandizing loudmouth protagonist partnered with a gorgeous little girl. A supremely satisfying action flick with great slow-motion and a pleasant running time. It must have been freaking awesome in IMAX 3D. Every once in a while I fall in love with a B-movie and feel the need to watch it repeatedly at relatively short intervals. Dredd is exactly one of them. "Ma-Ma is not the law. I am the law... Judgement time!" (2015-03-15)

Formally stylized, it is a bold and confident B-movie, well acted, straightforward enough, with a simple plot outline. Conquering the floors of a mega-building like in The Raid, only in the American way, is a rewarding variation in the action genre. And just when you think it's over, a reference to Blade Runner subtly winks at you. (2017-02-09)

I wasn’t looking forward to it. I don’t know the comics, I didn’t watch the first Judge Dredd, I don’t like this kind of action B-movies, and the trailer was repellent. In short, the ideal position for a movie to surprise me. And it did. It’s brutal, with a dose of exaggeration so perfectly balanced that it doesn’t look cringe, but cool. Everything is properly intense: the visuals, the violence, the dialogues, the actors; everything is over the top, but not too much. Dredd can be considered utter bullshit, and many people will for sure. But for me it’s a distinctive, engaging, intense and purposeful movie without much competition in its sub-genre. (2012-12-20)