I saw Dredd 3D. Loved it. Very well done action film; it knew what it was, where it was going, and who it was taking with it. The acting was solid, at worst competent but believable. Lena Headey (Cersei fucking Lannister) made an absolutely stunning villain and I take back any sour remarks about her performance in GoT based on what a top-notch job she did as Ultraviolent Drug Kingpin Ma Ma. As far as I'm concerned Karl Urban was the perfect casting for Dredd himself. You know who he is and how he do within the first 5 minutes of the film and at no point do they try to confuse the point that he is the law.
The setting, 'Megacity 1', an industrial urban sprawl extending from Boston to Washington DC, is a Practical Future. There aren't holograms and airships and plasma energy reactors or anything. I won't go so far as to say it feels real, but it's definitely believable and after vomiting my way through Resident Evil Retribution I can say that's much more then I'd ask for.
Let's talk about violence.
Dredd 3D does a lot of new things with its use of violent action film staples. Slow-motion shots actually have a purpose, showing the perspective of users of the drug Slomo while gunplay and fisticuffs explodes around them. The gore doesn't feel over-the-top or forced, though there is a whole lot of it, but when blood and guts is shown it's being used as non-repetitively and originally as possible. Throughout the film Dredd and his partner stick exclusively to their service weapons, no Plasma blasters or rocket fists or Bowel disruptors. The zaniest the weaponry gets is a bunch of chainguns used by the bad guys in completely understandable circumstances.
I think you should see it. Just to understand that Hollywood Action Garbage Shows aren't always theatre trash like CRANK or The ExpendableZZZZZzzzzzz...
On a fairly petty note, Karl Urban never removes his helmet in the film. Just something I liked. Dredd is literally The Law throughout the film.
__________________
I see you jockin' me.
|