Reviewing Dredd by comparing it to The Raid at every turn does the film a disservice. Dredd can't be penalized because another movie had a similar setting and was a better movie. It's not Dredd's fault, it's still a fantastic action movie in its own right and the fact that The Raid exists doesn't change that.
I still consider Dredd to be the best comic book movie I've ever seen. Seen it over 50 times since cinema release and it continues to hold up as a great movie.
Dredd was great and so was Karl Urban. The day-in-a-life format made it look like a futuristic, fucked-up episode of Cops. You can practically smell half the characters. And by the way, Mark, this started filming BEFORE The Raid, and none of the characters in Dredd suddenly change into martial arts masters.
The Slo-mo drug is brilliant. The whole film runs at normal speed by allowing exciting shoot-outs and explosions to be viewed from the perspective of a drug-fuelled gangster. Highly appreciate any film that can write it's special effects into the story.
Anderson's role was a pleasant surprise. Not a damsel in distress or a love interest, but a unique and endearing action heroine. Would love to see more adventures of this Dredd
There are certain genres of film that Kermode has no qualification to comment on. Sci FI comic book action being one. This was the film Dredd fans have always waited for. It's virtually flawless. 9/10 (10 if the bikes were right)
It was one of the best films of 2012 in my book...I was so pissed so few people actually watched it in cinemas...It was well executed...Urban nailed his role and MaMa was a menacing baddie...I'm glad it's doing well on DVD though
I still hate that everyone compares Dredd to The Raid when it turns out Gareth Evans heard about the plot of Dredd and used it for his own film and admitted it to it later to avoid a lawsuit. The Raid only came out first because of the turnaround in making movies in Indonesia compared to UK/US.
This was a GREAT movie in my opinion and it has that rarity, very effective 3D. I think it was marketed badly. This deserves a sequel. Even though it was a flop on release, I’ve heard it made its money back on DVD.
It was one of the best comic book movies I've seen, the drug slow mo in 3D on the big screen visually looked amazing .. And I'm hoping we will get a sequel of Dredd .. Someday
It started filming before The Raid. Dredd was one of the best films of the year, an action throwback to the 80s films of Verhoeven and Carpenter. No pretentions or Hollywood clichés, but straight up action with the the greatest underrated actor of all time, Karl Urban.
So many Americans have asked me what is the big deal with Sylvester Stallone removing his helmet. I just reply. Would you want to see Batman with his cowl off in his Batsuit? The cowl in batman represents something. The helmet in Judge Dredd also represents something. You NEVER see Dredd with his helmet off except in very exceptional circumstances.
The other way round : a true story and informative piece of cinema history 2008 Gareth Edwards was on the web , he found a script , a leaked script , it was called Dredd , he was very inspired to do his own movie that ripped of it's story . 2010: he completed a script for a Movie CALLED THE RAID (A HUGE RIP - OFF of DREDD ) . 2011 : he got it in production , later that year it was made and released . 2012 : Dredd was released , a flop but had critical success but was DEAMED A RIP OFF of the raid but it WAS THE OTHER WAY ROUND !!!
At last one who knows his facts! As Mark should do, with his line of work. Also: not retrofitted 3D, made (and very well, too) in 3D. But as someone pointed out in an earlier comment, Mark likes to dislike 3D by default. Personally I prefer Dredd to The Raid in so many ways and that's why I have Dredd on DVD and the Raid is missing from my collection.
Dredd in 3D was great I thought, the effects enhanced the experience, but then Mark hates 3D. I'm pretty sure it wasn't retro-fitted either but actually filmed in 3D.
Don't believe him, he is being too hard on the movie. Dredd was great! Its gritty hard edged violent with good characters and sort of reminds you of the original Robocop that sort of 80s action movie. It's unfair to compare any movie with a book or another movie, The Raid is good and Dredd is good. If thats the case you can compare any movie to any movie because they are all movies and in that case the only movie you ever have to see is Citizen Kane! So movie lovers and oldschool 80/90's action lovers, see Dredd, its a lot of fun! Check out "Half in the bag's" review of the same movie and listen to what they have to say about Dredd =)
On and on about the raid... ! As a fan of the source material I think they did a great job bringing out the toughness and very dark humor of the comics .. Roll on dredd2!!!
Dredd is far better than the Raid. Although the Raid was enjoyable the idiotic number of times people get hit hard, in the fight scenes, then jump up to fight again, and again, and again just made parts of it pretty silly.
I thought the Raid, while entertaining enough was just another routine martial arts action flick. Dredd at least was smarter, and had something to say about authority and if too much is given it can be abused. Karl Urban made a great Judge Dredd, as were Olivia Thirlby as Anderson and Lena Headey as Ma-Ma. Actually, the whole cast were very solid. The movie's not perfect but I do think it was good enough to warrant a sequel, which sadly due to it bombing at the box office won't be happening. A shame because it was far from terrible.
I wish he devoted a little time sticking up for British cinema, and the stunning achievement this is for our country (the highest budget for a British film in history), considering that thr British film industry was one of the factors he dwelled upon at some length when sticking up for Kick-Ass, which is nowere near as profound a film.
The Raid Redemption screenplay and script came years after the Dredd script had leaked. The Dredd film had finished shooting before the Raid Redemption had finished. It was the special effects that delayed the release of Dredd by a year.
Mark is wrong on this one. Dredd is awesome. Watched it on Netflix so obviously no 3D which helps. Just a brilliant film. It's not trying to have an overly complex, convoluted plot, not trying to set up another extended universe we don't want or need and not trying to ram some social message down our throats. It just delivers on absolutely everything you'd want an action, Sci-fi, comic book adaptation to be. It's possible this is the best comic book adaptation ever made.
Havent seen The Raid but it the 'amazing choreography' isnt a plus, I used to like that stuff but now it tends to take me straight out of the film, fights like that never happen and it looks very set up and the problem is confounded when the film is set in the real world (e.g. The Matrix works because it isn't). In Dredd he isn't dodging/weaving and blocking attacks, he just blows people up and headbutts them, Anderson who has a few moves attacks from behind and the 'fight' is over and done with
Comparing it to the Raid makes really no sense to me. Yes, there are similarities to the main storyline, get out of the big tower block, but it ends there really. One is a martial arts movie, one isn't. You can't fault Dredd for not having the fighting scenes that Raid had as it won't fit the characters in the movie. It's like comparing the dancing in Black Swan to Dirty Dancing and complaining about one or the other for not being like the other.
***** Danny Cannon actually sent in a drawing of his idea for a Dredd film poster to 2000AD when he was a kid and Harrison Ford was his chin of choice at the time, so the idea that he didn't understand the character is a bit daft. As for comparisons to The Raid, Dredd was in production first and The Raid is clearly a Judge Dredd Block Wars story.
Yeah, having now seen The Raid, that movie and Dredd really have little to do with each other. Both feature main characters trapped in a building surrounded by a large number of enemies coming to get them but then so do Assault on Precinct 13, Die Hard and a hundred other movies that came out decades ago. Also, Dredd is clearly a futuristic Dirty Harry taken to extremes but trying to be consistent while The Raid starts as a war movie and ends as a ludicrously spectacular martial arts movie after both sides inexplicably stop using guns simultaneously(?). Dredd, ironically, is a lot less cartoony in its violence and plotting. Not a criticism, just The Raid is clearly not meant to be realistic and that's fine. They wanted to make a kick-ass martial arts movie and they did. :)
The first time I saw Dredd in my local multiplex I wasn't so keen on it. I really wanted to see a movie where it wasn't confined predominantly to one setting and wanted to see more of Mega City One which, I might add I was and I'm still not entirely happy with how it was brought to life on the big screen (the one thing I will say about the terrible 1995 Stallone version was that they at east got the aesthetic look of the futuristic metropolis just right). However, upon rewatching it and just taking the movie on it's merits I found a better appreciation for it. It's not by any means perfect but still an entertaining movie. Yeah, I know it's been unfairly compared to the Raid but it's not as if other movies haven't similarly been confined to one setting or been copied to some degree. Die Hard is one perfect example.
Wow shocked he didn't like this and did what was the thing I hated most about what certain lecturers in college did to our essays, reviewing the film you wished it was rather than whats in front of you
Excellent film. I wish they didnt do the whole "locked in a tall apartment full of goons" gimmick. There's no way people wouldn't compare it with Raid Redemption after that. Still, a fun action adventure.
The Raid was fantastic and all in all I prefer it to Dredd as I just love martial arts movies and have no knowledge of Dredd at all apart from the basics. However, this is still fucking awesome. Great visuals, great violence, and a great portrayal of Dredd (that I know of) by Karl Urban. Love the soundtrack too, if you have a good sound system this need to be on, a lot. My only fear is IF there is a sequel, it'll be tamed down for maximum audience and that will kill it dead.
only one movie martial artist as far as im concerned and he has been dead a long time the rest are just copying hes prowes i just cant watch any of these movie martial artists today far too many gymnasts and dancers bruce lee forever greatest
"In a world where COP's still serve and protect, there's one COP that didn't quite get it right. Once a decorated SUPER-COP, Matt Cordell is now a maniac, with a badge. A COP with a score to settle, a COP with murder in mind, a COP with a grudge on his fellow COP's. A MANIAC COP... Maniac COP 2. You have the right to remain silent... Forever.
I agree with a lot of the posts here - I prefer this to the Raid. Thought the Raid was great, but Dredd had much more to interest - great gun action sequences and world-building, and better characters.
I think that the characters of the raid were infinitely less interesting than that of dredd. Also i thought dredd was more suspenseful and its villain was far better. Most of all however was that dread had great female parts which is something missing in the raid and the common blockbuster
The film’s issues are the writing & direction, however the film’s still an action packed, graphic, well casted, well acted & is A fun comic book adaptation. (75%) (4/5 stars) (positive)
I believe the Dredd script was leaked, and that was the basis for The Raid, hence the comparisons. The 3D was not retrofitted, it was filmed in native 3D with SOME effects done in post (imdb*com/title/tt1343727/technical?ref_=tt_dt_spec and imdb*com/title/tt1343727/faq#.2.1.9). No mention of the 11.1 soundtrack? Criminal - even over 2.0 Stereo the effects are thrown around the room, the LFE is house shaking and SloMo ethereal atmospherics are engaging.
Looking back (well, even at the time, but especially looking back), do any of these criticisms actually matter? 1) It's in 3D (not on my TV it ain't) 2) It's impossible not to think of a Chris Morris gag (I'd never even heard of it) 3) It's coincidentally like The Raid (oh well)
The reference to "Cake" bypassed me as I hadn't seen the Chris Morris show. But every single time anyone says "Judge, Jury and Executioner", I think of Danny from 'Hot Fuzz' saying "Judge, Judy and Executioner".
The Raid was based off of the Dredd screenplay which had leaked onto the net back in 2008. Also the film Dredd was finished before the Raid Redemption had finished filming. Since Dredd had a ton of special effects such as creating the city scenes it delayed the release by a year. Learn your frigging movie history. The Raid ripped off Dredd.
No one ripped off anyone. If reusing a very basic concept is "ripping off" then they both ripped off Die Hard, which probably ripped off something else that I lack the knowledge to name, and so on.
@@ranthemillb.822 i think you're right and there's something nagging at the back of my mind that the towering inferno heavily inspired die hard (or the book it was loosely based on, something like that) although i couldnt find anything from a quick google search
I loved this film! I would've loved some OST in slo-mo sequences though, but other than that brilliant visually and powerful too. Never watched it in 3D, but only what I gather from the 2D version, it's stunning.
Dredd was filmed in late 2010, it didn't copy The Raid, as the screenplay for Dredd was done before The Raid even started shooting. Some times people have the same ideas, no big deal.
being a judge dredd fan ,i thought it was awsome.not seen the raid ,but then again i grew up in the 80's reading 2000ad.so i will be biast to dredd.i suppose as well you could compare it to the original die hard ,which is also a great fim in it's own right.
Totally agree, the scene in the bathtub with the foam swishing about took my breath away, compared to the Avengers in 3d where a bunch of cardboard cutouts swoosh by the screen in a blur.....
Dredd didn't do well at the box office but it's a wonderful action film, it got excellent reviews and generated great hype in the media. Yes, this movie deserves a sequel.
I agree.Im tired of critics comparing Dredd to the Raid.Its lazy journalism and The Raid was just a forgettable chop socky flick anyway.Dredd is one of the best comic book adaptations ever made and Urban was fantastic in the role.Great action.Great one liners.Great hard core violence.Best film of the year.
The 3D wasn't retrofitted, but Mark is right - marketing and the decision not to give the film a decent 2D distribution really hurt it. The complaints about The Raid are annoying. I thought Dredd was better actually. I loved Dredd. We NEED sequels...
I find it fascinating how most of the comments on Kermode reviews are of clearly butthurt fans slating the review and insulting Mark. It looks to me like most of the comments here are from huge Dredd fans who obviously aren't going to be unbiased. And Mark said TIME AND AGAIN that it was a coincidence that the two films (Raid and Dreddddd) came out around the same time, it couldn't be helped.
I have to admit, Kermode's three main problems are completely unjustified, the 3D was clearly forced upon the filmmakers by the bigwigs who are mainly in charge of the distribution, the Chris Morris "Cake" reference is nonsense; I'm a massive fan of Brass Eye and it didn't cross my mind when immersed in this fantastic world the filmmakers have created, and I'm so fucking sick of The Raid comparisons - it means nothing. I'm disappointed Mark Chose not to dwell on the excellent filmmaking on show.
Haven't seen The Raid or the Chris Morris sketch so neither of those influenced my enjoyment of the film. IMO it's right that it was thumping and heavy on it's feet. Dredd and the street judges aren't surgical, it's on the film that they can respond to 4% (or something like that) of reported crimes so they're not scalpels, they're hammers. Just wish we'd got a sequel or there was news on the MegaCity One TV show that's been in development for years.
the decision to ONLY show the movie in 3d did put a lot of people off, at the time 3d was 50/50 hit or miss and people didn't like 3d or didn't want to risk paying out for shit 3d,however the 3d worked brilliantly, especially on the "slow-mo" moments. the movie was a tightly scripted and perfectly toned for the story. the soundtrack was amazing and I love it. performances where solid by all the cast and had a wonderfully Dredd conclusion.
It was not retro fitted 3-D But it is impossible to find in 2-D and everyone hates 3-D so that is hurting what is an awesome movie and is a perfect Judge Dredd movie. The only way I would compare it to the Raid is they are both in a building . 5 mins. into this movie I forgot all about the raid .
Review by comparison doesn’t always work. Dredd is not balletic. Dredd is supposed to emit a feeling of... dread. He’s supposed to be firepower. He’s supposed to be heavy. He's supposed to be chiselled as if from granite. Dredd moves forward, relentlessly, unstoppable, and when you think he has actually been stopped, he hasn’t. That’s the thrill. Nothing can stand in his way. And there IS actually humour galore, but like the Curséd Earth at night, it is dark and it is dry.
Oh come on Mark. Dont compare it to The Raid, Dredd is confined by its comic book origins. Just so happened to be a raid-like scenario but since both movies were released in the same year thats merely coincidence. Dredd is fantastic. I rewatch it every coupleof years and the execution (no pun) of the premise is nothing short of brilliant. It oozes atmosphere, the acting is spot on, without Hollywood silliness, and the action is more engaging than that of the Raid whose Penchak Silat became boring and reletitive after a while
Dredd was my favourite movie of 2012.. I personally though the slow mo drug made for some amazing scenes. And I did not think of "cake" at anypoint in the film.
The key problem I have with this version of Dredd, and which ironically the Stallone movie did an ok job of, is the lack of 'weird'. Mega City One is a huge sprawling chaotic and bizarre setting and not just some post-Mad Max-esque run down big city. Where are the muties? The City-def? The fatties? The robots? The aliens? The sky surfers? I appreciate that Dredd had a fairly tight budget but it just feels too generic for me. Too close to our present time, not sci-fi odd enough, more just a good action movie.
I actually liked that, it reminded me of seeing Mad Max (the original) for the first time. I for some reason expected Mad Max to be a sort of SAW/Star Wars hybrid and I got an ultra low budget thriller that was just amazing. Like the first Dirty Harry it has a stripped back feel that Dredd has too. I loved it.
Jamie Beeden Keep in mind, Garland envisioned Dredd to be a trilogy. He would've slowly opened the world with each film. This film was meant to be an appetizer. A streamlined, low budget introduction set in a single building. The sequels would've been larger in scope and featured more elements from the comics (aliens, robots, etc.) Also, while they don't play a prominent part in the film, Fatties do make brief cameo appearances at times.
Jamie Beeden You say sky-surfers, I say Chopper - A complete story in its own right. You're really listing a bunch of mega-city inhabitants, that came into existence over a number of years, and asking them to all be crammed into a couple of hours. Greedy or plain unfair? Only you can decide.
I agree with everything you said except for the 3D bit. I love when Mark reminds people how 3D not only isn't that good but can actually hurt box office. Needs to be said. But yeah, I rolled my eyes when he started talking about the bloody Raid.
No one reads comments on this video anymore but......... I disagree with a lot of this review (respectfully). The Raid comparison was always obvious but I loved both films and managed to keep them as being entirely seperate entities in my head. In fact if you gave me the choice of the two I would watch Dredd. It appeared to be fairly faithful to the source material although my knowledge on it is limited. I think the storyline suited the budget of the film because I imagine anything set outside of a tower block or prison etc would have cosy much more to make. Shame that it didn't do well in the box office because it's now unlikely to be green lit for a sequel that would show more of the world and characters. Good job and excellently played by Karl Urban.
The 3D was great and was the best use of 3D until Gravity. The combo of 3D and slow motion was great (although I didn't like the rainbow colour effect they used at the same time)
I rather liked Dredd. It did irk me to have to see it in 3D as I'm not a fan of it but the film itself was really quite cool. It reminded me of an old-school John Carpenter movie.
2-D: please bring your own brain and imagination to the screening, as you would to everyday events. 3-D: please allow us to bludgeon your brain with our imagination during the screening, as you would if we asked to crash your car with you in it.
Simple answer. Budget limitation. They made amazing movie. Go see it. If you like Judge Dredd comics book. Go and see it. If you like good movies. Go and see it. Seriously mate, go and see it.
Well apparently 'The Raid' was inspired by an early leaked copy of Alex Garland's script for 'Dredd', so technically the former ripped off the latter. For my money, I much preferred 'Dredd' over 'The Raid', which I thought suffered greatly from a nonsensical plot, lack of story in general, and characters I didn't care about.
Reviewing Dredd by comparing it to The Raid at every turn does the film a disservice. Dredd can't be penalized because another movie had a similar setting and was a better movie. It's not Dredd's fault, it's still a fantastic action movie in its own right and the fact that The Raid exists doesn't change that.
+Martin Leggett Absolutely agree. One of the few occasions where I think Kermode has missed the point somewhat.
Absolutely. The film is for diehard Dredd fans who devoured 2000AD since 1977. Serious misJUDGEment by Kermode. 10 Years in the iso cube !
For me he’s kinda right the plots were so familiar that it made me want to put raid on and because of that it made the experience kinda hollow
i keep rewatching this film. brilliant, and so simple. like proper action films from the 80s
It certainly does. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Never more wrong. Dredd is a perfect classic film that does action and its source material proud
I still consider Dredd to be the best comic book movie I've ever seen. Seen it over 50 times since cinema release and it continues to hold up as a great movie.
This review was Dredd full
Dredd was great and so was Karl Urban. The day-in-a-life format made it look like a futuristic, fucked-up episode of Cops. You can practically smell half the characters.
And by the way, Mark, this started filming BEFORE The Raid, and none of the characters in Dredd suddenly change into martial arts masters.
The Slo-mo drug is brilliant. The whole film runs at normal speed by allowing exciting shoot-outs and explosions to be viewed from the perspective of a drug-fuelled gangster. Highly appreciate any film that can write it's special effects into the story.
Anderson's role was a pleasant surprise. Not a damsel in distress or a love interest, but a unique and endearing action heroine.
Would love to see more adventures of this Dredd
Cult classic all over this. Anderson is great. The whole film is understated and all the better for it.
There are certain genres of film that Kermode has no qualification to comment on. Sci FI comic book action being one. This was the film Dredd fans have always waited for. It's virtually flawless. 9/10 (10 if the bikes were right)
The 3D wasn't retro fitted, and it worked extremely well. Reviewers should also be researchers.
It was one of the best films of 2012 in my book...I was so pissed so few people actually watched it in cinemas...It was well executed...Urban nailed his role and MaMa was a menacing baddie...I'm glad it's doing well on DVD though
I still hate that everyone compares Dredd to The Raid when it turns out Gareth Evans heard about the plot of Dredd and used it for his own film and admitted it to it later to avoid a lawsuit. The Raid only came out first because of the turnaround in making movies in Indonesia compared to UK/US.
This was a GREAT movie in my opinion and it has that rarity, very effective 3D. I think it was marketed badly. This deserves a sequel. Even though it was a flop on release, I’ve heard it made its money back on DVD.
It was one of the best comic book movies I've seen, the drug slow mo in 3D on the big screen visually looked amazing .. And I'm hoping we will get a sequel of Dredd .. Someday
It started filming before The Raid. Dredd was one of the best films of the year, an action throwback to the 80s films of Verhoeven and Carpenter. No pretentions or Hollywood clichés, but straight up action with the the greatest underrated actor of all time, Karl Urban.
So many Americans have asked me what is the big deal with Sylvester Stallone removing his helmet. I just reply. Would you want to see Batman with his cowl off in his Batsuit? The cowl in batman represents something. The helmet in Judge Dredd also represents something. You NEVER see Dredd with his helmet off except in very exceptional circumstances.
The other way round : a true story and informative piece of cinema history
2008
Gareth Edwards was on the web , he found a script , a leaked script , it was called Dredd , he was very inspired to do his own movie that ripped of it's story . 2010: he completed a script for a Movie CALLED THE RAID (A HUGE RIP - OFF of DREDD ) . 2011 : he got it in production , later that year it was made and released .
2012 : Dredd was released , a flop but had critical success but was DEAMED A RIP OFF of the raid but it WAS THE OTHER WAY ROUND !!!
Gareth Edwards directed Monsters and Godzilla. You're thinking of Gareth Evans.
At last one who knows his facts! As Mark should do, with his line of work. Also: not retrofitted 3D, made (and very well, too) in 3D. But as someone pointed out in an earlier comment, Mark likes to dislike 3D by default.
Personally I prefer Dredd to The Raid in so many ways and that's why I have Dredd on DVD and the Raid is missing from my collection.
Dredd in 3D was great I thought, the effects enhanced the experience, but then Mark hates 3D. I'm pretty sure it wasn't retro-fitted either but actually filmed in 3D.
Don't believe him, he is being too hard on the movie. Dredd was great! Its gritty hard edged violent with good characters and sort of reminds you of the original Robocop that sort of 80s action movie. It's unfair to compare any movie with a book or another movie, The Raid is good and Dredd is good. If thats the case you can compare any movie to any movie because they are all movies and in that case the only movie you ever have to see is Citizen Kane! So movie lovers and oldschool 80/90's action lovers, see Dredd, its a lot of fun! Check out "Half in the bag's" review of the same movie and listen to what they have to say about Dredd =)
On and on about the raid... ! As a fan of the source material I think they did a great job bringing out the toughness and very dark humor of the comics .. Roll on dredd2!!!
Where the fuck was this recorded? A cafe?
Lol
A shopping mall?
Onmysheet Peach Trees, perhaps...?
Am I the only one who thinks Dredd is better than The Raid?
No!
Dredd is far better than the Raid. Although the Raid was enjoyable the idiotic number of times people get hit hard, in the fight scenes, then jump up to fight again, and again, and again just made parts of it pretty silly.
Dredd was way better... I was pretty disappointed with the raid to be honest.
Nope I do too. The Raid is ok, but overblown.
I thought the Raid, while entertaining enough was just another routine martial arts action flick. Dredd at least was smarter, and had something to say about authority and if too much is given it can be abused. Karl Urban made a great Judge Dredd, as were Olivia Thirlby as Anderson and Lena Headey as Ma-Ma. Actually, the whole cast were very solid. The movie's not perfect but I do think it was good enough to warrant a sequel, which sadly due to it bombing at the box office won't be happening. A shame because it was far from terrible.
Watched Dredd recently. Really liked it.
Thanks for putting this up.
I wish he devoted a little time sticking up for British cinema, and the stunning achievement this is for our country (the highest budget for a British film in history), considering that thr British film industry was one of the factors he dwelled upon at some length when sticking up for Kick-Ass, which is nowere near as profound a film.
Is it really? I never knew that!
Dredd was an awesome film. Can't believe not enough people saw it at cinemas!
The Raid Redemption screenplay and script came years after the Dredd script had leaked. The Dredd film had finished shooting before the Raid Redemption had finished. It was the special effects that delayed the release of Dredd by a year.
Kudos to Karl Urban playing the Dredd... he understands the character and it takes plenty bravery for an actor to remain masked in an entire movie.
Mark is wrong on this one. Dredd is awesome. Watched it on Netflix so obviously no 3D which helps. Just a brilliant film. It's not trying to have an overly complex, convoluted plot, not trying to set up another extended universe we don't want or need and not trying to ram some social message down our throats. It just delivers on absolutely everything you'd want an action, Sci-fi, comic book adaptation to be. It's possible this is the best comic book adaptation ever made.
Just saw this and surprisingly enjoyed very much. I felt the "effects" and action worked very well; felt grittier and efficient.
Havent seen The Raid but it the 'amazing choreography' isnt a plus, I used to like that stuff but now it tends to take me straight out of the film, fights like that never happen and it looks very set up and the problem is confounded when the film is set in the real world (e.g. The Matrix works because it isn't). In Dredd he isn't dodging/weaving and blocking attacks, he just blows people up and headbutts them, Anderson who has a few moves attacks from behind and the 'fight' is over and done with
Yes cheers - really good for those who don't have time to listen to entire weekly podcast. Keep it up!
Comparing it to the Raid makes really no sense to me. Yes, there are similarities to the main storyline, get out of the big tower block, but it ends there really. One is a martial arts movie, one isn't. You can't fault Dredd for not having the fighting scenes that Raid had as it won't fit the characters in the movie. It's like comparing the dancing in Black Swan to Dirty Dancing and complaining about one or the other for not being like the other.
Very true :)
***** Danny Cannon actually sent in a drawing of his idea for a Dredd film poster to 2000AD when he was a kid and Harrison Ford was his chin of choice at the time, so the idea that he didn't understand the character is a bit daft. As for comparisons to The Raid, Dredd was in production first and The Raid is clearly a Judge Dredd Block Wars story.
Yeah, having now seen The Raid, that movie and Dredd really have little to do with each other. Both feature main characters trapped in a building surrounded by a large number of enemies coming to get them but then so do Assault on Precinct 13, Die Hard and a hundred other movies that came out decades ago.
Also, Dredd is clearly a futuristic Dirty Harry taken to extremes but trying to be consistent while The Raid starts as a war movie and ends as a ludicrously spectacular martial arts movie after both sides inexplicably stop using guns simultaneously(?). Dredd, ironically, is a lot less cartoony in its violence and plotting. Not a criticism, just The Raid is clearly not meant to be realistic and that's fine. They wanted to make a kick-ass martial arts movie and they did. :)
wipeout2098 I agree. They both did what they tried to do very well, both were enjoyable for me.
Yup. Can't have too much of a good thing, and both movies were that. :)
i liked how it was contextualised the violence, furthermore i liked the fact that Dredd is a Facist and remains one from beginning to end
7th September 2012 not 17th - from Shetland at Screenplay Festival hence 'noises off' in background of this clip
The first time I saw Dredd in my local multiplex I wasn't so keen on it. I really wanted to see a movie where it wasn't confined predominantly to one setting and wanted to see more of Mega City One which, I might add I was and I'm still not entirely happy with how it was brought to life on the big screen (the one thing I will say about the terrible 1995 Stallone version was that they at east got the aesthetic look of the futuristic metropolis just right). However, upon rewatching it and just taking the movie on it's merits I found a better appreciation for it. It's not by any means perfect but still an entertaining movie. Yeah, I know it's been unfairly compared to the Raid but it's not as if other movies haven't similarly been confined to one setting or been copied to some degree. Die Hard is one perfect example.
Wow shocked he didn't like this and did what was the thing I hated most about what certain lecturers in college did to our essays, reviewing the film you wished it was rather than whats in front of you
Excellent film. I wish they didnt do the whole "locked in a tall apartment full of goons" gimmick. There's no way people wouldn't compare it with Raid Redemption after that. Still, a fun action adventure.
Mark! The drug doesnt slow down time...it speeds up brain function so much that you feel time passing slowly.
The Raid was fantastic and all in all I prefer it to Dredd as I just love martial arts movies and have no knowledge of Dredd at all apart from the basics. However, this is still fucking awesome. Great visuals, great violence, and a great portrayal of Dredd (that I know of) by Karl Urban. Love the soundtrack too, if you have a good sound system this need to be on, a lot.
My only fear is IF there is a sequel, it'll be tamed down for maximum audience and that will kill it dead.
only one movie martial artist as far as im concerned and he has been dead a long time the rest are just copying hes prowes i just cant watch any of these movie martial artists today far too many gymnasts and dancers bruce lee forever greatest
"In a world where COP's still serve and protect, there's one COP that didn't quite get it right. Once a decorated SUPER-COP, Matt Cordell is now a maniac, with a badge. A COP with a score to settle, a COP with murder in mind, a COP with a grudge on his fellow COP's. A MANIAC COP... Maniac COP 2. You have the right to remain silent... Forever.
I agree with a lot of the posts here - I prefer this to the Raid. Thought the Raid was great, but Dredd had much more to interest - great gun action sequences and world-building, and better characters.
I think that the characters of the raid were infinitely less interesting than that of dredd. Also i thought dredd was more suspenseful and its villain was far better. Most of all however was that dread had great female parts which is something missing in the raid and the common blockbuster
The film’s issues are the writing & direction, however the film’s still an action packed, graphic, well casted, well acted & is A fun comic book adaptation. (75%) (4/5 stars) (positive)
Dredd was wicked, GIVE US A SEQUEL!!!!!!
And the screenplay of Dredd is suspected to have been read by the creators of the Raid.
DREDD!!! MOVIE OF THE YEAR? FUCK YEAH
I believe the Dredd script was leaked, and that was the basis for The Raid, hence the comparisons.
The 3D was not retrofitted, it was filmed in native 3D with SOME effects done in post (imdb*com/title/tt1343727/technical?ref_=tt_dt_spec and imdb*com/title/tt1343727/faq#.2.1.9).
No mention of the 11.1 soundtrack? Criminal - even over 2.0 Stereo the effects are thrown around the room, the LFE is house shaking and SloMo ethereal atmospherics are engaging.
Looking back (well, even at the time, but especially looking back), do any of these criticisms actually matter?
1) It's in 3D (not on my TV it ain't)
2) It's impossible not to think of a Chris Morris gag (I'd never even heard of it)
3) It's coincidentally like The Raid (oh well)
The reference to "Cake" bypassed me as I hadn't seen the Chris Morris show. But every single time anyone says "Judge, Jury and Executioner", I think of Danny from 'Hot Fuzz' saying "Judge, Judy and Executioner".
@alcaldeEst Dredd's screenplay was written a long time before The Raid, years before in fact.
The Raid was based off of the Dredd screenplay which had leaked onto the net back in 2008. Also the film Dredd was finished before the Raid Redemption had finished filming. Since Dredd had a ton of special effects such as creating the city scenes it delayed the release by a year. Learn your frigging movie history.
The Raid ripped off Dredd.
No one ripped off anyone. If reusing a very basic concept is "ripping off" then they both ripped off Die Hard, which probably ripped off something else that I lack the knowledge to name, and so on.
@@ranthemillb.822 i think you're right and there's something nagging at the back of my mind that the towering inferno heavily inspired die hard (or the book it was loosely based on, something like that) although i couldnt find anything from a quick google search
Why does it sound like they're doing the review in a train station?
I loved this film! I would've loved some OST in slo-mo sequences though, but other than that brilliant visually and powerful too. Never watched it in 3D, but only what I gather from the 2D version, it's stunning.
I really hope they make a sequel...it sure deserves it
Best 3D experience i've ever had.
Dredd was filmed in late 2010, it didn't copy The Raid, as the screenplay for Dredd was done before The Raid even started shooting. Some times people have the same ideas, no big deal.
being a judge dredd fan ,i thought it was awsome.not seen the raid ,but then again i grew up in the 80's reading 2000ad.so i will be biast to dredd.i suppose as well you could compare it to the original die hard ,which is also a great fim in it's own right.
Totally agree, the scene in the bathtub with the foam swishing about took my breath away, compared to the Avengers in 3d where a bunch of cardboard cutouts swoosh by the screen in a blur.....
Dredd didn't do well at the box office but it's a wonderful action film, it got excellent reviews and generated great hype in the media. Yes, this movie deserves a sequel.
I agree.Im tired of critics comparing Dredd to the Raid.Its lazy journalism and The Raid was just a forgettable chop socky flick anyway.Dredd is one of the best comic book adaptations ever made and Urban was fantastic in the role.Great action.Great one liners.Great hard core violence.Best film of the year.
Does Slo-mo affect the Shatner's Bassoon?
I think the good doctor "fixed" his initial review (this one) last week (first week of April 2017) by choosing it as the DVD of the week. Am I right?
armanika DVD of the first week of April 2017 was 'Rogue One' (podcast, 7 Apr 2017)
It was DVD of the week for a recent week though. And richly deserved.
It was even better in 3D...
The 3D wasn't retrofitted, but Mark is right - marketing and the decision not to give the film a decent 2D distribution really hurt it. The complaints about The Raid are annoying. I thought Dredd was better actually. I loved Dredd. We NEED sequels...
I find it fascinating how most of the comments on Kermode reviews are of clearly butthurt fans slating the review and insulting Mark. It looks to me like most of the comments here are from huge Dredd fans who obviously aren't going to be unbiased. And Mark said TIME AND AGAIN that it was a coincidence that the two films (Raid and Dreddddd) came out around the same time, it couldn't be helped.
He made it quite clear... "Coincidentally...The plot lines are kind of similar."
It's a shame this film's only showing in 3D.
Your right m8 the film was great and mods are still the coolest people on the planet
I watched it without The Raid in my mind, and it's an OK film, not terrible, not amazing either. The cast did their best.
Funny how this script created the Raid which a lot of you people love.
Dredd 3D was fucking great, i so hope we get a sequel or something. and the soundtrack was awesome :)
I have to admit, Kermode's three main problems are completely unjustified, the 3D was clearly forced upon the filmmakers by the bigwigs who are mainly in charge of the distribution, the Chris Morris "Cake" reference is nonsense; I'm a massive fan of Brass Eye and it didn't cross my mind when immersed in this fantastic world the filmmakers have created, and I'm so fucking sick of The Raid comparisons - it means nothing. I'm disappointed Mark Chose not to dwell on the excellent filmmaking on show.
The only way to truly get any 200AD character on screen successfully is with a Japanese Anime studio.
I love how most of his complaints are comparing it to other media.
Haven't seen The Raid or the Chris Morris sketch so neither of those influenced my enjoyment of the film. IMO it's right that it was thumping and heavy on it's feet. Dredd and the street judges aren't surgical, it's on the film that they can respond to 4% (or something like that) of reported crimes so they're not scalpels, they're hammers. Just wish we'd got a sequel or there was news on the MegaCity One TV show that's been in development for years.
the decision to ONLY show the movie in 3d did put a lot of people off, at the time 3d was 50/50 hit or miss and people didn't like 3d or didn't want to risk paying out for shit 3d,however the 3d worked brilliantly, especially on the "slow-mo" moments. the movie was a tightly scripted and perfectly toned for the story. the soundtrack was amazing and I love it. performances where solid by all the cast and had a wonderfully Dredd conclusion.
Amazing film. Raw. Violent.
It was not retro fitted 3-D But it is impossible to find in 2-D and everyone hates 3-D so that is hurting what is an awesome movie and is a perfect Judge Dredd movie.
The only way I would compare it to the Raid is they are both in a building .
5 mins. into this movie I forgot all about the raid .
Review by comparison doesn’t always work. Dredd is not balletic. Dredd is supposed to emit a feeling of... dread. He’s supposed to be firepower. He’s supposed to be heavy. He's supposed to be chiselled as if from granite. Dredd moves forward, relentlessly, unstoppable, and when you think he has actually been stopped, he hasn’t. That’s the thrill. Nothing can stand in his way. And there IS actually humour galore, but like the Curséd Earth at night, it is dark and it is dry.
Oh come on Mark. Dont compare it to The Raid, Dredd is confined by its comic book origins. Just so happened to be a raid-like scenario but since both movies were released in the same year thats merely coincidence. Dredd is fantastic. I rewatch it every coupleof years and the execution (no pun) of the premise is nothing short of brilliant. It oozes atmosphere, the acting is spot on, without Hollywood silliness, and the action is more engaging than that of the Raid whose Penchak Silat became boring and reletitive after a while
Dredd was my favourite movie of 2012.. I personally though the slow mo drug made for some amazing scenes. And I did not think of "cake" at anypoint in the film.
The key problem I have with this version of Dredd, and which ironically the Stallone movie did an ok job of, is the lack of 'weird'. Mega City One is a huge sprawling chaotic and bizarre setting and not just some post-Mad Max-esque run down big city. Where are the muties? The City-def? The fatties? The robots? The aliens? The sky surfers? I appreciate that Dredd had a fairly tight budget but it just feels too generic for me. Too close to our present time, not sci-fi odd enough, more just a good action movie.
You're expecting far far too much on such a limited budget
I actually liked that, it reminded me of seeing Mad Max (the original) for the first time.
I for some reason expected Mad Max to be a sort of SAW/Star Wars hybrid and I got an ultra low budget thriller that was just amazing. Like the first Dirty Harry it has a stripped back feel that Dredd has too. I loved it.
Jamie Beeden Keep in mind, Garland envisioned Dredd to be a trilogy. He would've slowly opened the world with each film. This film was meant to be an appetizer. A streamlined, low budget introduction set in a single building. The sequels would've been larger in scope and featured more elements from the comics (aliens, robots, etc.)
Also, while they don't play a prominent part in the film, Fatties do make brief cameo appearances at times.
Jamie Beeden You say sky-surfers, I say Chopper - A complete story in its own right.
You're really listing a bunch of mega-city inhabitants, that came into
existence over a number of years, and asking them to all be crammed into
a couple of hours.
Greedy or plain unfair? Only you can decide.
Jamie Beeden We got fatties too :)
Kermode mentions the car park story everytime Stallon is mentioned lol
I agree with everything you said except for the 3D bit. I love when Mark reminds people how 3D not only isn't that good but can actually hurt box office. Needs to be said. But yeah, I rolled my eyes when he started talking about the bloody Raid.
No one reads comments on this video anymore but.........
I disagree with a lot of this review (respectfully).
The Raid comparison was always obvious but I loved both films and managed to keep them as being entirely seperate entities in my head. In fact if you gave me the choice of the two I would watch Dredd.
It appeared to be fairly faithful to the source material although my knowledge on it is limited. I think the storyline suited the budget of the film because I imagine anything set outside of a tower block or prison etc would have cosy much more to make.
Shame that it didn't do well in the box office because it's now unlikely to be green lit for a sequel that would show more of the world and characters.
Good job and excellently played by Karl Urban.
Absolutely loved this film! Execution was close to perfection and just thrilled me from start to finish!
The budget was 40 million. Guess what to do the rest of the city would have cost 300 million.
The 3D was great and was the best use of 3D until Gravity.
The combo of 3D and slow motion was great (although I didn't like the rainbow colour effect they used at the same time)
was Mark phoning in from a cafe for this episode?
Dredd was in production before the raid , derp :/ how many fucking times does that have to be explained .
He also got the 3D retrofit thing wrong. Dredd was filmed in 3D and it looks spectacular. I think that's his main problem with it as Mark hates 3D
Kermode, yer being a fanny m8.
I rather liked Dredd. It did irk me to have to see it in 3D as I'm not a fan of it but the film itself was really quite cool. It reminded me of an old-school John Carpenter movie.
Christopher Nolan comes to mind, as well as the Pirates of the Carribean films (except for the first one).
2-D: please bring your own brain and imagination to the screening, as you would to everyday events.
3-D: please allow us to bludgeon your brain with our imagination during the screening, as you would if we asked to crash your car with you in it.
Simple answer. Budget limitation. They made amazing movie. Go see it. If you like Judge Dredd comics book. Go and see it. If you like good movies. Go and see it. Seriously mate, go and see it.
I want to see a Dredd follow up (and a film version of The Subtle Knife). Unfortunately, i don't see either happening. Damn the film going public!
Well apparently 'The Raid' was inspired by an early leaked copy of Alex Garland's script for 'Dredd', so technically the former ripped off the latter. For my money, I much preferred 'Dredd' over 'The Raid', which I thought suffered greatly from a nonsensical plot, lack of story in general, and characters I didn't care about.