Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris
Director: Pete Travis
For a long time we all have been waiting for a perfect action movie where there is no Super-hero but a bad-ass toughie. Lessons, protagonism and philosophy ruin the essence of action. A perfect action flick is the one where we get some gory stuffs, gunshots, some dark humor, rushing sequences and a music to elevate all these up to a different level. With Dredd you are guaranteed to get everything. A perfect violence crime thriller with every element presented in pristine form. Right from the start, the movie assures you that you will be fed a great dose of insanity and in the end you have with you a head swirling on the tune of it.
The movie, set in future, revolves around busting of a ghetto gang homed in a multi-storeyed led by an unattractive blood crazed lady called Ma-Ma. This gang deals in production and selling of drugs and their main product- Slo Mo - which slows the perception of time of the addicts. The slow motioned effects of this drug has been so wonderfully portrayed. Everything stops and you feel yourself to be the subject. Judge Dredd, character led by Karl Urban, is a ruthless executioner who believes in law and exterminates every one who goes against it. He teams up with a rookie who is a mind-reader too and very strategically uproots the gang.
The plot may not be the greatest, but it does not have to be. What matters the most is the presentation. And for that the movie wins a standing ovation. Cinematography, I must mention, is breathtaking - as good as it should be. The futuristic city - chaotic, gloomy and plagued by social malaise - speaks off its story. The slow motion acts are one of many great things about the movie. Who needs a description on acting now? Karl Urban is such a perfect fit for the lead role. With laconic dialogues in husky voice, the helmeted actor will surely win your heart. The character(of a rookie) played by Olivia Thirlby is very powerful. She is on a par with Dredd - witty and equally intelligent. The music is just divine. It keeps you on your toes every time. The thrilling sequences coupled with great background music will make your heart slip at times.
Dredd is what we have been looking for so long. It has been crafted very nicely. A perfect juxtaposition of brutality and violence! Leave everything behind and behold to those bloody sequences. It would very foolish mentioning what 3D effects have done to the movie. For those who enjoyed Kill Bill and District 13, here is Dredd satisfying the hunger of both.