By means of Drew Dietsch
| has been updated
Judge Dredd a movie that almost no one wants to defend. A box office flop and a critical disaster, the mega-budget sci-fi action film is remembered as little more than a footnote in the memories of most film fans.
Thirty years later, Judge Dredd worth a shot at reappraisal for several reasons. And with the world recognizing the brutality and unchecked police power used in this time of global protest, it seems appropriate to revisit a movie that actually addresses some of these issues.
What Judge Dredd Got Right
Before entering the inevitable politics of Judge Dreddwe must pay the service of some of the elements above the 1995 movie. Because as a piece of pure production, this is a movie that needs to be championed.
Production designer Nigel Phelps, whose work dates back to 1989 Batman on Pokémon Detective Pikachurequires extraordinary inspiration from both 2000 AD source material and sci-fi world building epics like Blade Runner. With a reported budget of $90 million, Judge Dredd a movie that knows it needs to nail its particular futuristic look in every arena. And it did.
Judge Dredd part of an era where genre blockbusters have become the most expensive ever. Many new technologies and classic movie artistry have not yet been accessible to filmmakers. Before studios felt that most effects work could be handled solely in CG, there was a period in the mid-to-late ’90s where digital effects and practical work were married in highly effective ways. way. This movie is one of the best examples of that. This is a beautifully tactile production that should be celebrated as such.
There are more technical elements to the Judge Dredd that must have their time of day. The score by legendary composer Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, predator, Avengers: Endgame) is doing his best riff on Basil Poledouris magnificence that you hear in films like RoboCop and Starship Troopers. Director Danny Cannon and his cinematographer Adrian Biddle shoot the movie with colorful joy, enjoying the giant world they play in. The costumes are fantastic, especially Gianni Versace wearing the iconic Judge outfit. It’s a movie that revels in every bit of comics it has. It’s not for the grounded or gritty. This is a Comic Book Movie and a well done one at that. The fact that the movie opens with a montage of colorful images from comic books should tell you what it’s about.
Now, here is where things get controversial for several reasons. One of the reasons has to do with the 2012 film, Dredd. That movie was widely praised by critics and fans, but both returned The Judge Dredd films, the 2012 version fails in one big way where the 1995 version (mostly) succeeded: being an honest piece of satire about the fascist militarized police.
on Judge DreddDredd is eventually framed for the murder of a journalist, Vartis Hammond, who plans to expose the Justice Department as corrupt. Hammond began to believe that the Justice Department was helping fuel violent crimes in order to implement policies that gave it more power. This is a movie that clearly wants to explore the idea of systemic issues when it comes to policing. The idea of making Dredd, a character who treats the law as a religion, a victim of this corrupt system is a wonderful drama and commentary. It seems like the best possible story to tell if you want to be faithful to the critical commentary on the source material about policing.
And while that element was there as opposed to the 2012 version, it was ultimately given a short shrift. Because while Judge Dredd works as a piece of flashy popcorn sci-fi action, it fails in some key ways.
What Went Wrong With This Mega-Budget Comic Book Adaptation
There were several things that clearly didn’t work Judge Dredd. I say that as someone who still finds a lot of enjoyment from the movie. As an adaptation, many fans found it sacrilehious that Dredd removed his helmet (which he did not do in the comics). They don’t want the total “mainstreamification” of the tone to become something that might appeal to a larger audience. Those weren’t the issues I had with the film.
Yes, it’s worth mentioning Judge Dredd as a star vehicle for Sylvester Stallone. Like many movies that are tailored to fit a celebrity’s persona and perception, the material in this movie is often manipulated in a less than extraordinary way. Stallone should have a catchphrase, a comedic sidekick in the form of Rob Schneider, and should be portrayed as a square-jawed hero who saves the day. Stallone wasn’t bad in the movie, but he was asked to fit a square peg into the round hole of satire that the movie wanted to get at.
On the opposite end, you have Armand Assante as the villainous Rico. While he similarly lacks nuance, Assante goes big and bold here. He played the role as if it was a guest spot in the ’60s Batman television show. That’s fun in a camp way but it undercuts some of the dramatic weight his villain has to carry. In fact, most of the excellent cast – Diane Lane, Jürgen Prochnow, Max from Sydow! – do a really good job with what they’re given, but what they’re given ultimately fails them.
And while many will decry the cheesiness of Judge Dredd as a negative, that’s not the movie worth your scorn. In fact, the cheesiness actually helps keep this movie as a piece of entertainment worth coming back to. The real big criticism belongs to the way the film ends.
After the revelation that Dredd and Rico are clones of Chief Justice Fargo (Max von Sydow) and that Rico wants to take over the Justice Department and replace all the Judges with clones who will do his psychotic bidding, Dredd manages to kill Rico and stop his plan. At this point, the Department of Justice was completely revealed to be built on lies and the entire council of Chief Justices was killed. The system was exposed and somewhat burned. The Judges looked at Judge Dredd to see what he was going to do. They want him to be the new head of the council.
His answer? “I’m just a street judge.” While he recommends that his colleague Judge Hershey (Diane Lane) take over the position, Judge Dredd just wants to get back to business as usual. This is where the movie fails in its attempt to deliver a strong message about police reform. It pays lip service to the idea of change but doesn’t commit to making a big enough statement.
This is where Judge DreddIts decision to bow to mainstream sensibilities diminishes any subversive potential it may have. While that means it actually works on a very broad level, it doesn’t really succeed in hammering home the elements that make it unique.
Thirty years later, Judge Dredd acts as a monument to the big-budget genre of filmmaking. As a piece of pure production, it should be heralded as one of the best achievements of the ’90s. Everything about the texture of the film is a resounding success. And even its cheesiness helps cement the film as a piece of polished silliness. If the satire of the movie had worked, it would have been even better.