Why Dredd is a Masterpiece - 10 years later

[Music] thank you modern day Hollywood the place where classic IPS are sent to die in a constant cycle of sequels remakes and reboots it dawned upon me though we've actually had some pretty good ones Mad Max Fury Road oh what a day what a lovely day Peter Jackson's King Kong The Mummy scared the bejesus out of us O'Connell Casino Royale wait a minute my God you just killed James Bond but this one stood out one of the best under-appreciated films of all time one that I can easily call an underrated Masterpiece he said it he said it dread 3D is a reboot of the 1995 stallone-led film Judge Dredd oh brother this guy stinks the reboot written by Alex Garland starring Carl Urban in the titular role was a financial disaster upon release only grossing 41 million on a budget of 50. although developing Praise by critics and audience members alike since this year is the film's 10th anniversary I thought what a great time to look back at what many now consider a cult classic and find out why it's deemed so highly through its writing characters score and creative filmmaking Mega City 1 spanning the entire East Coast is an urban Wasteland a hellhole in this breeding ground for Crime the law is dispatched by those known as judges who act as judge jury and executioner dispatching judgment on the spot for any and all criminal activity one of these judges is Judge Dredd an uncompromising Lawman quickly gaining a reputation as the ultimate judge among his peers dread is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson who did not meet the minimum requirements for the job but has one Talent most do not she's a mutant with psychic abilities their first call Lands them in peach trees a 200-story building run by Madeline Madrigal AKA Mama the drug kingpin of the structure fabricator of a new popular narcotic called slow-mo that makes his users experience reality at a fraction of its normal speed the judges capture one of the Clan's senior members and Mama locks down the tower leaving dread and Anderson to fight for survival dispatching judgment as they go the plot has the simplicities of action films like die hard Predator Top Gun and First Blood dread is a small contained story in a larger world that doesn't feel the need to drown you in unnecessary exterior information only providing small hints the film is technically Alex Garland's first directorial effort even though Pete Travis is listed as the Director Garland is uncredited and from the interviews I heard even Carl Urban says that it should be considered as his directorial debut it's no surprise the script was this good considering Garland started writing as far back as 2006 hot off 28 Weeks Later the film itself doesn't suffer from any major plot holes only the fact that dread getting shot feels forced he probably could have avoided it and one other case of plot convenience dread was able to use its subtle character writing Great Performances and well-directed action to distinguish itself from other action films except the raid everyone's always comparing it to the raid all right inside the walls a cursed City 800 million people living in the ruin of the old world and the megastructures of the new one Mega City one is shown as a claustrophobic crime infested city where the criminals all fear judges because even the slightest criminal offenses are severely reprimanded judgment vagrancy three weeks ISO cubes the civilians are virtually unfazed by the complete chaos around them it's just another day in the big city except for this guy he needs some milk to enforce that notion of everyday extreme violence there's a shootout in the mall which leaves a handful of people dead but it will be ready to welcome back customers after a short cleanup session thank you for your patience throughout the film we get lots of hints that criminality is due to people being products of their environment clearly on one occasion with two kids that reluctantly want to kill dread for reasons they don't even fully comprehend you don't do it on other occasions it's by showing you the good side of people who do bad things to survive I just want you off my level away from my family it makes you think this is an irradiated Wasteland surrounded by a desert where crops probably don't grow even telling us that bodies are recycled multiple wounded and bodies for recycling which means 20 Mounds not enough to go around so if the elites does rule the government dispatch judgment out so harshly it would be fair to say that you understand why people keep committing crimes 17 000 reported daily it becomes a vicious circle of various crimes all receiving harsh sentencing turning small offenders into the hardened ones that kill foreign as we'll see multiple times everything in dread is shown as just another Thursday in the beautiful Metropolis known as Mega City one also like movies of the 70s this film's social commentary is very subtle and the audience actually has to think about it after the film and put the clues together themselves it's not blatantly thrown into every scene Allah Jordan peel let's go [Music] let's go everything you need to know about Judge Dredd is presented in the first eight minute car chase becoming fleshed out as the film goes he's an unrelenting Lawman with One Singular goal take down criminals his competence experience and alertness are showcased in his first two lines alone and later on with how quickly he sniffs out the corrupt judges I'd easily compare him to a Terminator for example after seeing a pedestrian get hit by a fleeing vehicle this is what he says control perps just wiped out an innocent I'm taking him down doesn't even bother calling a medical team which we know he can a few moments later control paramedics to my GPS dread is never presented as a savior and rescuing civilians is just the result of him killing the criminals his idea of Mercy being life in a box release the hostage unharmed guarantee you a sense of life in an ISO cube without parole you gotta love how dread does not give a single [ __ ] about people being threatened it shows his confidence and conviction in situations knowing he'll be the only one pulling the trigger so he's thinking about making a move for your family I just changed his mind yep we get a few glimpses of what leniency is with Dread the first one being the homeless man which adding to the leniency aspect also shows how eagle-eyed he is to any crime rookie don't be here when we get back warned you get up you're headed for the cubes the second instance being the confrontation with the two kids that want to kill him proving that even though he's a law enforcing machine he still has a form of compassion one of the best aspects of the film's writing is that the golden rule of show don't tell is fully taken advantage of we're never told by anyone of Judge dredd's exploits neither how good or feared he is by his peers and criminals this is the most we get of anyone characterizing dread Judge Dredd the Judge Dread you know what I expected more of you this way the audience immediately knows for themselves through his actions who he is and what he stands for it truly is a breath of fresh air because Productions today constantly tell and don't show or either tell and show the complete opposite it seems that writers today have forgotten that every single action their character does shows the audience who they are to bring back the just another day aspect of the film even when both judges are locked in peach trees dread continues to do his job of not only keeping the detainee to bring him in for questioning but also putting his trust in the rookie to call the shot so he can continue her evaluation call it sir you're on assessment rookie calling dread takes down a countless number of people to get to the 200th floor to condemn Mama the sole reason being well wow he's guilty we're judges after that shifting the film's dynamic of the hunted becoming the Hunter and as of now under sentence of death and he obstruct me in carrying out my duty will be treated as an accessory to our crimes you have been warned in addition his assessment at the end really solidifies it all what he feels he was put in mega City one to do so what happened in there drug bust herbs were uncooperative dread has a character from a writing standpoint is an anomaly usually the titular hero goes through an arc changing his beliefs or convictions the judge however stays the same from start to finish and could not even be considered the main character more of a vessel to introduce you to the world and the stories it has to offer the only character I could compare him to in recent times would be Mad Max that essentially has the same role dread is reminiscent of a western Gunslinger that enters a town helps people out but isn't the main focus of the story and walks off into the sunset leaving others changed like a sort of mythical figure don't worry I'll get into more of that later we're never given any information on his backstory and not seeing his face adds to that mythical element the most we concretely know of who he is and why he decides to do what he does is this I can feel anger and control there's something else something behind the control something almost with the interrogation of their detainee being the only part where we see this control momentarily broken dread suit is a testament to his personality having an already worn out look once the film starts highlighting his already eventful career the production based out of riot gear making the world more believable and also created working props like the law Giver MK2 adding to that sense of realism Johnny Depp is Jack Sparrow RDJ is Iron Man Hugh Jackman is Wolverine and Karl Urban is dread never showing his face and giving arguably the hardest and best performance of his career Urban is able to convey everything in the script demanded and more with just his voice and mouth not to mention that he can make the cheesiest 80s action movie one-liners feel like actual threats choke on that defense noted what I said Hot Shot judgment time oh my God he's so God damn cool how do you plead mama is our antagonistic force and ex-prostitute turned drug kingpin after having her face sliced up by a pimp she killed him and took over his business with violence as her trademark working her way to the top taking over all 200 floors of peach trees don't you worry about that dude that sliced her up she made him suffer first black Legend says she feminized the guy with her teeth mama is a Relentless uncompromising person like Dread when defending her interests ruling with fear and an iron fist the first time we see Mama she's using her drug slo-mo the drug itself adds a layer of Beauty on a broken World showing us her thoughts of escapism as if she never wanted to be who she is but was forced into that role echoing what I said before about the residence of Mega City 1. just look at her response to her henchmen question is whether you want to make an example in them just gonna toss them over the balcony get them with a little slow-mo first some may interpret it as her being used to all the killing but the framing tells us that she doesn't care anymore wanting to be anywhere else but there that freedom is eventually given to her in the form of dread if you pay close attention you'll realize that Mama during the entire film never sees the judge fully in real life until he kills her only on cameras and must buy smoke to Mama dread is death but death is freedom her only Escape progressively stalking and approaching her eventually embracing it when the moment arrived Mama's leniency is shown by sending her people to dispatch of the judges but akin to dread her uncompromising nature is demonstrated when deciding to murder innocent civilians with no remorse to get what she wants and at the end when finally confronting Dredd placing a heartbeat monitor on her arm linked to a bomb that would take out the entire building her experience is never doubted by those around her exhibited by how well she in fact knows her crew instantly realizing that her henchman tasked with disposing of the detained rookie is dead just by hearing gunshots he's dead the film constantly makes you feel that she earned and merits her position Never Letting on the impression she's out of her depth Mama's death scene is where you ultimately realize that she was a victim of Mega City one her Empire ending where it started with her on a bed grabbed by a man who slices her up this time cut from being thrown out the window dread giving her slow-mo not only gives you time to think about what Mama's hellish life was like as in the film we aren't given any explicit details except those aforementioned it also gives you time to think of dread's actions the final act of violence he commits was the first act of violence we saw her commit highlighting that they're both two sides of the same coin both products of Mega City one that took different paths and if the story was written from Mama's perspective it maybe would have made you cry hey it worked with Tommy Angelo and Vito's Coletta in the mafia games Mr salieri sends his regards Lena Heady is absolutely fantastic in the role approaching it with subtlety elegance and Mania all at once never going for the simple crazy woman angle making Mama feel like an angel falling from Grace it's also quite refreshing to see her in something other than Game of Thrones reminding you that she can act her ass off in different roles [Music] you ready Rocky oh yeah your assessment Starts Now Andrew Anderson is the person I'd call the film's central character and is the Gateway for the audience into the world of the film what's most interesting about her is how she's the polar opposite of dread and the dynamic they developed throughout the film she's a naive and inexperienced rookie thrown into Mega City one with Dread as a monitor having failed the academy test to be a judge and granted a special second try due to her psychic abilities constantly trying to impress dread as he'll be able to sign her off Anderson starts off insecure and intimidated you ready you don't look ready just adrenaline sir she ends up compromising her convictions of actual justice as she was a victim of the nuclear fallout and knew what it was like growing up in the Metropolis while dread's main goal is to uphold the law with a blind eye she wants to try Breaking the Vicious Circle why do you want to be a judge sir I want to protect and serve the city to make a difference I know there are good people inside yes I believe I can make a difference when all hell breaks loose panic and uncertainty begin to take over her but is reassured by dredd's Authority experience and confidence although when she gets left alone in doubt that he may return starts to lose what little confidence she had I would too seeing the situation and my mentor's last words being if I don't come back and you get cornered you might not want to get taken alive your call while still trying to impress dread Anderson goes as far as executing a man without fully believing she needed to leading to the first time we have the morality of the judge's actions questioned in the film after killing the man they stumble into a woman's apartment reluctantly letting them in by helping them nonetheless because she knows the further they get away from her floor the safer her husband will be I got news for you upon leaving her home they get cornered by mama and are able to make their way out on a balcony level giving them a few moments of Peace during this moment of Peace Anderson realizes that the incident she's living in right now is probably happening in various other places Mega City 1 being a constant stream of violence looking at dread though she realizes that for him it's just another Thursday his reaction coupled with her conscience of having executed a man with a family is the turning point for her character from now on she starts thinking for herself and trusting her psychic abilities gaining full confidence in herself after interrogating their detainee with Mind Games fully in her element leaving the dude soaked in his own piss due to a moment of inattention later on her gun is used against her and is captured but unlike before she isn't scared rather taking her capture head-on using her resilience and Newfound assertiveness eventually gaining dread's complete trust and respect saving his life after being taken down by a corrupt judge wait for me to change my mind no foreign defending her convictions even letting Dom Hall Gleason basically Mama's tortured an enslaved Tech Guy go in front of dread small side note Gleason really is terrific in this film and deserves his praise knowing that she's already failed her examination she doesn't care about dreads assessment fully going through the film pursuing her definition of justice and judgment until my assessment is formally over I'm still entitled to dispense Justice and that's what I just did by letting him go dread is now confronted with a new way of seeing judgment his thoughts on this aren't explored in the film as I said before he goes through no Arc but it's maybe something we could see him develop in the future a seed planted for the beginning of an ark Anderson is finally seen on par with Dread by the audience and himself ready yeah you look ready [Music] for that's what it's all about in the end despite technically failing the exam dread decides to pass her knowing that she's now capable of handling herself in the crime-ridden Metropolis Cassandra Anderson's use of psychic powers in the film remain believable and sparse throughout which is very refreshing because when films have psychics nowadays most Studios push the script too far into their over-reliance to create grandiose mind fight set pieces Olivia Thirlby is absolutely perfect for the role and man I can't deny how gorgeous of an actress she is to convey the two opposites needed for the role perfectly and I really wish she earned the same success as Garland Hedy and urban after this film any last words [ __ ] that's funny I was gonna ask you that [ __ ] boom roasted dred's score isn't dare I say very memorable no no no no no no no no no wait wait wait wait wait wait wait except judge dredd's theme in less than a handful of others although it does take the film to a Next Level once that title card literally drops in it's a rock heavy cyberpunk infused Thrill Ride of a soundtrack and works really well with the mood of the film especially during the action scenes the scoring ever manipulates you most of the poignant scenes are filled with silence and the film's clever usage of the Judge Dread theme makes it worthwhile when all hell breaks loose fire the look of the film is quite unique managing to set itself apart from the insane number of dystopian films we got just around the 2010s alone in the first few scenes manages to make Mega City one feel like a congested Urban Wasteland where the only Direction left to expand this upwards the production filmed all the outdoor scenes in South Africa just adding a touch of VFX for the high rises really giving you the real world feel plus having Karl Urban do his own cruising helped sell him in the role the use of minimal VFX and main choice of practical made a huge difference in the long run reminiscent of 80s action flicks predominantly RoboCop for obvious reasons making me think man the film could have been even better by adding blood Squints you can never go wrong with blood squids don't let your kids watch it the film also uses creative ways not to keep the same interior location of concrete hallways look stale making all action sequences unique one with huge Gatling guns cheering down an entire floor in a disgustingly colorful sequence is the other with flashbangs lighting the scene or using green gas and finally the use of slow motion let's not forget dread came out during the post-avatar 3D craze eventually marketed as dread 3D and man this was one of the very few films to actually make good use of 3D in a unique way due to its slow motion inducing drug aptly named slo-mo in dread narratively slow-mo was a way of adding Beauty to a dark depressing World providing escapism to the viewer it serves as finding Beauty in extreme violence whereas even the most squeamish of us wouldn't be able to turn away but admire what is on screen and it works in a time where filmmakers like Zack Snyder and Michael Bay use slow motion for absolutely no reason at all than for it to look cool oh there's the money shot baby dread really puts them to shame the film also frames dreads several times as a mythical figure when seen by normal civilians in peach trees adding to what I said before about his interactions with Mama I'd also be hunted down by dread himself if I didn't point out how good the character close-ups are not solely for the visual treat but elevating tension in the end dread remains a fantastic film that's similar to Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby aged like fine wine yeah that brother's starving although not receiving the complete praise it deserved upon a release managed to elevate itself to cult status throughout the years it's an absolute Blast from start to finish aim towards anyone looking for a solid 95-minute action film and for anyone interested in smart writing and filmmaking in recent years with the research of 80s and 90s culture coupled with the rise of simple slick action films like John Wick Fury Road extraction or edge of tomorrow if dread had been released just a couple of years ago I think it would have easily garnered a huge payday sadly it was ahead of its time and I really do hope that if a sequel gets made it's done so with the same crew cause Karl Urban was born for this role foreign really really appreciate it and we're working very very hard to bring you dread too so thank you so much and please please continue support because it really does help thank you thanks for watching everyone and for staying till the end consider subscribing if you're new and hopefully I'll see you all next time

Channel: The Uninspired Reviewer

Views: 585,507

Keywords: review, analysis, film

Id: MpseenT-KIs

Length: 23min 50sec (1430 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 24 2022