Dredd
In the future, America is a dystopian wasteland. The latest scourge is Ma-Ma, a prostitute-turned-drug pusher with a dangerous new drug and aims to take over the city. The only possibility of stopping her is an elite group of urban police called Judges, who combine the duties of judge, jury and executioner to deliver a brutal brand of swift justice. But even the top-ranking Judge, Dredd, discovers that taking down Ma-Ma isn’t as easy as it seems in this explosive adaptation of the hugely popular comic series.
What critics thought
Dredd earned genuine appreciation for Karl Urban's committed performance and its stunning slow-motion visual sequences, but US newspaper critics pushed back hard against what they saw as a repetitive, one-note action film that mistakes grimness for substance. The gap between its strong approval rating among reviewers overall and its more cautious critical consensus reflects real disagreement over whether the stripped-down premise is disciplined minimalism or just monotony.
“credibly wry performance using little more than his gravelly, imitation-[Clint] Eastwood voice—and his chin”
Darren Franich·Entertainment Weekly
“one of the film's true thrills comes in watching Thirlby effortlessly balance the conflict between a Judge's merciless duties and a psychic's compassionate understanding.”
Geoff Berkshire·Variety
“a clunk-headed action picture”
Mark Olsen·Los Angeles Times
“[p]itched at the right level to please original fans, but still slick and accessible enough to attract new ones, [Dredd] feels like a smart and muscular addition to the sci-fi action genre.”
Stephen Dalton·The Hollywood Reporter
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- severe
- Substances
- moderate
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Action, Science Fiction
Cast & Crew
Pete TravisDirector
Karl UrbanJudge Dredd
Olivia ThirlbyCassandra Anderson
Lena HeadeyMa-Ma
Wood HarrisKay
Langley KirkwoodJudge Lex
Tamer BurjaqMa-Ma Bodyguard
Joe VazBig Joe
Rakie AyolaChief Judge
Junior SingoAmos
Luke TylerFreel
Jason CopeZwirner
Domhnall GleesonClan Techie
Alex GarlandWriter
Anthony Dod MantleCinematographyDredd
In the future, America is a dystopian wasteland. The latest scourge is Ma-Ma, a prostitute-turned-drug pusher with a dangerous new drug and aims to take over the city. The only possibility of stopping her is an elite group of urban police called Judges, who combine the duties of judge, jury and executioner to deliver a brutal brand of swift justice. But even the top-ranking Judge, Dredd, discovers that taking down Ma-Ma isn’t as easy as it seems in this explosive adaptation of the hugely popular comic series.
What critics thought
Dredd earned genuine appreciation for Karl Urban's committed performance and its stunning slow-motion visual sequences, but US newspaper critics pushed back hard against what they saw as a repetitive, one-note action film that mistakes grimness for substance. The gap between its strong approval rating among reviewers overall and its more cautious critical consensus reflects real disagreement over whether the stripped-down premise is disciplined minimalism or just monotony.
“credibly wry performance using little more than his gravelly, imitation-[Clint] Eastwood voice—and his chin”
Darren Franich·Entertainment Weekly
“one of the film's true thrills comes in watching Thirlby effortlessly balance the conflict between a Judge's merciless duties and a psychic's compassionate understanding.”
Geoff Berkshire·Variety
“a clunk-headed action picture”
Mark Olsen·Los Angeles Times
“[p]itched at the right level to please original fans, but still slick and accessible enough to attract new ones, [Dredd] feels like a smart and muscular addition to the sci-fi action genre.”
Stephen Dalton·The Hollywood Reporter
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- severe
- Substances
- moderate
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Action, Science Fiction
Cast & Crew
Pete TravisDirectorKarl UrbanJudge DreddOlivia ThirlbyCassandra AndersonLena HeadeyMa-MaWood HarrisKayLangley KirkwoodJudge LexTamer BurjaqMa-Ma BodyguardJoe VazBig JoeRakie AyolaChief JudgeJunior SingoAmosLuke TylerFreelJason CopeZwirnerDomhnall GleesonClan TechieAlex GarlandWriterAnthony Dod MantleCinematography