Judge Dredd (1995) User Reviews

Got all the basics of some challenging material right

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 9 June 2005]

This film, and its generally poor reception is a good example of what happens when huge marketing mistakes are made. Take a look at the cover of the DVD package: "Stallone: Judge Dredd". The film should have been titled "Judge Dredd" - even in the packaging - and the emphasis for the marketing of this film should have been less Stallone, more content. On the flip-side, when the most consistent complaint you can find among IMDb psychofants is "HE TOOK OFF HIS HELMET!", you really have to wonder if the film is quite as bad as so many believe.

Eagle Comics 2000 AD character Judge Dredd was one of the most original, entertaining and intelligently written and interestingly drawn sci-fi comics of recent times. With story arcs varying from 2 pages worth of panels to 4 or 5 episodes, and sometimes multi-threaded plots, this violent, political and tough cyberpunk version of Dirty Harry set some pretty high standards for adult comic authorship both in its native UK and in the USA, once the imports started flowing in. It freely traversed from film noir to flat-out wild sci-fi action to nihilistic hard justice, and did so with style and originality rarely seen in the comic medium. Hence, although I like Stallone in this film, it's not only misleading but a little insulting to call this 'a Stallone film'. The producers had very big shoes to fill, and though I am in the minority here, I believe they did well.

The production team chose a story arc which I was never very fond of, but one of the more do-able ones to be sure. Any Dredd-based film would necessitate a huge special effects budget, and most of them, even with the best special effects available, would likely be nearly impossible to pull off and might look ridiculous. To their credit, the Return of Rico story arc was rightfully recognized as good film material - it involves more emotional content than the usual Dredd fare, and actually required fewer outrageous special effects, than, say, the many Judge Death arcs might have.

Dredd is a "street judge" - and the judges are the closest thing to a government in a post-apocalyptic future where nuclear war has concentrated all of the world's population into mega-cities - hotbeds of crime and chaos, surrounded by mutagenic wastelands called The Cursed Earth. Dredd is the best of the best, a very tough cop who knows method, theory, and has an incorrigible sense of ethics and dedication to the law. Dredd is also mentor to an entire generation of judges, including the brilliant Hershey (Lane). Rico, Dredd's former best friend, and a psychotic murderer escapes from a high security prison with some help from a fascistic leader of the judges who is bent on securing power and a new world order with himself in charge. Soon, Dredd is framed for murder and exiled to the wastelands, and judges start to die all over the city. About midway through the film, Dredd learns the truth of his relationship to Rico and begins to figure out the sinister plot. Of course, there is only one thing for him to do - return to Megalopolis to stop the conspiracy before it plays out.

The film features good performances by a really nice cast. Armand Assante brings the character of Rico to life better than the comic book ever did. Diane Lane, Jurgen Prochnow and Max Von Sydow are always good, and though I had my doubts to begin with, Stallone pulls off Dredd very well. While some folks complain about Rob Schneider's irritating behavior, I found that his goofy character took a little of the edge off of Stallone's depressive performance of the most stoic law enforcement officer on planet earth. This is not one of Joan Chen's better roles. If you're a big Chen fan, you might think twice about seeing this.

All considered, I see Judge Dredd as a under-rated and mis-marketed film, which, through its fast pace, sophisticated sci-fi plot, Excellent special effects and very good cast, took all of the screenable elements of the comic book and made them accessible to an audience a bit wider than its original fan-base. If this review peaks your interest, see it!

I liked it..

[richieandsam · 7/10 · 4 January 2014]

JUDGE DREDD

Now the thing about this movie is everyone hates it… except me.

The movie is about a law enforcer set in the future that gets falsely accused of murder and is sentenced to life imprisonment. He escapes and is on a mission to try and find the person who set him up.

Anyone that has read the comics hated this film due to the fact that is apparently so different to the comics. From what I have been told, Dredd never takes off his helmet and reveals his face. Not in this film. His helmet is taken off within 15 minutes of the movies start. I never read the comic so I don't know any other differences, but that is probably why I enjoyed it.

This film has a very 90s feel to it. It reminds me in a way to Demolition Man. They are both set in the future and are both really good action movies, although Demolition Man is better. I do love the action films from the 90s. They have a good over the top feel to them.

The acting is alright in it considering it is a cheesy action movie. The movie stars Sylvester Stallone as Dredd. He looks uncomfortable in this role some of the time, but then Stallone does not suit some roles. A young Diane Lane plays his partner. She does a pretty good job. I was very surprised to see a cameo from one of my favourite singers… the legendary Ian Dury. He only had a very small part, but he was really good.

The effects and explosions were really good and well done. But that is what was expected from the action films of that era. The gun fights were completely over the top too… in a good way. I also loved the giant robot in the film. It was one of my favourite characters.

If you like cheese, Sly Stallone, futuristic films and never read the Dredd comics… then I can't see why you would hate this.

I will give it 7 out of 10.

"I am the law!"

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The Stallone Show

[cardsrock · 5/10 · 18 June 2020]

I would hardly call this a Judge Dredd movie. While it starts off promising with an intriguing premise and great production design, the film quickly devolves into a typical Stallone action film. It's cliched, lacking in a good story, and missing something special. This is an interesting character that gets tossed aside pretty quickly so Stallone can take his helmet off and do his usual shtick. I don't dislike Stallone, but he seemed like an odd choice for this film.

Absolutely nothing original but shockingly good

[solongsuckers · 22 August 2003]

I'll preface this by saying that I have never read the Judge Dredd comic. That being said, I bashed this movie when my friends and I watched first watched it back in 1995 in the theater. I am now throughly eating my words. This thing is amazingly good and entertaining throwaway cheese. There is zero originality here. This is Blade Runner meets Demolition Man meets Texas Chainsaw massacre meets Superman 2 meets Star Wars Trilogy. This movie is almost a replica of Demolition Man but is tons more fun. Stallone, like in Demolition Man, plays a supercop. He's accused of a crime he didn't commit and is punished, like in Demolition Man. There are other parallels along the way. He meets a Texas Chainsaw Massacre family in his exile, with an android member who looks suspiciously like Terry Bradshaw. Armand Assante is really great as the villain, Diane Lane excels in a role that doesn't fit her and Rob Schneider is stunningly endearing as the third wheel in a party of two. Max Von Sydow and Jurgen Prochnow add their talents to give the movie a seasoned flavor. Stallone's intro is pathetic but he excels along the way. The digital effects also work themselves into the story very well. I'm stunned at how good this thing is upon reviewing it.

Dredd was never meant to be campy

[Animus · 5/10 · 20 October 2023]

The problem isn't the weak story, the problem isn't the poor choice of actors, the problem is trying make a Dredd movie that is action/comedy. Dredd was NEVER about humor, it's about action, crime, and some drama but NOT comedy. That is why it flopped. The DREDD movie understood this, the DREDD movie focused on Dredd and a SINGLE day in the life of a street judge. It's why the second movie was a 9 star and this one barely made it to 5. Stallone could have been a good Judge Dredd if he hadn't tried for humor, and stupid humor at that. Rob Schnider's inclusion was a mistake of epic proportions. I get that he was supposed to be the 'everyman' character but he failed at that on all levels.

I AM THE LAW!!!

[reddiemurf81 · 6/10 · 3 July 2020]

Is this the best movie to come out of the 90s,,, no,, by all means no. However, it's still a fun time, lol

Stallone will forever be the epitome of an action star. This movie is just another example of that.

Is there plenty to poke fun at with this film? Well yeah,, some of the lines are quite laughable,, but we're not looking at Shakespeare in the park here. Just turn off your brain and enjoy it! (I mean,, you get to see Diane Lane a lot of the time. That's incentive enough!!)

A Missed Opportunity

[slightlymad22 · 5/10 · 29 January 2016]

Continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in order, I come to 1995's Judge Dredd.

Plot In A Paragraph: Judge Dredd, (a blue eyed Stallone) is convicted for a crime he did not commit, and he must fight to clear his name.

Armand Assante (an actor I normally like) tries too hard and over acts awfully, but he is not alone. Diane Lane and Max Von Sydow apart, the acting is bad, bad, bad (Stallone included)

In the Dredd comics, tradition dictates that Dredd does not off his helmet, thus his face has mostly only fleetingly appeared in full, but this mean Stallone would never show his face clearly, so to placate his ego, 15 minutes in to the movie and the helmet is off. It's a shame this movie doesn't work, as Sly looks the part, and it could have been a franchise. However the ball is dropped and he must take the lions share of the blame.

In interviews, Stallone said he felt the film was supposed to be a comedy/action film, and demanded rewrites to make it even more comedic. The director and screenwriter, however, had intended a darker approach, which led to many difficulties behind the scenes.Director Danny Cannon was so disheartened over his constant creative disputes with Stallone that he swore he would never again work with another big-name actor. He also claimed that the final version was completely different from the script, due to the changes Stallone demanded.

Fun 90's sci fi action

[bari_yusi · 7/10 · 27 October 2020]

It has a very bad reviews maybe... but trust me this is one very fun action sci fi movie... it may have some unnecessary and cheesy scenes but from beginning to end is fun and enjoyable flick. 7/10

My two penneth

[sterlacchini · 2/10 · 5 May 2005]

Judge Dredd and 2000AD represent my childhood inspiration for all things creative, accumulating in my career in the creative industry (I still have a full set of early 2000ADs in my studio). So obviously the film holds very personal emotions for me and as such I have to admit that I had a negative bias from the start. Anyway enough about me.

The film started and I was very impressed with the visual effects and design. At first I thought Judge Dredd's uniform was way over the top, even more than the comic version. However after remembering the visual style of films like Flash Gordon (1980) I put that down to personal preference.

One of the problems is Sylvester Stallone's Performance. I am not one of Sly's detractors, I have enjoyed his performances in films such as Rocky, First Blood, Paradise Alley, Copland and even Demolition Man. However this performance bares no resemblance to the character of Judge Dredd.

Stallone's character lacks the authority and quiet confidence of Judge Dredd. Sly seems to have replaced these aspects with standing in a tough pose, looking intense and shouting were applicable. Needless to say I did not see the dark and gritty anti hero I was hoping for.

I realise that this is a tall order for any actor and Sly in not helped by the films biggest problem, the atrocious dialogue. Clichés and over dramatic speeches destroy any hope of realism.

My final comment... Judge Dredd's helmet.

This should stay on at all times. I know this seems superficial, but it is representative of certain aspects of Judge Dredd's personality. Firstly Dredd's lack of personal ego, secondly his almost robot like dedication, determination and 'perceived' invulnerability and thirdly Dredd's function as an executioner.

There, I feel a little better now I've got that off my chest. Cheers.

In a post-apocalyptic metropolis the only law is dispensed by judges-cops with the power of judge, jury and executioner

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 7 November 2012]

Exciting , big-budgeted film dealing with a standard comic book dystopian near-future City where rules fearful judges and happens fantastic events . The source comic book has been a cult favorite in England for thirty years . Loud , spectacular and violent movie set in a future world of urban chaos and based on the comic books by Carlos Ezquerra and John Wagner ; being well adapted by Danny Cannon . In the third Milennium , the futuristic world changed , climate , nations , all were upheaval . The Earth transformed into a poisonous scorched desert , known as ¨The Cursed Earth¨. Millions of people crowed into a few mega Cities where roving bands of street savages created violence the justice system could not control . The Planet Earth has changed into a virtually uninhabitable place . All of the Earth's population have crowded into the cities across the planet , now known as "Mega Cities¨ . Law as we know it collapsed . From the decay rose a new order whose rule of law is administrated by authorities on motorbikes . A society ruled by a new elite force . A Force with the power to dispense both justice and punishment . They were the police , jury and executioner all in one . They were the judges . Around desert lies Mega City One . It is a violent, futuristic city where a new Justice System came from the ashes , the police has the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, they were called "Judges" and dispense justice on the riot-torn streets and buildings of Mega City . They fight to control the block riots that over-running the city . The crimes in this "Mega city" became so violent and so powerful, that the regular justice system was powerless to contain, then it collapsed completely . A cop named Dredd , most feared of all , teams with a another judge named Hershey (Diane Lane) to take down criminal gangs , but Dredd is double-crossed and being framed for murder . Dredd fights to clear his name helped by the women-judge and a likable delinquent (Rob Schneider), a renegade misfit named Ferguson , must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival . But an escaped convict named Rico (Armand Assante) overtakes the compound's control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire . Rico is an ex-judge who was artificially created and seeks vendetta and power confronting his half-brother , Dredd . Judge Dredd soon released from his imprisonment looks for his genetically contrived evil brother and takes place the final battle .

This slam-bang film packs big names , noisy action , thrills , chills , suspense , convoluted screenplay , high body count , loads of massive villains and lots of violence . Some interesting plotting is partially lost in a sea of hard-edge violence , overripe acting , exaggerated explosions and excessive shots . Visually imaginative action Sci-Fi that contains fast and furious fun with echoes of ¨Metropolis¨, ¨Things to come¨ and ¨Blade Runner¨ . The exciting screenplay throws in Femme cop and a likable inmate , Rob Schneider , who acts as comic relief. The highlights of the movie are a smashing Airbone pursuit on flying motor-bikes and the breathtaking , overwhelming finale . Silvester Stallone's iconic presence is good as a helmeted , emotionless future-cop who dispenses the square jaw-lines and a summary justice. Fizzing visuals , video game-like special effects and impressive production design showing a large megalopolis in ¨Blade Runner¨ style . Praiseworthy set design by Nigel Phelps who creates a doleful as well as amazing ghetto City . Atmospheric original music by Alan Silvestri , composed by means of synthesizer . Colorful , though sometimes dark cinematography by Adrian Biddle . The precocious technical mastery displayed by Danny Cannon is spectacular and he delivers narrative fluidity . However , the film failed at box office ; Silvester Stallone , Sly, hoped , in vain , the project would provide him another profitable franchise but it didn't take place . Many years later was shot Dredd 3D (2012) by Pete Travis with Karl Urban , Olivia Thirby and Lena Headley . Rating : 6,5 . Acceptable action film and it will appeal to Stallone enthusiasts and action fans .

The Most Disappointing Movie EVER

[MI$ gUy · 1/10 · 19 June 1999]

If you love the comic (2000 A.D.) do not, I repeat, do not watch this movie, because you may never see Judge Dredd in the same light again. I had waited for this movie for years. When I heard that Stallone was playing Dredd I thought nothing bad of it. I knew that with him in the picture it would be in wide release, and I knew that much like Batman, Judge Dredd does not need a great actor to play him. Stallone seemed to fit the bill of someone who could be tough, have little dialogue, and shoot up the enemies. Little did I know that Judge Dredd would be put into the same category as Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin, in that they are all "disneyland" versions of a much darker comic.

In the comic, the future is a bleak place. Comic books don't get much darker or bloodier than this one. It is not a "fun, happy go-lucky" comic. However, it is extremely exciting and if translated correctly could be the perfect action movie.

Showing a human side of Dredd was the worst mistake of this movie. For one Dredd does not take his helmet off. For two he does not have a sidekick.

If this movie had been made correctly it would have received comparison's to the likes of Terminator 2 and Predator. However, after seeing this movie, I think it would best be compared to the likes of Teen Wolf Too, as one of the worst films ever made.

A damn good time at the movies!

[mattymatt4ever · 8/10 · 24 April 2001]

It's unfortunate that "Judge Dredd" wasn't accepted by mainstream viewers or even received a cult following. I found it to be very entertaining. I don't see too many movies based on comic book superheroes that I honestly enjoyed. "X Men" for example went on too long, moved very slowly and took itself too seriously. "Judge Dredd" is a fast-paced sci-fi-action thrill ride that delivers from start to finish and has help in the comic relief department by Rob Schneider. Sylvester Stallone overacts throughout, but that's part of the fun. Watching him scream out "I AM THE LAW!!" makes you want to scream it out along with him, which is what I do whenever I view this movie. There are many quotable lines, which I enjoy reciting. "Judge Dredd" is not a deeply intelligent, insightful film. But it makes a great popcorn flick! This upbeat, funny, nonstop entertainment is a real treat for me to watch over and over again.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Great Cast for a Drama

[Johnny_West · 4/10 · 8 July 2019]

Judge Dredd had a great cast for a drama, but not for an action movie. This cast has some great actors in it. Armand Assante teaming up with Jurgen Prochnow, Diane Ladd, Max Von Sydow, and Sylvestor Stallone, would have made a great mystery drama. However, they were the wrong cast for an action movie.

Judge Dredd is not about drama, it is about action, adventure, vigilante justice, instant death, kill or be killed brutality. It is supposed to be like Mad Max, a story about a post-apocalyptic future where the only Justice comes by dealing death to the villains. Sylvester Stallone in Cobra (1985) was closer to a Judge Dredd movie than this was.

Unfortunately, Judge Dredd focused on the politics of the Hall of Justice, and the drama behind the scenes. It could have been a great drama if it had been a standard police or mystery movie. The cast was great. Unfortunately, the story did not fit what Judge Dredd is all about. Who wants to know the politics of the Hall of Justice? I want to see villains getting blown away, like Karl Urban did in Dredd (2012). That was the real Judge Dredd movie.

Standard blockbuster fare for people who like things that go bang – but not much more than that

[bob the moo · 22 April 2003]

In the future the world has been scorched and is uninhabitable. The cities are overflowing and cramped. Violence and crime has gotten to the stages that the courts and juries of the past were unable to cope. The Judges were planned to be police, judge and executioners – the ultimate law keepers. The strictest of these is Judge Dredd. However Dredd's history is revealed when his long-forgotten genetic twin escapes from captivity and kills high ranking council members. The DNA evidence points to Dredd and he is sentenced accordingly. However he escapes with hacker Fergie and returns to the city to try and stop Rico's plan for his own laws.

It's been a few years since I saw this in the cinema and I thought I'd give it another go. However I had only average memories of it – memories that were pretty close to the mark now that I've seen it again. The film starts reasonably well and has a good little bit of humour in it – the recycling bot that says `recycle waste for food, it's good for the environment and OK for you!' is my favourite! However any nice touches like this and any debate on the nature of the Judges is quickly lost in a by-the-numbers blockbuster.

The action is OK but not great and the film doesn't manage to ever really have a genuine sense of excitement or tension. Director Cannon is much better at style than substance and here he proves that again. The cartoon violence will be OK for teenagers but is too basic and undemanding for many I think. The cityscapes are quite good but a tad OTT. Bladerunner got it pitch perfect all those years ago and every film since has tried to up the ante unnecessarily.

Stallone is a pretty good choice for Dredd because of his strong chin. I didn't care less if he removed his helmet or not, but his constant speaking in catchphrases did annoy me a bit. Oh – and I've heard a life time of `law' and `court' puns and kiss-off lines. Schneider is a misjudged comedy sidekick, he isn't used well and just gets in the way. The film would have been better without his `relief' and gone darker. Assante is a strong villain and the council is full of famous faces. Lane has nothing to do as Judge Hershey.

Overall this is a cartoon for teenagers and those just looking for lots of bangs. However, even for that crowd this may prove a little basic – I wanted it to be more sophisticated than it was and be darker (but not just violent as it has been misinterpreted as here). Maybe worth a watch with a beer and pizza but the fact that we haven't been treated to a JD2 speaks volumes.

what a chance wasted

[mattwakeman · 1/10 · 4 April 2001]

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. it's hard to judge this without comparing it to one of the greatest comic characters (and certainly the greatest comic character to emerge from this sceptered isle, 'Dan who?').

the opening scene is great, a visualisation of what Mega-City 1 looks like as first thought of by the great artist Carlos Ezquerra. But then it just goes down hill. And fast. It takes a great, bleak, blackly funny view of a near future (and in some cases present day view of America) and ignores everything that makes the comic great. Instead it turned it into a standard rogue cop with buddy type movie. The whole idea of Judge Dredd was that he was the perfect embodiment of the legal system. He never fought the system because he WAS the system. In all its brutal and unpalatable forms.

JD's greatest ever writer wrote a screenplay for this film (the i'm not worthy to type his name JOHN WAGNER *sigh*) but the studio merely wanted to have it off him for peanuts. he told them where to go and as a result a great character (and indeed great enemies) were wasted by a film that said nothing new. and in many cases said it very badly as well.

The only bright spot is that JD has been taken over (2000AD for the first time in it's history is being run by people who are actually fans of it, go go go Rebellion, run with it and make things happen) and who knows maybe we will one day see ol' Joe Dredd in all his big chinned, tight booted, fascist glory. Maybe as a cartoon (think Akira, not bugs bunny) and maybe as a film but if anybody saw this film and thought what rubbish. well, you are right. but get a hold of the comics (especially 'Song of the Surfer' or 'America') and see why this film was attacked on sight by all fans of the comic. Oh and by the way, in the 24 years (yes, 24 years) readers have never seen JD's face. And if we do, it's not gonna look like Stallone.

'No-one is innocent citizen. We're just here to determine the level of your guilt'. Joe Dredd. Crime Blitz. Mega City One

Fun Camp

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 January 2014]

In the future, most of the world has become a desolate wasteland. The population is crowded into Mega Cities. However these city states turn chaotic and a new law & order system is established. Judges become the new police, jury, and executioners. The strictest of them all is Judge Dredd (Sylvester Stallone). Meanwhile dangerous criminal Rico (Armand Assante) has escaped from the Aspen Penal Colony. Rico has a past with Dredd, and there is sinister plan afoot. Dredd is framed for murder. While power mad Judge Griffin (Jürgen Prochnow) takes over the council after engineering the departure of Chief Justice Fargo (Max von Sydow).

This movie is camp of the highest order. The visual look is a mix of 'Metropolis', 'Blade Runner', and 'Escape from New York'. It is a good representation of its British comics roots. Sly is quite good as the stiff muscle bound Judge. It's the perfect role for him. Goofy Rob Schneider is kind of funny which only adds to the camp.

The story is somewhat too complicated. It would probably be better to have just one villain. It doesn't help that Prochnow and Assante sort of have a similar look. They both excel playing the same character. For a comic book movie, a bit of simplification would probably help. It would be better to keep just one of them.

The Good & Bad Of Judge Dredd

[ccthemovieman-1 · 4/10 · 11 July 2006]

This was a loud, wild, silly, sophomoric science-fiction action film that had a number of good and bad points.

THE GOOD - If you have a surround system, and particularly with a sub-woofer, the sound in here is excellent. For the most part, the film entertains and stays away from profanity until the last 15 minutes. Armand Assante plays a convincing villain.

THE BAD - There is some stupid dialog, especially by Rob Schneider's character "Fergie." He isn't funny; he's just plain annoying. There's another cheap shot at Christians as the villain out in the desert is shown to be a "Believer." None of the good guys are, of course. This also has a script that isn't easy to follow and it gets too loud with too many explosions. That stuff wears thin after the first hour.

OVERALL - The negatives outweigh the positives. There are so many other good action movies that I wouldn't waste your time with this.

A guilty pleasure

[Bungle-9 · 6/10 · 5 October 2006]

I have to admit liking this movie. If you watch it without thinking too much about the dark, gritty 2000AD pretext there's a good time to be had here. Yes there is cheesiness and tacky lines ("I AM THE LAW!!") and bad acting, but my goodness they do it well. It's a bit like Snakes on a Plane - if you go in expecting it to be a bad movie then you'll probably enjoy it. I love the music though. Really. It has a theme that sticks with you after it's finished. Good action too.

All in all - for me this is a guilty pleasure. I don't gain enlightenment by watching it, but I do have a fun time and I'm entertained. What more could you ask for? Citizen Kane of the future? Sit down with some munchies, drinks and popcorn and enjoy the show.

I knew you'd say that!

[VCRanger · 7/10 · 22 April 1999]

This movie, when viewed with the understanding that it's basically a comic book on film, is really not that bad. Sure there is some severe overacting by Stallone and Assante, but on the whole it's pretty entertaining (especially Schneider). Some very good special effects also help the very mediocre script. A very good job of directing and photography are also a plus. A rating of 7 out of 10 was given.

God awful

[idabpg · 1/10 · 11 February 2013]

As a fan of the comic, this was *dredd*ful. (good one) I own every single one of the comics and was disappointed and unimpressed when I watched this. Problem 1) they got Dredd's helmet wrong. If you are a fan of the comic, Dredd's helmet has a cross across the front. Im so annoyed that they missed this small but distinguishable feature. Problem 2) Dredd is a clone of another judge, and is famous for being a rigid follower of rules. He spares no-one and will carry out punishment as necessary. In this film, he shows too much emotion, which I believed took his authority as 'Dredd' away. Problem 3) They take his helmet off. Why??? You are *not* supposed to see his face! That's the whole point! Maybe i'm over exaggerating, but seriously, that's not good. If you want to understand the point of Judge Dredd without reading all 2000-something comics, see Dredd3d. Thank you. Rant over.

Delivers thought-provoking action in a fantasy sci-fi wrapping

[BrandtSponseller · 8/10 · 25 April 2005]

Judge Dredd is based on one of the most popular characters from the UK's 2000 AD comics. It is set in the 22nd Century, when most of the Earth has been turned into a desolate wasteland known as the "Cursed Earth" and most humans live in highly concentrated cities, walled off from the rest of the world. Society is fairly anarchic, except there for a class of humans, known as "judges", who act as cop, judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one. Sylvester Stallone is the titular judge. He's notorious among the other judges, the general citizenry and the other judges for upholding the law in a harsh way. The film primarily tells the story arc from the comics known as "The Return of Rico", and concerns a plot to get Dredd into trouble while overthrowing what's left of the existing "order".

This is a great action/sci-fi film with a tone reminiscent of Demolition Man (1993), Total Recall (1990), The Fifth Element (1997), Blade Runner (1982) and similar films. If you like Stallone, gloomy futuristic production design and/or intense action films, Judge Dredd should be a rewarding experience for you, as long as you're not a purist who is coming to the film by way of an intricate familiarity with the 2000 AD comics.

The source material caused a slight problem for me, too, but not because I'm a purist. Rather, Judge Dredd suffers a bit from a flaw that plagues many films based on comic books--writers Michael De Luca, William Wisher Jr. and Steven E. de Souza had an extensive, pre-existent mythology (as is necessary when creating a complete, new world) on which to build their work, and they tried to incorporate a bit too much of it. Because of this, we're introduced to a large cast of characters fulfilling functions that we're not familiar with (in the details, at least), and we're regularly faced with new lingo, new cultural concepts, new technology, and so on, often with just a couple lines of dialogue. If you want to understand the details, you really have to pay close attention. But on the other hand, the general arc of the story is relatively simple, and you don't have to know every detail to enjoy it.

Given the disposition that Stallone has as Judge Dredd in the film, he may as well have walked out of Kurt Wimmer's film Equilibrium (2002). Dredd initially goes about his business almost robotically; he only cares about enforcing the law. When he's recruited by a higher-up, Chief Justice Fargo (Max von Sydow), to teach ethics (which is quite an ironic idea when you see Dredd's behavior in the opening scene), he tells the students that being a judge basically means giving up one's life to the law. He says that one cannot have friends, for example--never mind that other judges, like Judge Hershey (Diane Lane) try to have social lives outside of work. Dredd later tells Hershey that he did have a friend at one point, but he had to judge him. Sending a friend to prison or killing him (we're not told exactly how Dredd judged him, although we find out later) isn't exactly the best way to encourage a healthy social life.

So the subtext of the story, and Dredd's character arc, becomes that through a number of hardships, he finally learns something about ethics for himself--just in time to deal with a potentially shattering bit of information about his personal identity. He ends up accompanied by a man, Herman Ferguson (Rob Schneider, in a role meant primarily as comic relief, although more generously, he's an ironic emotional facilitator), whom he had just judged harshly, even though Ferguson wasn't really doing anything wrong on his first day out of prison. Together they have to go to a figurative hell (The Cursed Earth) to deal with figurative "demons" (a famed band of rogue cannibals who live in the tough environment) and back again to reach their fulfillment.

Like many recent sci-fi stories set in the future, Judge Dredd has a pessimistic view of where technology and social conventions are leading humans. As the story has it, at one point, we had built massive, relatively unstoppable robot warriors, and one of the highlights of the film is when the villain finds one and puts it back into service. It's as much fun to watch the gadgetry as it is to watch the action sequences, and the computer generated "landscapes" throughout the film are spellbinding, with their sly jabs at various changes and similarities to present locations and cultures. The whole concept of the judges and their hierarchical structure is fascinating, even if some apparent inconsistencies (such as why judges are not summarily dealt with in the same manner that other citizens are) are never explained in the film.

The performances are good, even if a few actors barely get enough screen time (like Lane and Joan Chen, who plays semi-villain Ilsa), and the premise is captivating. It's too bad this film gets unduly knocked by purists and those misguidedly looking for detail realism in the genre. Judge Dredd is severely underrated on IMDb. It deserves a first look or a second chance.

Good Sci-Fi Movie!

[Juan_from_Bogota · 7/10 · 29 March 2007]

After viewing this movie, i got impressed with the weighted user rating (4.6), for me it is really underrated and the movie is well obtained and entertaining.

The story about a post-apocalyptic future, where people live in walled mega cities to protect themselves from the desert wasteland of the outside; and in which you can see that the crime is out of control, is watched by some elite police officers called the Judges, who are trying to maintain order in the city; this officers have an almost total autonomy to conduct the law; they are police, judges, jury and executioners all in one (an interesting subject and way to see the evolution of justice). Judge Dredd (Stallone) is the greatest and more admired and respected judge in the city, but suddenly he is accused for the crime of a journalist an his wife. Dredd then faces the challenge to probe that he is innocent, with the help of Judge Hershey (Diane Lane), an extremely good Judge and Lawyer, Herman Ferguson or Fergie (Rob Schneider) an coward and funny computer hacker who was convicted by Dredd and the support of Chief Justice Fargo (Max Von Sydow). He has to fight against one of the more evil criminal minds in his time, Rico (Armand Assante), and some of his allies.

The special effects in this movie are really good, and the futuristic view has a resemble of the fifth element (flying cars, and the sense of chaos), the acting performances are good; some people critic the role of Stallone, but if they had read the comic in which the movie is based (2000 A.D.) they would see that Stallone plays the role as it is (you can feel that the Judge Dredd of the comic is now in the screen as he is); Rob Schneider plays a good comic role and complement the depressing and cold Dredd Character; Diane Lane, makes good as an intelligent officer too.

This entertaining sci-fi film is good to have a good time with good action and excellent visual effects, worth to see 7/10

I am the.....HELL!?!?

[Nameless1138 · 1/10 · 31 January 2003]

To be certain, a film adapted from a comic book prior to "Spiderman" was often met with trepadition and curious sideways glances, a reaction similar to passing a midget on the street. While we can now all have hopes for a future with faithful and enjoyable adaptions of our favorite colored characters, we must remember that, while the future IS bright, the past really sucks. When trolling for worthwhile comic book titles, only pay attention to "Judge Dredd" if you are looking for reasons to shed this mortal coil.

The film opens with a moderately interesting intro, showing page after page of JD comics. Trust me, the only inspiration that the filmakers drew from these comics has to have been from the cover art. Put simply, nothing in the movie actually reflects the comics. Whereas the comics were dark and built for adults, this film was a fairly weak 'R' rating relying on twelve year olds sneaking into theaters to make a profit.

You see, in the movie, Judges are pansies who run from every thug with a gun instead of doing their job. The Judges body armor is made up of a bulletproof helmet and shoulder pads. One can only assume that they will be playing the Raiders soon. Judges also get voice activated guns that can do wonderful things, like fire flares, which actually has no use in their giant city where light exists everywhere. Judges also get the ugliest motorcycles in the history of automobiles. Simply put, their choppers look like amusement park bumper cars. The fact that these bumper cars can fly seems to make wheels useless, but I guess the budget excluded any more than one scene of horribly blue screened flying bikes.

Something else that the budget seems to have excluded is any mention of original design. While this is an adaptation, much of it seems "adapted" from other, better, films. Most of Mega City is right out of Blade Runner, while the police sets are essentially cribbed together from The Rock, Alien 3, and the Fifth Element. I do consider Alien 3 to be a better film. At least in that movie you can understand what people are saying. When you have Jurgen Prochnow, Armand Assante, and Sly Stallone in the same film, some confusion as to what is going on is sure to happen.

Sly and Armand probably gained thirty or forty pounds of beer gut, or maybe their are a trillion hot girls off screen, because they spend the entire movie sucking in their guts. Maybe that explains their inability to say more than three or four words at a time without breathing. Watching them reminds me of Freshmen Year, where every cute girl that walked by required you to suck it up, puff out your chest, and give your best lantern jawed grin.

As a last note, look for some of the terrible dubbings done in the movie, Rob Schneider's on again gone again wounds, the ever changing Stallone scar, and the giant armor plated robot that is beaten by pulling a few wires. This is a definite three of ten film.

Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge, Say no more, Say no more.

The Great Sly Stallone Is Judge Dredd Down To A Tee

[Big Movie Fan · 24 June 2002]

Sylvester Stallone did a great job as the stern Judge Dredd from the 2000 A.D. comic book.

I used to read a lot of the early Judge Dredd stories in 2000 A.D. Dredd was a law enforcer in a future time where there were no juries, no trials, just instant justice dispensed on the spot. If you were guilty the emotionless Dredd would issue whatever punishment he saw fit.

Back to the movie anyway. It's not always easy to translate a comic book hero to the big screen without changing things but they did a great job with this movie. If you were to look at a photo of Stallone in this movie and compare it to a drawing of the comic book Dredd you would see no difference. Stallone was Dredd down to a tee.

The story is great as well. Dredd is accused of a crime he did not commit and he must prove his innocence. The action scenes in the movie were fantastic.

All in all, a brilliant film. I just wish there'd have been a sequel.

Despite a few flaws, this movie is OK

[bellino-angelo2014 · 7/10 · 2 February 2019]

Okay, I have to admit that I have never read the comic book on which this movie is based nor seen the 2012 remake, so I had no idea about the characters at all. Now I can go on with the review.

While many hated JUDGE DREDD and trash-talked it, I beg to differ. I enjoyed it very much (hence why I gave it a 7) and it doesn't deserve to be ranked among the worst superhero movies of all time (just like STEEL). Sylvester Stallone is good actually and Armand Assante is very convincing as the villain. I liked especially the sets, very surreal and comic-book like. And the soundtrack, while not exceptional, it's great. Trust me, it surely doesn't deserve all the hate.