This film made me want to sign up to IMDb and write a review for the first time. Why? Very rarely do I see an action film that surprises me. I did not have high hopes, given the low budget and the "other" Judge Dredd film.
This film did everything right. Violence is plentiful, but not there for the sake of it. The villain is superb, and it is refreshing to see an action movie with female characters who have their own story and agency. They are not just dropped in to fill a quota.
The story wisely follows a day in the life of Judge Dredd, as he reviews a raw recruit. A simple formula that is done well.
Why is this film a cult classic in my opinion? I am not a fan of comic book films, or comic books. This film does not feel like a comic book film cobbled together quickly with CGI powering the narrative. It is refreshingly dark, with a well styled dystopian vision of a future Metropolis. The action sequences - even in 2D - are great. Karl Urban squeezes an incredible amount of nuance out of his character, remarkable given that we never see anything exposed other than his mouth and chin. The film is tight and quick, without resorting to action movie clichés to move the story along.
Overall, this film just has that something that makes me feel it will be worshiped in years to come. It is difficult to point to the one "thing" that makes this movie great. See this film.
This film did everything right. Violence is plentiful, but not there for the sake of it. The villain is superb, and it is refreshing to see an action movie with female characters who have their own story and agency. They are not just dropped in to fill a quota.
The story wisely follows a day in the life of Judge Dredd, as he reviews a raw recruit. A simple formula that is done well.
Why is this film a cult classic in my opinion? I am not a fan of comic book films, or comic books. This film does not feel like a comic book film cobbled together quickly with CGI powering the narrative. It is refreshingly dark, with a well styled dystopian vision of a future Metropolis. The action sequences - even in 2D - are great. Karl Urban squeezes an incredible amount of nuance out of his character, remarkable given that we never see anything exposed other than his mouth and chin. The film is tight and quick, without resorting to action movie clichés to move the story along.
Overall, this film just has that something that makes me feel it will be worshiped in years to come. It is difficult to point to the one "thing" that makes this movie great. See this film.