ironhorse_iv
Created by comic book writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, and first appeared in the second issue of 1977's 2000 AD, a weekly British science-fiction anthology comic book magazine. Judge Dredd is that magazine's longest-running character. He became so popular, that in 1995, a movie was made about him with top action star, Sylvester Stallone in the main role. Directed by Danny Cannon, and set in the not-so distance future, Earth has become an uninhabitable wasteland. While some humans manage to survive in the barren "Cursed Earth", the majority of humanity resides in huge Mega-Cities where crime has risen to ungodly levels due to over-population and the lack of resources. To combat crime, the traditional justice system has been replaced by a corps of Judges whose role combines those of police officer, judge, jury, and executioner. This is the world that Judge Joseph Dredd (Sylvester Stallone) lives. Things get worst for Judge Dredd, when a former Judge name Rico (Armand Assante), escape from prison, and frame him for the murder of a new reporter. Now imprisoned, Judge Dredd must go against the system of law, in order to prove his innocent, while also stopping Rico from his evil plan of taking over the world. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, the plot has way too much elements from a bunch of different arcs from the comic book, including The Return of Rico (Dredd's corrupt twin brother Rico returns from a prison colony to get revenge), The Day the Law Died (an insane and tyrannical senior Judge seizes power), The Cursed Earth (Dredd traverses the bombed out territory outside the city), The Judge Child Quest (Dredd encounters the cannibalism family), and Oz (Dredd thwarts a plot to conquer the city with an army of clones). It was a mess. It lead to many plot-holes, like how Judge Largo's DNA (Max Von Sydow) isn't shown to be relation to Dredd in the trial, nor the fact, that the Janus cloning project was hidden from most of the Judges. Also, when you think, deep about it. It doesn't much sense for them to have this technology in the environment in which this movie is set in. How did they do it, with limited resources!? Also, why? Over-population is already a problem. Why, add more people? Yes, I guess, it would be, easier to control the population, if you replace them, with mindless clones, but if they had the power to genetic engineer people, you would think, maybe they would use that resources for better use; like I don't know, solving the barren wasteland, by genetic engineering food and crops. In my opinion, this cloning sub-plot seem unrealistic and ridiculous, for even for the Dredd comic. The whole cloning arc was never my favorite from the comics. Nevertheless, I also didn't like some of their changes from the comics like how Judge Griffin (Jurgen Prochnow), is now a villain. Wasn't he originally part of Dredd's main allies in the comics? Honestly, they should had call him, Judge Cal in the movie. It would make more sense since he's a villain from the comics. Another thing, I didn't like, about the movies, is how Dredd is willing to kill his former buddies, the judges in able to prove his innocent. He rarely did that in the book. Isn't the point of this film is show that Dredd can act more human, rather than a totalitarian figure piece? He seems more-cruel now without the law, then the beginning of the movie. Despite the over-used of catch phrases and one-liners and the slurping of certain words, Sylvester Stallone does make a good Dredd. He does have the built at the time. I just wish, the movie didn't allow the character to removing his helmet, because he never does in the comic books. Another thing, I wish the movie kept, was the Rated R violence. It need to be grounded and gritty. This movie should had never been PG-13 with the over-the-top and clichés action. The source material was mature, gritty and gory for a reason. The world is supposed to be dark and depressing. The Judge Dredd comic strips were originally conceived as UK satires of the Thatcher government and its authoritarian police like state. It was then put in a Reagan-era fantasy about the liquidation of the underclass. It's supposed to incorporating obvious fascism, but it's never truly mention in the film. Instead, the movie makes the Judges seem like the good guys. Also, the movie made Mega City look way too futuristic, for a society that is supposedly on the brick of collapse. As much, as those things were jarring. The worst thing about this movie had to be the Rob Schneider's comedy relief character, Herman Ferguson. Yes, I know that his character was in the original comic, but Rob Schneider's performance as Fergie is annoying. Plus, his character in this, is pretty much, useless. In the comic, he was a muscle bound mutant, not a wimp. There is little to no reason for Dredd to care for him, here. I know, a lot of critics, has also bash, Armand Assante's performance as the villain, because how hammy, he was, but in my opinion, he was alright. The world of Judge Dredd is full of out of their mind, villains. I just wish, the movie choose Judge Cal over Judge Rico. It would make the film, a lot more fun. Overall: The film has a certain comedic and entertainment value that for reasons, outside, my views, people has find fascistic to the point that it has been call a 'guilty pleasure'. However, I don't share that same view. In my opinion, the movie is garbage. If you want to see it, go ahead, but in my view, check it out 2012's Dredd, instead. It's closer to the source material than this trash. This movie is dreadful.
