While the ever-faithful continue to pray to Grud for a sequel to Karl Urban's Dredd 3D (looking increasingly doubtful with every word from the film's creators and stars), this infamous mid-nineties misfire was afforded no such passionate campaign for its continued survival into franchisedom. Regarded in some circles as up there with Batman & Robin, Catwoman and Elektra as one of the worst comic book adaptations ever made, there's no denying that Judge Dredd failed rather resoundingly to do justice (no pun intended, your honour) to its title character. To be fair to its detractors, Stallone's Joe Dredd took his helmet off after about ten minutes, Rob Schneider played the 'comic' 'relief', key characters were either utterly wasted or bastardised, and the film ended with an inexcusable kiss between Dredd and Hershey. As an adaptation of the often seminal 2000AD source material, Judge Dredd, frankly, is atrocious. Taken on its own merits, however? Not so much. Here, the case is made for Danny Cannon's Judge Dredd, digging through the chaff in search of a little gold (plenty of that on the shoulder pads alone). Obviously you can rest assured that Rob Schneider's Fergee is nowhere to be seen. If only the same could be said for his presence in the film itself. Judge Dredd, how do you plead?
A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.
