"Judgement is coming", and in the world of John Wagner's Judge Dredd comics that's something you definitely don't want to stick around for. After an embarrassing Sylvester Stallone-led film from back in 1995, the latest attempt to bring the ultra-violent peacekeeper to the big screen looks considerably better and more faithful to the popular source material. Really, there was nowhere to go but up.
The first trailer for Dredd has been released, featuring Karl Urban in the helmet-headed title role. Directed by Pete Travis(Vantage Point), the film has Dredd with his ever present scowl and bad attitude, as judge, jury, and executioner of criminals in the violence filled town of Mega City One. Olivia Thirlby(Juno) plays cadet Judge Anderson, who teams up with Dredd to take down Ma-Ma(Lena Headey), a druglord who is pushing an illegal substance known as Slo-Mo from out of the Peach Trees apartments, where no cops dare to stand in her way. Until now, of course, with Dredd and Anderson scaling the building The Raid-style to stop her. Bad one-liners and bullets will fly in the classic Judge Dredd style.
It doesn't take much to be better than the previous film, but Travis seems to have nailed the pulpy tone of the comic. It's hard to tell if Urban is any good in the lead role, but he does have Dredd's trademark grimace down pat. Thirlby, however, seems a little bit out of place starring in a film like this. Then again, she also was in The Darkest Hour recently, so maybe she's looking to do more action movies and less of the dramatic pieces she's built her career on. If Dredd is a success, she'll be part of a franchise that has a pretty rabid fanbase. Overall, this looks solid, and may be a welcome surprise.
Dredd opens in 3D on September 21st. Check out the trailer below....
