"Dredd" takes place in real time, over the course of a particularly nasty day at the office for a certain law enforcement officer, and his psychic rookie. The whole film takes place within a huge tower block, which has been locked down by the bad guys in an attempt to trap and eliminate Dredd & Co. This, of course, sets the scene for a barrage of very violent action, as Judge shows the bad guys who's boss, and his protégé gets some, uh, on the job experience.
This film just works. It's well cast, with Karl Urban mastering the deadpan Dredd delivery, Olivia Thirlby providing a great counterpoint as the psychic, sensitive rookie Anderson (who thankfully isn't wearing a helmet), and Lena Headey getting all dark and nihilistic as gang leader "Mama".
The confined setting and simple plot actually enhance the action, as we are kept more or less in real time, where the tension is constant and the stakes are high. It's a slow burner .. I usually abhor pointless violence and mindless action, but the gritty visuals and serious (but not too serious) tone are so faithful to the comic series, it really elevates this film above the usual mindless pulp. You could almost step thru the film and see the frames of a comic book unfold.
We get to see Dredd and Anderson's relationship develop, as Dredd is tested, Anderson grows in confidence, and Mama slowly implodes. Interestingly though, without Anderson's rookie character, I think Dredd would probably have been a failure. Thirlby is not only a rose among some pretty ugly thorns, but her innocent character kind of grounds a lot of the senseless violence in the film, and her actions at the end speak volumes.
Also the few 'slowmo' drug sequences offer a dreamlike change of pace, and are really well shot.
This film just works. It's well cast, with Karl Urban mastering the deadpan Dredd delivery, Olivia Thirlby providing a great counterpoint as the psychic, sensitive rookie Anderson (who thankfully isn't wearing a helmet), and Lena Headey getting all dark and nihilistic as gang leader "Mama".
The confined setting and simple plot actually enhance the action, as we are kept more or less in real time, where the tension is constant and the stakes are high. It's a slow burner .. I usually abhor pointless violence and mindless action, but the gritty visuals and serious (but not too serious) tone are so faithful to the comic series, it really elevates this film above the usual mindless pulp. You could almost step thru the film and see the frames of a comic book unfold.
We get to see Dredd and Anderson's relationship develop, as Dredd is tested, Anderson grows in confidence, and Mama slowly implodes. Interestingly though, without Anderson's rookie character, I think Dredd would probably have been a failure. Thirlby is not only a rose among some pretty ugly thorns, but her innocent character kind of grounds a lot of the senseless violence in the film, and her actions at the end speak volumes.
Also the few 'slowmo' drug sequences offer a dreamlike change of pace, and are really well shot.