JUDGE DREDD
A film review by Jeff Pidgeon
Copyright 1995 Jeff Pidgeon
JUDGE DREDD seems to be another example of what can happen when a Big Star attaches him/herself to a project. The Big Star begins to bend the content and tone of the project to better suit what he/she thinks the audience wants or expects from them, and before you know it, it's just another vehicle, the content reduced to a candy coating around the same old gumball. I've never read a single issue of JUDGE DREDD, but I can't imagine fans of the comic enjoying the film very much. I've heard tell of JUDGE DREDD fans boycotting the picture , though if this is so, I don't know what they intend to accomplish. I can't imagine there can be enough JUDGE DREDD fans to make a box office dent one way or another, though the character has been around for a while, so who knows?
One of the oddest things about the film is the central idea. We're in another one of those futuristic societies where everything has gone to Hell in a bullet train. This society's solution was to gather most people up into great big huge cities policed by Judges--who are judge, jury and executioner in one tight-leather, golden-eagle-shoulder-pad package. Most of the denizens of the Mega-cities spend most of their time rioting, and the judges spend most of *their* time shooting them or getting shot. The Judges are presided over by one of those High Councils that sit around in rooms that look like they were designed by fascist architects. They argue a lot about how many Judges are getting greased, and discuss what a maverick-type-legend Dredd is. Considering how much authority the Judges are given, it's unclear what Dredd is doing that's considered outside the bounds of good judgement. Further, it's more than a little odd that we're supposed to accept this society as normal. In MAD MAX, for example, it's pretty clear that everything's pretty messed up, and the people involved with the story would definitely like things to be much better. Here, however, most of the plot concerns itself with whether or not some nasty fellow will take over what is a pretty fascist set-up in the first place. Dredd himself seems to be an "upholder of the Law," but has little problem with the system he works in. I've heard that the comic's intent was satirical in asking us to accept the Judges in the first place, but here it seems to come off more like, 'Oh No! That villain almost took control of our police state! Thanks goodness Dredd was here to prevent it from becoming a *really bad* police state!'
Most of the rest of the film is accomplished but derivative. Everything feels familiar and tired. The pacing is decent and the effects are shiny but not especially diverting. The production design feels like Albert Speer, Ralph McQuarrie and Syd Mead teamed up to re-make BLADE RUNNER. Stallone feels inappropriate for a role that would seem to require more steely fanaticism that his usual lovable-lug bit. The comedy relief sidekick comes off as rather irritating most of the time, and every single line written for him punctures the reality of the world we're supposed to be in with lots of pizza delivery and ATM gags, with no adjustments made to remind us that we're in a different culture. There are sequences that (like CASPER) seem to be footage for an upcoming simulator ride at Disneyland. Max Von Sydow dignifies this effort with a performance that rises above the script-by-numbers. Joan Chen looks good but is wasted in a supporting role. Alan Silvestri's score has a moment or two but mostly overplays its hand. The main villain in the piece seems to be doing an extended Anthony Hopkins imitation. Overall, I didn't find JUDGE DREDD as irritating as BATMAN FOREVER, but I doubt if I'll remember much about it at all a month or two from now. Not recommended.
-- Jeff "Doh!" Pidgeon
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