Judge Dredd

The comic is meant to be a satire of facism. One story featured a man who decided to grow the biggest nose in Megacity one. Dredd gets invlolved when the nose is stolen.
Note that the comic started in the late ’70s so Robocop and Bladerunner came afterwards.

Hi David, thanks for the insight - I’ve never read the comic. However, I’m guessing Blade Runner and Robocop did not copy it the look of the comic. I’m guessing the “look” of the comic could have been done without adding a number of throw-away mimicing visuals. But again, this is only a minor issue compared to the story problems. If in fact the movie is also intended as some truly insightful and whitty intellectual satire of facism, count me as one of the fooled.

I think Robocop was at least partially inspired by Dredd the obviously bladerunner wasn’t.
There are various interviews with the guys who invented Dredd in which they discuss how their original script ideas where totally overun. Your basic Hollywood disaster story of interfering idiots.

I never forget that there was an Anthrax song about Dredd (I Am The Law).
Just so you know

Hi David Gentle, actually I didn’t know about the Anthrax song - that’s pretty cool.

As for the Script ideas being totally over-run by Hollywood Execs, this is hardly surprising in the least. No, the surprising thing with most any movie coming out of Hollywood is when the unique and interesting idea actually survived!

I’m all for good risk assessments to mitigate potential monetary loss, but Hollywood has taken this to such extremes that they end up ruining the project 20 times over. We have numerous examples of this - some movies like Dune, for instance, really don’t even survive in an even slightly intact way even AFTER filming was complete.

This is one reason I spend so much time trying to track down foriegn (to me - meaning outside the US) cyberpunk movies. They generally need to take a risk to succeed, and in the process, often create a wonderful gem of a movie.

4/10? Judge Dredd? No way! This is a classic!

I remember goig to see this twice when it was at the cinema! Sure enough it’s Hollywood, but there’s alot of interesting stuff going off here. The ABC animatronic robot looks alot better than anything computer generated.

Not really sure how you can say this is a low cyberpunk movie SFAM- it has mean machiene in it for pete’s sake.

Hi David, we definitely have different tastes. For someone who thinks Robocop 2 should be an 8 star movie, it doesn’t surprise me that you feel similarly about Judge Dredd. This is useful to you in that you probably have a good idea how we differ - this should help you interpret whether or not you’ll like a movie based on my review - even if my score for the movie isn’t very hight. Unfortunately, I didn’t find very much interesting occurring from a cyberpunk standpoint. For the most part I found Judge Dredd to be a regular ultra-good tough-guy dystopia movie with a number of poorly thought-out plot points.

I personally enjoyed this movie. I’ve never even seen the comic, let alone read it, but this is what I call the TNT classic type movie. Its got great goofy one liners from both Stallone and Schneider, some really great visuals, and Diane Lane in spandex. While its not “cool” its great fun plus, it has a giant pissed off robot, whats not to love? Is it oscar quality? Not a chance, is it even a great movie? HA, but I’ll watch it every time its on.

Hi Anonymous - I’d agree that many would call Judge Dredd a fun movie to watch.

SFAM-

most of the movies which you have listed by decade ‘are’ classic cyberpunk, very few aren’t )but I have yet to review all of them), but Judge Dredd IS classic cyberpunk.

I have to dmit though, when I was watching the film, I was thinking about the comics the whole time, and comparing the universe of teh comic to that of the film. I reckon Dredd could have been a bit colder though, and I have to say that this is probably my fave stallone movie. Stallone is gradually becoming a joke like Schwazenneger and other movie stars from that time. Bercause it is Stallone as Dredd though, I cannott laugh, because I love the comics all too much.

That was me who posted up there about Dredd, forgot to put my name in. But, it looks like Im going to HAVE to track down some of the comics. I might even have to dig around the Walmart dvd junk bin and see if I can find this flick.

Hi David, perhaps I would view this movie differently if I had read the comics. I haven’t though. All I have had to go on is the film. I’ll try tracking them down though and see if this changes my perspective. But as it stands just by watching the film, I just don’t see including this as classic cyberpunk. Would I call it Overblown Hollywood Summer Blockbuster trash? Sure, I’d go for that. I just don’t see much at all insightful or interesting here. Clearly others disagree with me (including you and L1zrdking), and I’m OK with that.

Had we been talking about a few points different from one another, I might even be cajoled into adding a star to my rating, but we’re pretty far apart (4 stars to 8 stars), so I don’t know that this makes sense.

Judge Dredd is a character that started out in the magazine ‘2000 A.D.’ I think it was released in Britain in 1979, and then they later branched into the USA and Canada. I remember 2000 A.D. sold a shit load more comics in the summer of 95 when the Dredd movie was out, everyone I knew was buying it monthly.

It probably is Hollywood summer blockbuster trash, where artistic endevor is concerned, it’s alot better Hollywood trash than the family laugh along poo that emerges from the LA sesspools before the summer holidays NOW… CUT TO: two and a half months later, and a movie that has cost $40,000,000 ends up in the bargin bin basket at your local pharmacy.

Good bad, Stallone stampering macho bullshit, comic classic, or Hollywood blockbuster poopoo, the cyberpunk visuals in Dredd are pretty ‘high,’ as is the correlation to the cyberpunk theme. Hell, if the Dredd/2000 A.D. universe isn’t cyberpunk, then that makes Dah Taahrminator suitable for airing on children’s Saturday Morning.

As a longtime reader of the comics I can say that the film doesnt do them any justice at all, so try not to let the film inform all your opinions on everything to do with Judge Dredd. Also, while the film certainly ripped off more than a few other films, the comics were way ahead of their time in terms of cyberpunk themes.
Whether or not it’s GOOD cyberpunk, I dont know. But they certainly shouldnt be judged (haha) too harshly because of lame hollywood-isms that arent as prevalent in the comics (though admittedly they are there, but it is that kind of comic).
So yes, I’d recommend you try and look at the comics separately.

Hi Master of Moloris, I’ll try to track the comic down.

Story wise Dredd stank. All they took was the basic premise of the comics and added a standard cop movie storyline.
Design wise this has to be one of the best movies out there. I highly suggest the making of books, Especially the art of Kev Walker who was an artist for the comic who also went on to design a lot of the movie. (coincedentally Kev was also a leading artist for Games Workshop which always had a heavy leaning towards cyberpunk)
The stories in the comics were usually either very comic or really dark (think Frank Millar)
It’s really just a shame that the hollywood machine was filtering all the movies of this period till they were shells of a concept. Bear in mind that this was of the same Era as Schumachers Batman movies.
I do have to say that I agree with the rating given here. This film had huge potential to be great but bad choices by the studios ruined it. At least nowadays studios have learned to respect the source material.

Check out all my videos You’ll find the best metal art sculptures of all your favorite characters. Robocop, Hellboy, Terminator, DarthVader, Alien, Predator…I have them all…8 feet tall and smaller…all made from recycled car truck and motorcycle parts…it’s worth the look.

Wayne

Sadly, those who didn’t like Judge Dredd have no idea how on the mark the film is. Having been a Dredd comic fan since ‘1984, the film captures the essence of what the Dredd universe is about. The one-liners, the outrageous villans, all are all part and parcel of Judge Dredd, the comic.

LIke most critics, unless you know the background of a film, then you should have the guts to say so that way you at least an excuse for your uninformed opinions.

I just wish an extended version of he film were available with the 20 plus minutes of extra footage Sly Stallone had removed so the film would get a “PG-13″ rating, instead of the “R” it did get and didn’t deserve. Again, a critic not doing his job and getting all the facts.

i don agree at all that this movie is so little cyberpunk, its cyberpunk almost all throught. the one big mistake in this movie is the music, which is a major drawback for the whole feeling of the movie. if it had the right music it would be a clear 9 stars for me, but now whit this crappy music i give it a 5.

Well I agree with both sides of the love / hate the Dredd movie debate. After reading William Gibson and Phillip Dick my whole life I was turned on to 2000ad comics by a friend. The Judge Dredd comics are classic brit humor stabbing out at futurism and fascism, not unlike V for Vendetta strikes out against Thatcherism. The Dredd movie is a great popcorn special effects yeah we had a few laughs kind of film, but really it sucks compared to the real Dredd. Stallone could be Dredd as long as he keeps the helmet on, but since Stallone is Stallone he could never really pull off Dredd. You will note in the comic Dredd never removes his helmet, he is not meant to be ‘human’ in the same respects as other super heros. He is not even a ’super’ he is a machine created by a police state, but he has a soul and a perfect understanding of right and wrong. The battle Dredd fights is between the law and his humanity and the law is always right. Dredd is a perfect law enforcer and he suffers for it. If the comics borrow from anyone it is Phillip Dick, you have Conapts, pre-cogs and battle droids that make Star Wars droids look like kindergarten lunch room punks. It is true, Diane Lane was the best thing about this movie. Don’t waste your time with this movie but do turn on to the 2000AD comics, there is much “cyberpunk” worthy material there.

Jess

The movie dont was a great thing, but some ingredients of it was so good. Maybe the comics about it, are more extensive than the movie. To dark, dont?

hi polie me scott brown
jude dredd see on

Another comic book movie gone horribly wrong with horrible acting, horrible plot, etc.

Oh wait, I think I recall an argument with a huge comic-movie fan that exclaimed “The acting is supposed to be campy!” trying to convience me that quote : “It gives it more of a comic feeling.”

I guess when I was young and read comics I never really allowed myself to believe that the characters in them were lousy and downright laughable.

As a big fan of the comics before the movie came out, I was truly disappointed with this flick. Stallone had the perfect jaw to play Dredd. All he had to due was punch people in the face, fire his gun and say “I am the law.” Not to say his part was any more than that, but he sucks and they should have used him simply as a prop to tell a better story. The comic had many one shots and sagas, many of which could have been used to make a better, and more cyberpunk, movie. Many elements of cyberpunk existed in the comic, it all depended on the writer/ artist team behind any particular story. Sometimes the comics really sucked, the producers decided to use only the aspects from those shallowest of stories to make their movie.
The main thought I had behind my post here was to say that the “world” of judge dredd would make a great cyberpunk back drop, including the judges. But, to be great and optimize the cyberpunk value, it would have to have someone else (not Dredd) as the main character.
Stallone takes growth hormones, most likely uses the internet with a powerful connection speed, I’m guessing he shoots off a round or two from a shinny hand gun, lives in a world with economically powerful Asain countries, resides in a nation with a Department of Homeland Security and is on a planet with a near death ecosystem, thus giving his dumb ass more “Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes” than this movie.

Lastly, mean machine bleeds cyberpunk themes.

Hi,

the problem is that the comic has second and third degree. Seems that Stallone and the producers completely missed the “finesse” of the comic. I’m a long time fan of the comic, so the movie was a real disapointement for me.

The real problem is that stories in one medium do not always translate well into another medium. When “The Watchmen” comes out later in 2009, prepare to see a lot of disappointed comic fans (again). This is (one of) the reason(s) that Alan Moore, the writer of “The Watchmen”, does not want anything to do with the film.

Withe regards to the Dredd film, if you saw it and did not like it, and have not read the comics, then do NOT read the comics at all. Then you’ll REALLY hate the movie.

Personally, I was hoping for a sequel with Pamella Anderson as Judge Cassandra “Cass the Ass” Anderson.She would’ve really fitted her, uh, shoes.

Having grown up with Dredd in comic book form, I must point out that only in the earlier days was Dredd as campy as in this film (and even then, it was in an elaborate, satirical and knowing way - check out ‘The Cursed Earth’ arc for example, with the pisstake Sex Pistol punk-biker character called, naturally, Sid).

Latter-day Dredd could be ludicrous, sure (the things that are illegal in Mega-City One for example; whole stories about illegal Goldfish, priceless broken saucepans or equally farcical items), but it could also be subtle and very deft, even poignant (try ‘The Scorpion Dance’ arc - fantastically written, and wonderfully drawn).

The odd thing about Dredd, for me, is that only rarely do we ever get to see him as being human (one of the reasons that you never see his head above the mouth) - he’s dehumanised so that he becomes this totemic lawgiver, who isn’t even particularly likeable (he’ll shoot people without remorse for the most trivial things, he is completely inflexible and almost senselessly brutal), but ultimately he’s someone you want to see win because he represents a sense of order in a malign and wildy dystopian society.

Sly Stallone just gurned a lot, punched some heads and slurred ‘I Am The Law’. The only good thing about this film was the Angel Gang, and then only visually.

As an aside, Rico, the villain, was actually originally Joe Dredd’s cloned brother. Rico’s descent into corruption, and Dredd’s inability to forgive it, are what make him so inflexible where the law is concerned. Why this was not included in the film is, frankly, baffling…

Seriously though - read the comics; they’re far better, and far more Cyberpunk.

Hang on, it wasn’t Sid, it was Spikes Harvey Rotten (other Pistol… oops…)

I like this movie. Sure it’s quite cheesy, but I don’t mind it, many movies tend to be that. I can understand if you don’t like it, but I would’ve at least give it high cyberpunk visuals and themes. C’mon, dystopian future, robots, cyborgs, clones, megacorporation, dark city streets with neon lights… what’s NOT cyberpunk about it? Well, then again I have a bad taste in movies, heh. I’ve only read a couple of the comics.

Just to cheer you up, they are currently looking a remaking JD. Hopefully this time we will get the JD movie we want without the mumbling Stallone.
As for 2000AD in general a comic of epic imagination. I wish I still read it but one moves on. Check out Nemesis, ABC Warriors and Strontium Dog!!!

This movie was worse than the Apocalypse War total nuke out. Stallone was horrendous. Clint Eastwood would have been a better choice since he is one of the best at portraying those types of characters(less verbal, more physical/expressive). I would have liked a movie with the quality of Bladerunner. The comics are a great study of human nature. The earlier comics were campy, but they did set up the storyline and evolved nicely.

I actually enjoy watching Judje Dredd. Despite the bad acting and lame script, it has some of the best visuals in the genre. It also deals with many philosophic topics, such as overpopulation of the mega cities, lack of real judicial system and social segregation. The biggest mistake of the producers was that the movie was decided as a comedy.

I read 2000AD since Prog 9 so I am a pretty long term and loyal fan, and when I first saw the film when it come out I was mortified. Strangely enough though, now I really enjoy it when it comes on TV. It’s got some pretty good lines, some over the top acting which is strangely well in context, Diane Lane looking hot and the costumes and scenery are actually very good.
Probably after years of seeing some truly dire sci-fi movies I’ve forgiven it for the sin of not really getting at all close to the spirit of the comic and accepted it for just being a damn entertaining movie. It’s miles better than Chapter 1-3 of the Star Wars

This movie as horrible as it is in someways is still one of those classic (for better or worse) 90s action films that some some good lines which are fun to yell at people if you can find the context.

Armand Assante really carried this movie with his delivery of lines

“On the charge of being human WHEN WE COULD HAVE BEEN GODS!”

“You want fear, I’m fear. You want Chaos, I’m Chaos. You want a new beginning, I AM THE NEW BEGINNING!”

Shouldve gotten Paul Verhoeven to do it: HE Wouldve NAILED the necessary tone for something like this- Fascist comedy.

rob schneiders second scifi movie with sylvester stallone
both worked together on demolition man but judge dredd
set in a future world of law and order went whacky an
police force like no other where they are combined as
judge jury and exocutioner all in one they are the judges
and rico dredd escapes aspen to wreack revenge on joseph
dredd by framing him for the death of an news reporter by
rico disguising himself as joseph dredd and wher the council of
judges fall but the whole film is similar to blade runner
with a gripping climax to the end but shneider steals the show
with his comedic whitt and style that made the film funny.

frankie (judge) smales

(frankie smales tv and movie review uk)

No, No, No Way!
No way, can a cyberpunk site rip the 2099ad universe to shreds!

I fully expected this review to say what a horribly commercial rip off this horrible movie was, what an egocentric (he insisted on removing the helmet, even though JD never does in the comic, he wasn’t going to do a whole movie with just his mouth showing) and was too short, so had to walk around in platform boots, and generally saying what a horrid little turd Stallone is.

But instead I find a scathing review of the mega cities, the Judges, etc!

Fuck that in the ear!

Let’s review the Judge Dredd universe a little..

2099AD, incredibly overpopulated megacities and scorched, barren wasteland from previous atomic warfare, ect.

Crime completely out of control, population too large.

No time for red tape, the cops become on the spot judges.

It should be noted that while the judges are facist and totalitarian in style, they are completely outnumbered all the time, and the streets are a warzone.

Crime is fully rampant.

JD was a genetically engineered clone enforcer.

You had machine! Home made inbred cyborg cannibal!
The Angel family are cool as balls!

And these are just cool references they decided to include in the movie that just makes it watchable.

The comics have Judge Death, parallel universes, a soul concept, occultism mixed with science..

So, I think really you should read some Dredd and then compare the film.

I’m worried that your review may turn potential Dredd fans in the cyberpunk community away as it seems that there are many who haven’t read the comic.
They will be put off by such a blasphemous review of the setting and characters.

You don’t think the studio nobs in Hollywood would rip off Dredd for Robocop eh? (you had it the other way around)

After ripping off Dredd for his own film?

For all the cyberpunk fans out there:

IF YOU SEE SYLVESTER IN THE STREET, PLEASE KICK HIM IN THE NUTS AND RUN OFF.

I think if enough of us do so, well… it probably wont do much at all except make me, and a lot of others sleep a little better at night.

EDIT:(I fully expected this review to say what a horribly commercial rip off this horrible movie was, what an egocentric tool Stallone is (he insisted on removing the helmet, even though JD never does in the comic, he wasn’t going to do a whole movie with just his mouth showing) and was too short, so had to walk around in platform boots, and generally saying what a horrid little turd Stallone is.)

I think Ron Pearlman would make a good Dredd.

Watch the city of lost children, he can get pretty buff and looks tall and ape like.
If you imagine him with the helmet on, he has that huge chin and jawline.
An Dredd is supposed to be crusty and old, hes like 60 now.

I hope the new one will feature Death just in a cameo.
A movie about the Judge Death arc would be cool as hes my fave, but with the paralell universe, occultism, etc, I think the general population wouldnt get it.

Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals: Medium

Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: Low

low ????!!!!

judge dred must be have minimum medium for cyberpunk theme !
the movie take place in a cyberpunk city and is realy more cyberpunk than other movie like matrix !!!!
matrix is not cyberpunk for me and he have more vorrelation than judge dred ?

Deadspace & lain, you said it best. SAFM, I can’t believe that You’d say it has low correlation to cyberpunk themes. Dredd has been around since the 60’s. The creators virtually gave birth to cyberpunk in my eyes!

I’ll bet Gibson, so-called “instrumental” in the pioneering of cyberpunk literature, was a massive fan of Dredd. The comic is set in possibly one of the most disturbing dystopias - Mega city one surrounded by the mutant infested wastelands.

The Judges are always connected to the central computer network, and the Angel brothers have a totally sick cyborg among them. With the over abundance of the high-tech, low-life combination, if this isn’t heavily cyberpunk I don’t know what is. I suspect that the comics had HUGE influence on many cyberpunk works that followed. I somewhat feel like I’m taking crazy pills here.

Agreed, the movie was glitzy & glammy & super-heroey enough to make any self-respecting adult toss it away, and any Dredd fan hurl violently, and I didn’t have the feeling watching it that the comics give you. That feeling of a diseased dystopia, that the comics were so good at capturing, with ground-breaking artists giving life to the disgusting reality that was Mega city one, via ultra-gory highly graphic scenes of punk-criminals heads exploding and entrails splattering everywhere.

I pray that the 2012 remake pays attention to the 1990’s portion of the comics visual themes, rather than the early Progs in the series. Its like the screen-play-writers of the 1995 Stallone version opened the first few pages of the first Prog of the comic, and said “ok, that’s all we need, lets insert it into the hollywood engine”. Done properly, I think the next movie has huge potential as a truly classic cyberpunk epic. Looking forward to that review…

Correction: The comic was around since the 70’s, not 60’s, silly me, I wasn’t there at the time so maybe I can be forgiven.

Well, I agree about the comics, although many of the earlier comics were more biopunk and the visuals are more Raygun Gothic like than typical Cyberpunk. (Although Masamune Shirows Appleseed Manga had similar architecture.)

From what I know, Gibson was influenced by the French Metal Hurlànt comics which had some stylistic similarities to 2000 AD. (One artists of that french magazine was also involved in movies like Tron and Blade Runner.)

I also think that 2000AD was a huge influence on later Cyberpunk fiction. Especially the Robocop Films. (Personally, I could also imagine an influence on Tokyo Gore Police.)

On topic of the movie, I tend to agree with SFAM and I think the comics were more Cyberpunk than the movie. (The visuals were slightly more Cyberpunk in the movie, in my opinion.) I also think the movie did the Character of Dredd wrong in some very fundamental ways. (And didn’t really understand the narrative purpose of a character like Dredd.)

Ssj,

Not sure about the writers or Verhoeven but Rob Bottin the fx man that designed Robocop was definitely inspired by 2000 ad and judge dredd. There’s behind the scenes footage of him sculpting the costume & early versions, especially the helmet resembled Dredd.

Ah, OK. Thanks for the explaination.

I heard that the makers of Robocop drew inspiration from many Sci Fi Policemen Stories from all over the world.