Dredd

[DoctorDodge]

It's no secret that I consider myself to be a big fan of Judge Dredd. Specifically, the comic, not the Stallone film of the same name, which really has to be up there as one of the worst comic book films ever made. So when I heard a couple of years ago that DNA Films were making a new film, I was initially excited. But since then, a number of reports has made my anticipation for a decent Dredd film go up and down. A recent report that a showing of the film at Cannes went rather well could've been exciting if it weren't for the fact that it was by one of the film's major financial backers. With no trailer and no real reports from anyone not deeply involved in the film that it'll be any good, I was prepared to ignore it.

And then I read this:

John Wagner, the man co-created Judge Dredd, has given the new Dredd movie a thumbs up on his Facebook page:

“I went up to London yesterday to see the completed Dredd film. I’ve had reservations about certain aspects of it, and made them plain to the team at DNA. All but one of them – a little quibble at the beginning – have been addressed. And what a lot they’ve added. Music is on the button. SFX are excellent. Filming is impressive. I’ve not seen a modern 3-D movie before but I like it. I found myself reaching out trying to touch things that were dancing before my eyes. Karl is a great Dredd and Olivia gets Anderson completely. This is Dredd as it should be done – true to character, visceral, unrelentingly violent (but not off-puttingly so). It will open, I believe, sometime in September. No doubt you’ll let me know what you think when you’ve seen it, but this has my recommendation.”

John fucking Wagner has said that this film is gonna be good. For anyone who doesn't know, Wagner isn't just the co-creator of Dredd: for 35 years, he has remained as the writer for Dredd's world. He's written so many definitive classics of the strip - The Apocalypse War, Necropolis, and of course, America - that he's closer to Dredd and his world more than anyone. When the last film was made, Wagner wasn't half as positive about it. This quote has officially pushed me from being cautiously optimistic of Dredd to being hugely excited about it! Now I just wish the bastards would release a fucking trailer already!

Link to article here.

[DoctorDodge]

Ok, while I'm still waiting for the trailer, I just thought I'd post this photo that's recently cropped up:


Ok, I don't know about you guys, but I'm really liking the look of this photo, more than the others that have cropped up the past 18 months. No trying any tricks with the lighting, no dodgy shots. In this pic, Urban truly looks Dredd. I'm also liking the costume, too. While there seem to be a number of small changes - I kinda miss the eagle, if I'm honest - all seem practical, and it seems to get the gist of Dredd. Most importantly though, while I'm glad it looks practical, I'm also glad that they kept the X on the helmet. It sounds unimportant, but really, it's one of the key parts of Dredd's look. I only realised how much yesterday when looking at my collection of massive Dredd Case Files volumes, and on both the side and the back, out of only two colours, the distinct shape of the helmet is there. The reason you can see the helmet shape is the X. So even for that much, that's one key thing this film has over the previous Stallone shite. Hopefully, Urban can match the costume and truly be Dredd. It's a lot to ask for, but I do hope they can pull it off.

Ok, now just a trailer and a poster to wait for!

[fernandito]

I freaking love the way the armor/suit looks, still a bit skeptical of the helmet though.

[DoctorDodge]

Understandable, but like I said, it could work if Urban can pull it off (not literally, fingers crossed) and make us believe that the helmet is his face. He hasn't been in many great films, but he made a damn good McCoy in Star Trek, so he know how to be respectful to the original source material while still giving a great performance, at least. It'll be a challenge, but a necessary one, if you want a respectful adaptation. Time will tell, anyway.

EDIT: YES!!!!

[fernandito]

A few new images


http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/06/1...d/#more-161898

[DoctorDodge]

I've gotta say I'm really am liking those images. I especially like the pic that gives us a good look at Mega-City 1. It's not as PACKED as it is in the comics, or at least, it doesn't look it, but it looks pretty cool. Also like the Sturnhammer block homage to Wulf Sturnhammer from 2000AD strip Strontium Dog, very nice.

And I still can't believe I haven't even tried to look for that leaked script yet. I guess even I have my limits when it comes to spoilers! Really though, i'm just itching for a fucking trailer already!

[fernandito]

It's a bit ominous that they haven't released a trailer for this yet as it's only 4 months off. Usually by this time, a film like this has at least one trailer out already.

I'm thinking that they're going to be extremely stingy with the advertisement $, which is never a good sign. A film like this needs to be promoted decently to have any chance of box office success.

[DoctorDodge]

Agreed. As much as I am looking forward to this film, mostly due to Wagner's recommendation, (who flat out told the director of the Stallone film that they were "filming the wrong fucking story",) I've gotta admit that I do think that, whether it's good or not, chances are it probably won't do well at the box office. At best, it may make some of its money back, at worst, a total flop. I've been itching for a trailer for a while now, and even I think it's ridiculous how long it's taking them. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see it do well, almost as much as I want it to be a spiritually faithful Dredd flick, but I'm not sure many people are aware of it, atm. Hell, if I wasn't going on about it so much, I doubt many on this board would know about it at all!

In the meantime, let me know if you want any recommendations to read as prep, just to get a good taste of what the comic's like.

[Brainslinger]

Hi,

I just cam across this, as I don't frequent this area of the forum normally. Anyway, Trailer will be around tomorrow on the Machinima website. I'll post a direct link then if someone hasn't beaten me to it!


A High- res taster for tomorrow's trailer:



Not a lot to see but it looks fantastic! I had reservations over the more contemporary looking vehicles, (and I'm still unsure) but I think they might just work in the version of the Meg they're trying to make.

I was also worried that Urban might take Dredd's voice down the Bale Batman route, but it sounds just right in that clip. Rough and gravelly but not over the top.

Roll on tomorrow!

Oh, and Dodge - you might know this already by now as there have been other pictures, but the eagle is on Dredd's right shoulder. It's not the statuette of the comic though. It's more of the badge style. From a practical point of view that makes sense not to have pointy bits jutting out.

You can see it here.

[fernandito]

Oh man, that looks fucking awesome! James is going to go apeshit when he sees this

[DoctorDodge]

What makes you think I haven't? Now I just need to hear it: computer at work has no sound on it, dammit!

EDIT: ok, yep, from the tiny amount of footage I've seen...yes, first time I watched it, I went into MEGA EXCITED HYPER OBSESSIVE FANBOY MODE, and still was the first few times after that, and that was with the sound off. Watched it at home, with the sound on...ok, agreed with Brainslinger on all points. It does initially look considerably closer to modern day than the world of Mega-City 1 in the comics, which I only really have a problem with from the vehicles, they do look too modern, as Wagner said. However, that's hardly a dealbreaker, and everything else looks AMAZING, particularly how the SLO-MO scenes seem to be handled. Really excited about the trailer tomorrow.

Oh, and as for Urban - the biggest reservations I've had about the film was whether he could play Dredd perfectly. In recent pics, he certainly looked the part, but does he sound like the Dredd I know?

If he sounds like he does for those 2 seconds for the rest of the entire movie, then I can answer that with a resolute YES.

Right, that's the pre-preview done, now for the trailer!

[DoctorDodge]

UPDATE: The full trailer has been leaked!

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00051600.html

[stkmw02]

Haha! I was totally going to share this with you! My husband just found it. How silly of me to think you wouldn't find it first.

[DoctorDodge]

Now how'd you work out I was a fan of Judge Dredd?

Spoiler:

Looking at it (not hearing, have to wait another 2 hours to get onto a computer with sound, darn it), it looks ok. Mega-City 1 doesn't look quite as, well, "mega" as it does in the comics or as claustrophobic, but holy grud, Lena Headey looks scary as main villain Ma-Ma.

It does have the slight problem of having a plot that's really similar to very recent Indonesian film The Raid, so it seems to be getting unfavourable comparison across a few websites. I wouldn't worry, though: hardly anyone I know - on this board or in the real world - actually saw or even heard of The Raid, so I doubt it'll suffer too much from people thinking it's a ripoff. It still has to get past the bad image left of the character by the Stallone flick, though. Trailer for it looks ok, personally I'm hoping it's a really fucking good action flick that does justice to the character of Dredd, at least. We'll see, anyway.

[stkmw02]

Do you think this will be better in 3D?? I choose my 3D movies very carefully and am often disappointed...

[DoctorDodge]

Better? Dunno. If the local cinema shows it in both 3D and 2D, I think you can bet that I'll watch both versions, not just for comparison but also to get past the initial fanboy reaction and judge it fairly. Afterwards, I'll post a review. It comes out in the US a couple of weeks after it does in the UK, so whether it's any good or any different from the usual cult action flick, I'll let you know.

[fernandito]

No sound on my work comp. -____-

[stkmw02]

Well, I can tell you both... the sound is interesting. The song at the start of the trailer didn't do much for me, but by the end I felt it fit well. Judge Dredd sounds a little like he's trying too hard to sound like Batman, imho. But otherwise, I imagine the explosions will sound wonderful in surround sound!

And, btw, I might not be anticipating it nearly as much as you, Doc, but I'm a big fan as well.

[DoctorDodge]

Excellent! And here I was thinking that no American's actually read the comics!

Cheers for the thoughts on the sound as well. Regarding the voice, the two words I heard in the teaser seemed to sound perfectly Dreddish to me! Seriously, I'll let you know my thoughts later, but as long as Dredd is easy to understand and is clearly speaking English, I won't have any problems there.

"I am...DER LEUR!"
Nonono, even better:

You know what? Even with the sound off, that still makes me laugh!

[Brainslinger]

I know you've posted a link already but here's the larger version from Machinima.*:




That was interesting. I quite liked the tune at the start. It had a very Blade Runner sound to it.

While the city didn't look much like the comic version, I thought it had a very interesting look. All the city blocks a far apart with loads of smaller in between giving them a kind of sentinel type aspect.

Action and visuals look fine. I'll admit I winced a bit when Dredd said to Anderson: "It's judgement time". It felt corny. But his soft delivery of "Ma-ma's not the law. I am the law." before delivering the incendiary round... yes please. Put's Stallone's "I. AM DER LURGH!" in perspective.

*Incidentally, I couldn't find it when I went directly to their website. I ended up going to the Dredd website and linking back from there.

[DoctorDodge]

For a link to it in HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifvR...layer_embedded

Ok, watched it with sound, and...I've gotta say, I think I can get past how modern MC1 looks, because the rest, particularly the characters, looks and sounds amazing. Yes, Urban is sounding a bit like Batman, but the voice does suit the look. Speaking of looks, holy shit!!! He pulled off perfect Dredd expressions from what I could see. Here's one example:



That's Judge Dredd, right there. That's what I see from the comic every week. This is why I am so glad they kept the helmet. That just looks fantastic.

And also: Olivia Thirlby, surprisingly, just might make a great Anderson, a character so cool she got her own series. Twice: one that runs concurrent with the Dredd strip, another more recent one with her as a cadet. So again, they seem to have picked well.

There's one or two nitpicks from what I could see ("Judgment time" is just a bit too cheesy for me, tbh), but everything else? I loving the look of what I'm finally seeing, I'll say that much. Genuinely can't wait now.

Where's Fernando? I'm eager to know what he thinks.

[Yaksha]

Have to say this looks pretty badass. And at least Karl Urban can say the word law correctly

[Brice]

No sound on my work comp. -____-

Surely there are ways around that.

[DoctorDodge]

I know you've posted a link already but here's the larger version from Machinima.*:




That was interesting. I quite liked the tune at the start. It had a very Blade Runner sound to it.

While the city didn't look much like the comic version, I thought it had a very interesting look. All the city blocks a far apart with loads of smaller in between giving them a kind of sentinel type aspect.

Action and visuals look fine. I'll admit I winced a bit when Dredd said to Anderson: "It's judgement time". It felt corny. But his soft delivery of "Ma-ma's not the law. I am the law." before delivering the incendiary round... yes please. Put's Stallone's "I. AM DER LURGH!" in perspective.

*Incidentally, I couldn't find it when I went directly to their website. I ended up going to the Dredd website and linking back from there.

Missed this earlier. Unsurprisingly, agreed on a lot, especially on just how bad the line "it's judgement time" was. However, as you said, the way he said "I'm the law" sounded awesome, so as long as the script is more like that rather than really corny one-liners, it should look pretty cool.

And Yaksha: yes, I'm so thankful Urban can say the word "law" correctly!

[mystima]

When he says judgement time it looks like they cut out part of the conversation. But this looks awesome...I love movies made from other media a lot. and this looks so cool. can't wait till September.