MovieChat Forums > Judge Dredd (1995) Discussion > Much better than its reputation indicate...

Much better than its reputation indicates


I watched it last night.

I avoided it for 25 years because the reviews for the film are abysmal and even the audience score on RT and the IMDB score are low. However, I'll be damned if I didn't think it was a fun movie.

At only 90 minutes it's surprisingly short and it feels like they only included the broad strokes of the plot--it's the kind of movie that feels like there's probably a director's cut with half an hour of extra footage out there somewhere--but still, there's a coherent story with a proper beginning, middle and end.

Where the film really shines though is the production design. It's actually an amazing-looking movie and a deliciously rich example of the mid-90s sci-fi action aesthetic. Not only does it feature great sets, it also uses a very effective mix of practical effects and CGI.

I ran across it on HBO and decided to give it a look. No regrets. It was a nostalgic experience for me because, as they say, they don't make movies like this anymore.

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It's average but watchable enough. I can see where some of the fans come from in their criticisms. It should had been more mean-spirited and gory. But yea, the set design and some of the effects are pretty impressive. The ABC robot still looks terrific.
Stallone just had too much creative control. I think he already did a better version of this premise with Demolition Man anyway;I used to always confuse these two movies.

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It's funny you bring up the Demolition Man comparison because, yes, the ideas are VERY similar. It's uncanny.

As soon as I saw Diane Lane I thought of Sandra Bullock's character in DM, Rob Schneider is also in both films, and Armand Assante's character could be the adopted brother of Simon Phoenix. Then you have the whole plot line of both the hero and villain ending up incarcerated and then having to battle each other on the outside.

It's actually kind of surprising that Stallone decided he wanted to make two films that were so similar damn near back-to-back.

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Well since this one is based off a comic book with a sizable fanbase, maybe he thought this could be his Batman or something similar with a little bit of Blade Runner thrown in there.

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I guess that didn't work out for him.

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I just watched it for the first time since it was in theaters. It's actually pretty decent.

Rob Schneider is the worst part of it by a mile. I guess they thought there should be some comic relief but it really took me out of what was great worldbuilding, effects that were pretty amazing for the time, and some solid set design. Assante was awesome as an over-the-top Rico.

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Agreed on Assante. I have no idea what happened to him after this film or could even name another movie I know him from, but he was great here.

As for Schneider, I can definitely get why someone might not like him here. He definitely brings a kind of humor that I can see some finding annoying. I wasn't too bothered by him though, especially since that particular night I wasn't in mood for anything too serious.

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I SAW THIS IN THEATERS WITH MY GRANDMOTHER,AUNT AND COUSIN...I HAD NEVER READ ANY JUDGE DREDD COMICS(I GOT ONE LATER AND WAS BAFFLED)...ANYWAY...ALWAYS LOVED THE FILM...IT HAS THAT UNEVEN TONE,BUT OVERALL ITS A LOT OF FUN.

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I've been reading through the comics and this film captures the feel of the early series. The 2012 Dredd Is fun, but this really did a good job with the world building. The only big issue is Stallone not wearing the helmet.
Oh well...

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It's awesome. It's great fun.

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