MovieChat Forums > Dredd (2012) Discussion > Why this failed

Why this failed

posted 9 years ago by cobra1313
76 replies | jump to latest

I saw this in the theaters and I loved it, but I will tell you why I think it failed. The marketing. It was advertised as "Dredd 3D" which comes across as very gimmicky, especially with the excessive use of slow-mo in the trailer. Not to mention the line "I am the law". This movie should have tried to distance itself from the Sylvester Stallone abomination, not repeat it's most famous line.

I told everyone I knew to go see this and they all said "the Stallone movie? I am the law? Looks stupid". It was only after it came out on DVD that they gave it a chance and realized how badass it is. Unfortunately this did so poorly opening weekend that it wasn't even given a chance at word of mouth to help it before it was out of theaters. Probably from my above mentioned points.

Idk, I'm watching it now for literally the 6th time and it's frustrating that a quality action flick like this will not get a sequel.

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[–] olasnah-97-475221 9 years ago

The Stallone movie nailed the atmosphere of MegaCity one. This movie however, it was just a cop shooter film. Dredd came off as just a cop with a tough job rather than a 'Judge'. They simply didn't do enough to capture some of the atmospheric elements that the Stallone movie did. Megacity one isn't just a landscape populated by a megastructure every mile, it's full of megastructures! Just wasn't enough 'Judge Dredd' in this movie. And I do like it....it's simply too stripped down from the comic.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 9 years ago

Dredd was a modestly budgeted film. It used what it had well. I actually liked the cramped, claustrophobic atmosphere of the high rise and felt that added to the movie's appeal. Had it done well enough to merit sequels, we would have seen Mega City One fleshed out in greater detail. That won't happen, but at least this was well done even if it didn't have the resources to expand the world.

Stallone's Judge Dredd though was just cringeworthy.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile. I'll always miss you.

[–] JimmyMcCool 9 years ago

I agree. Attaching 3d to the end of any title says "this is a crap movie watch it for the 3d". I thought the trailer didn;t have much impact either. The only thing that kept the movie going was word of mouth.

[–] SinisterCreep 9 years ago

It's easy to blame it on the 3d in the title but i don't think that's just the reason. it's an ok film but it does look a bit cheap and mega city shouldn't look cheap.

[–] eldospeaks 9 years ago

but i don't think that's just the reason.

Yeah, it had to deal with the legecy of the crappy Stallone garbage.

"I stooped to pick a buttercup. Why people leave buttocks lying around, I've no idea."

[–] SinisterCreep 9 years ago

Yeah, it had to deal with the legecy of the crappy Stallone garbage.

I knew you couldn't wait to bring up the Stallone film. just because you hate that film doesn't mean Dredd doesn't look a bit cheap in places and it's Mega city is far from what Mega city should look like. and the lawmaster

[–] eldospeaks 9 years ago

Yeah, Mega City One should look like a back lot filmed from different angles, and the lawmaster should look like a big, wobbly scooter.

Face it, most people did not go to see Dredd because they thought it was a sequel or remake of the Stallone garbage. You like it, good for you, but it got so many things wrong it really was a lousy Judge Dredd adaptation. Sure Dredd got little things wrong (budget constaints played a part in that), but it got one thing bang on the money. Judge Dredd himself.

"I stooped to pick a buttercup. Why people leave buttocks lying around, I've no idea."

[–] SinisterCreep 9 years ago

Yeah, Mega City One should look like a back lot filmed from different angles, and the lawmaster should look like a big, wobbly scooter.

Face it, most people did not go to see Dredd because they thought it was a sequel or remake of the Stallone garbage. You like it, good for you, but it got so many things wrong it really was a lousy Judge Dredd adaptation. Sure Dredd got little things wrong (budget constaints played a part in that), but it got one thing bang on the money. Judge Dredd himself.

I keep saying many times that i don't think the Stallone film is perfect and i certainly don't think it's what a Dredd adaptation should be either.

the fact you have to keep dragging the Stallone film up to justify what's wrong with dredd says it all. but seeing as you dragged it up again ....Mega city may not be perfect in the stallone film but it captures the look of the comic Mega city much better than the sparse Dredd city. and if the Stallone lawmaster is a wobbly scooter then the dredd lawmaster is a cheap looking shed on wheels that looks like it's been cobbled together using cardboard over a normal bike with fatter tyres.

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[–] aniruddhgaming 9 years ago

2 Big Reasons
- Poor Marketing. Seriously, I came to know about these movie after 2 months, that too because I saw some internet article about how this movie flopped. They should have done some good marketing.
- R Rated. Lets be honest, PG 13 movies are generally more watched in theaters than R Rated movies, So many good R rated movies have flopped, because people don't watch them thinking it will have nudity, violence, blood & gore and adult language.

If they had done good marketing, then definitely this movie would have done at least $80 +Million.

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[–] aniruddhgaming 9 years ago

and all of them were mostly marketed well, except TED 2, which was a sequel. Ted made nearly $500+, and Ted 2 made less than $200 because.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

And all of them weren't following a bad 90's version that ran on cable for 17 years and destroyed the brand's marketing potential.

I don't know if this is supposed to be a defense of the generic reboot or what.

To me it only says two things:

1. Enough people enjoyed the original enough for it to be on cable for 17 years.

2. The inept people behind this film couldn't figure out how to capitalize on that. Which is weird because the star is a household name and one of the biggest action stars on the planet.

I'll tell you one thing... This sure as hell won't be playing on TV 17 years from now, but the '95 film might.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

Yeah; because they never re-run films just to fill slots in-between advertisements on cable.

Dredd certainly won't have to worry about that.

So how do you capitalise on a "star" if he's not even in the film and his previous effort is considered one of his worst films?

Perhaps making fun of the original cheese fest in the marketing materials. 20 years ago someone dug up an obscure comic book character to create a $100+ million dollar film that still plays on TV today. Instead of making use of that longed history, they opt for: nothing.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

Didn't know you had a crystal ball.

You're right. I'm sure movie that no one cares about or remembers will have a huge TV audience for years to come.

Drawing attention to a bad version of your character doesn't help your film

Didn't know you had a crystal ball.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

Don't get too excited. I only saw it 2 months ago.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

That a handful of people are still talking about a 3 year old movie? Yeah, this message board is really rockin' it out! It has a whole, what, maybe 3 times the amount of topics touched in 2015 than its 20 year old predecessor? 

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

And? I never said it was a good movie.

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[–] logan-duk-dong 9 years ago

Why not? Like the movie or not, most people know it. As what's his face said it's been on TV for 17 years.

How awesome would a Bad Lip Reading spot poking fun at the original have been?

Do something creative with that legacy.

[–] tabaqui-1 9 years ago

The trailer overdid the Slo-Mo and it really felt like it was for an episode from a TV series, as it was constrained to a single building. I am glad I finally watched it.

[–] mubhceeb 9 years ago

You found yourself to the film, so that's the main thing!

Shame the promotion put you off initially!

Make a Dredd sequel Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/MakeADreddSequel

[–] tabaqui-1 9 years ago

Me too. I watched it on pretty much a whim. I am glad I did, solid movie.

[–] PterryFan 9 years ago

Judge Dredd was pretty dire and wasn't faithful to the original comics .

This film was made because so many diehard fans thought that Stallones version was bad and this was an attempt to rectify it.

The only criticism I have is that Mega City 1 didn't look the part , not highrise enough and not densely packed enough .

I hope they make some sequels , or HBO makes a series of it .

[–] tabaqui-1 9 years ago

Not familiar with the comics, haven't seen the Stallone version in ages.
I enjoyed the movie on its own.

[–] eldospeaks 9 years ago

The thing is, Mega City 1 has never looked the same twice in the comics. The Dredd film just went in it's own direction instead of copying the sort of city we have seen on screen before. Films like Blade Runner, the Stallone Dredd and even Attack of the Clones have all portrayed cities that all looked similar to the Mega City in the comics. However, if Dredd had gone with that style, you would have had people complaining that it was copying the style of those films. Hell, there are still peoeple who think Dredd copied The Raid.

"I stooped to pick a buttercup. Why people leave buttocks lying around, I've no idea."

[–] SinisterCreep 9 years ago

The thing is, Mega City 1 has never looked the same twice in the comics. The Dredd film just went in it's own direction instead of copying the sort of city we have seen on screen before. Films like Blade Runner, the Stallone Dredd and even Attack of the Clones have all portrayed cities that all looked similar to the Mega City in the comics. However, if Dredd had gone with that style, you would have had people complaining that it was copying the style of those films. Hell, there are still peoeple who think Dredd copied The Raid.

It might have changed here and there in the comics but it still usually had that crammed together look with elevated motorways going high into the sky etc. Dredd in the comics was out before any of those films
the way i look at the film Dredd is it's just part of the city we've seen and if there's ever a sequel they should do the city much closer to the comics. it can still look grimy in parts but there should be much more futuristic stuff as well.

when I watch a Dredd film i want to be looking at something futuristic and not a fairly modern looking city with things like 1980s vans everywhere.

[–] norwell-services 9 years ago

Most everything written here has merit in trying to explain why this film did not do so well at the box office. Though I'm no closer to understanding the reasons. My take on it is that this film did not fail. In the same way that Waterworld didn't fail, but was just a slow mover.

There is a huge fan base out there for Dredd and so I think that the sequal, when it eventually turns up, will be much more appreciated. Karl Urban is the key, along with a mega script: excuse the pun. At any rate this franchise deserves the financing just as much as Terminator.

I swallowed a bug ... River